On This Day

US President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act, prohibiting voting discrimination against minorities

Lyndon Baines Johnson (August 27, 1908 – January 22, 1973), also known as LBJ, was the 36th president of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969.

Lyndon Baines Johnson (August 27, 1908 – January 22, 1973), also known as LBJ, was the 36th president of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969. He became president after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, under whom he had served as the 37th vice president from 1961 to 1963. A Southern Democrat, Johnson previously represented Texas in Congress for over 23 years, first as a U.S. representative from 1937 to 1949, and then as a U.S. senator from 1949 to 1961.

Born in Stonewall, Texas, Johnson worked as a teacher and a congressional aide before winning election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1937. In 1948, he was controversially declared the winner in the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate election in Texas before winning the general election.

Historical Significance

Lyndon Baines Johnson (August 27, 1908 – January 22, 1973), also known as LBJ, was the 36th president of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969.

Key People

Lyndon B. Johnson

Jimmie Lee Jackson

civil rights activist

American civil rights activist

Events Before

  1. First government report by US Surgeon General Luther Terry warning that smoking may be hazardous

    First government report by US Surgeon General Luther Terry warning that smoking may be hazardous

  2. American MLB baseball player Pete Rose (22) weds first wife Karolyn Englehardt; divorce in 1980

    American MLB baseball player Pete Rose (22) weds first wife Karolyn Englehardt; divorce in 1980

  3. "Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb", political satire film directed by Stanley Kubric

    "Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb", political satire film directed by Stanley Kubrick, and starring Peter Sellers and George C. Scott, premieres

  4. First appearance of the Beatles on "The Ed Sullivan Show", live from New York; broadcast draws 73.7 million television v

    First appearance of the Beatles on "The Ed Sullivan Show", live from New York; broadcast draws 73.7 million television viewers

  5. Billy Rose and Joyce Mathews divorce again

    Billy Rose (born William Samuel Rosenberg; September 6, 1899 – February 10, 1966) was an American impresario, theatrical showman, lyricist and columnist.

Events After

  1. 12-day New York City transit worker strike halts subway and bus services

    A 1980 transit strike in New York City halted service on the New York City Transit Authority (a subsidiary of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority) for the first time since 1966.

  2. The Beatles' album "Rubber Soul" goes to #1 and stays there for six weeks, while the single "We Can Work It Out" also ch

    The Beatles' album "Rubber Soul" goes to #1 and stays there for six weeks, while the single "We Can Work It Out" also charts at #1 for three weeks

  3. "Batman", starring Adam West as Batman, Burt Ward as Robin, and Cesar Romero as the Joker, debuts on ABC

    Batman is an American comedy television series based on the DC Comics character of the same name.

  4. Indira Gandhi is elected India's first female prime minister

    Indira Gandhi was an Indian stateswoman who served as the prime minister of India from 1966 to 1977 and again from 1980 until her assassination in 1984.

  5. Quiet Beatle George Harrison (22) weds British model Pattie Boyd (21) at the registry office in Epsom, Surrey, England,

    Quiet Beatle George Harrison (22) weds British model Pattie Boyd (21) at the registry office in Epsom, Surrey, England, Paul serves as best man; divorce in 1977

More from the 1960s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on August 6, 1965?
Lyndon Baines Johnson (August 27, 1908 – January 22, 1973), also known as LBJ, was the 36th president of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969. He became president after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, under whom he had served as the 37th vice president from 1961 to 1963.
Why is US President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act, prohibiting votin... significant?
Lyndon Baines Johnson (August 27, 1908 – January 22, 1973), also known as LBJ, was the 36th president of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969.
Who was involved in US President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act, prohibiting votin...?
Key figures include Lyndon B. Johnson, Jimmie Lee Jackson (civil rights activist).

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