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POLITICS

Lyndon B Johnson’s presidency began when JFK was assassinated in 1963

Johnson sworn in as president on Air Force One after the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963

By Ashlyn Messier Fox News
Published
  • Lyndon B. Johnson in the Oval Office
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    Lyndon B. Johnson was the 36th president of the United States. He assumed office after the assassination of John F. Kennedy on Nov. 22, 1963. (Getty Images)

  • Lyndon B. Johnson and John F. Kennedy
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    After serving in the House and Senate, Lyndon Johnson was asked to be John F. Kennedy's presidential running mate. Kennedy narrowly beat his Republican opponent, Richard Nixon, in the 1960 election. (Getty Images)

  • Lyndon B. Johnson and his wife, Lady Bird
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    Johnson married wife Claudia Alta "Lady Bird" Johnson on Nov. 17, 1934. Before their marriage, they sent letters back and forth while he was working in Washington. (PhotoQuest/Getty Images)

  • Lyndon B. Johnson inauguration after John F. Kennedy assassination
    Image 4 of 8

    After Kennedy was assassinated, Johnson was sworn into office on Air Force One. (Getty Images)

  • Lyndon B. Johnson making televised address
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    When Johnson took office, he prioritized passing bills that Kennedy endorsed. Johnson immediately got to work with the Civil Rights Act and tax cuts. (Keystone/Getty Images)

  • Lyndon B. Johnson with stressed look at his desk
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    One of the major conflicts happening at the time Johnson was in office was the war in Vietnam. A solution wasn't reached while he was in office. The war caused many protests and controversy during his White House years. (Getty Images)

  • Lyndon B. Johnson signing the Civil Rights Act
    Image 7 of 8

    Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law on July 2. The act "prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin," per the U.S. Department of Labor. Johnson later signed the Civil Rights Act of 1968, which prevented discrimination in transactions related to housing. (Getty Images)

  • Lyndon B. Johnson at his daughter's wedding
    Image 8 of 8

    Johnson's daughter, Luci, married Patrick Nugent on Aug. 6, 1966, though she later remarried in 1984. Her first reception was held in the White House. In 1967, her sister, Lynda, married Capt. Charles S. Robb in the White House. (Getty Images)

Lyndon B. Johnson became the 36th President of the United States when John F. Kennedy was assassinated on Nov. 22, 1963. 

After finishing Kennedy's term, Johnson ran in his own right and won the 1964 presidential election in a landslide.

Johnson was born on Aug. 27, 1908, in Texas.

After attending Southwest Texas State Teachers College, which is now Texas State University in San Marcos, Johnson served in the Navy during World War II as a lieutenant commander. Johnson earned a Silver Star for his service.

In November 1934, Johnson married Claudia Alta "Lady Bird" Taylor after meeting in September of that year, according to the LBJ Library website. They had two daughters, Lynda and Luci, who both hosted guests at the White House for their own weddings.

DRAWING PARALLELS BETWEEN 1968 & NOW

Johnson spent six terms in the House before being elected to the Senate in 1948.

He served in the Senate for 12 years, according to the LBJ Library website. During this time, he was elected as the Democrat whip and became the Democrat minority leader in 1953, per the source.

During the presidential election of 1960, Kennedy asked Johnson to be his running mate. Kennedy narrowly defeated Richard Nixon, the incumbent Republican vice president, for the White House.

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On Nov. 22, 1963, Kennedy was assassinated and Johnson became president. He was inaugurated while onboard Air Force One. 

When Johnson became the president, he prioritized finalizing bills that were endorsed by Kennedy, putting a large focus on tax cuts and the Civil Rights Act. 

In 1964, Johnson ran for president with Hubert Humphrey as his running mate. Johnson beat his Republican opponent, Barry Goldwater, earning 61% of the popular vote, which equaled over 15,000,000 votes, according to the LBJ Library. 

During his presidency, Johnson signed multiple bills related to rights for African Americans, such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Civil Rights Act of 1968. 

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He also signed the 1965 Medicare Amendment to the Social Security Act into law, giving millions of seniors medical care.

Johnson played a great role in space exploration during his time in the White House and through his years as president. While he was president, astronauts orbited the moon on Apollo 8 in 1968, marking the first time astronauts left Earth's orbit.

One of the biggest conflicts happening at the time of his presidency was the Vietnam War. Johnson was not able to reach a peaceful end to the conflict, which sparked many protests and controversy in the U.S.

Johnson died of a heart attack on Jan. 22, 1973, at 64 years old.

Ashlyn Messier is a writer for Fox News Digital. 

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