Informally known as LBJ, Lyndon Baines Johnson was an American politician and the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as President John F. Kennedy's 37th vice president from 1961 to 1963. Johnson, a Democrat from Texas, was also a senator, congressman, and majority leader of the Senate. He has the distinction of being one of the few presidents who have held every federally elected post.
Before being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1937, Johnson served as a high school teacher and a congressional assistant. He was born in a farmhouse near Stonewall, Texas, to a local political family. He barely won the Democratic Party nomination and was then elected to the United States Senate in 1948. In 1951, he was chosen to be the Senate Majority Whip. In 1953, he was elected Senate Democratic Leader; in 1954, he was elected Majority Leader. Johnson sought the Democratic presidential candidacy in 1960. He clashed with colleague senator and Democratic front-runner John F. Kennedy throughout the convention. The Kennedy-Johnson ticket won the 1960 presidential election as a result of the two men's agreement. On November 22, 1963, after the assassination of President Kennedy, Vice President Johnson would take over as president.
Johnson is regarded as one of the most divisive presidents in American history, and after his passing, opinions on his legacy have changed with time. Because of his domestic policies, Johnson is ranked highly by historians and academics. His administration established several significant legislation that significantly improved welfare, health care, and civil rights, while he is also blamed for growing American participation in the Vietnam War.
