Lyndon B. Johnson

Table of Contents

Quotes References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images & Videos

Lyndon B. Johnson, Jacqueline Kennedy, and Lady Bird Johnson

Martin Luther King, Jr., and Lyndon Johnson

For Students

U.S. trooops of the 7th. and 9th. divisions wade through marshland during a joint operation on South Vietnam's Mekong Delta, April 1967.

Pop Quiz: 19 Things to Know About the Vietnam War

Lyndon B. Johnson summary

Lyndon B. Johnson

Q: Who was Lyndon B. Johnson?

Lyndon B. Johnson, frequently called LBJ, was an American politician and moderate Democrat who was president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He was born on August 27, 1908, and died on January 22, 1973.

Q: How did Lyndon B. Johnson become president?

Lyndon B. Johnson was elected vice president of the United States alongside President John F. Kennedy in 1960 and acceded to the presidency upon Kennedy's assassination in 1963. He was president from 1963 to 1969.

Q: What did Lyndon B. Johnson do as president?

As president, Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act , the most comprehensive civil rights legislation since Reconstruction , into law; he also greatly expanded American involvement in the Vietnam War despite national opposition.

Q: Why didn’t Lyndon B. Johnson seek another term as president?

By 1968, Lyndon B. Johnson knew he was unlikely to win another presidential election; his increase of American involvement in the Vietnam War , as well as rising American casualties in Vietnam, had made him deeply unpopular. After Senator Eugene McCarthy and Robert Kennedy declared their candidacies for the Democratic presidential nomination, Johnson announced that he would not seek another term and would, instead, retire.

president of United States

Also known as: LBJ, Lyndon Baines Johnson

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Mar 18, 2024 • Article History

Lyndon B. Johnson

See all media

Category: History & Society

In full:: Lyndon Baines Johnson

Also called:: LBJ

Born:: August 27, 1908, Gillespie county, Texas, U.S.

Died:: January 22, 1973, San Antonio, Texas (aged 64)

Title / Office:: presidency of the United States of America (1963-1969), United States; vice president of the United States of America (1961-1963), United States; vice president (1960-1963), United States; United States Senate (1949-1961), United States; House of Representatives (1937-1949), United States

Political Affiliation:: Democratic Party

Notable Family Members:: spouse Lady Bird Johnson

See all related content →

Who was Lyndon B. Johnson?

How did Lyndon B. Johnson become president?

What did Lyndon B. Johnson do as president?

Why didn’t Lyndon B. Johnson seek another term as president?

Lyndon B. Johnson (born August 27, 1908, Gillespie county, Texas, U.S.—died January 22, 1973, San Antonio, Texas) was the 36th president of the United States (1963–69). A moderate Democrat and vigorous leader in the United States Senate, Johnson was elected vice president in 1960 and acceded to the presidency in 1963 upon the assassination of Pres. John F. Kennedy. During his administration he signed into law the Civil Rights Act (1964), the most comprehensive civil rights legislation since the Reconstruction era, initiated major social service programs, and bore the brunt of national opposition to his vast expansion of American involvement ...(100 of 3099 words)

Access the full article

Help support true facts by becoming a member.