Lyndon B. Johnson — 36th U.S. President

President Details

President Number: 36
Years in Office: 1963 - 1969
Term Dates: November 22, 1963 – January 20, 1969
Political Party: Democratic
Vice President(s): Hubert Humphrey

Legacy Summary

Johnson’s domestic agenda, known as the Great Society, expanded civil rights, health care, education, and anti-poverty programs, producing landmark laws such as the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act, Medicare, and Medicaid.

His decision to escalate U.S. military involvement in Vietnam eroded public support and overshadowed many of his achievements, leaving a complex legacy that reshaped civil rights, social policy, and debates over U.S. foreign intervention.

Notable Actions

Signed the Civil Rights Act (1964) and Voting Rights Act (1965); Created Medicare and Medicaid (1965); Launched the Great Society and War on Poverty initiatives; Escalated U.S. military involvement in the Vietnam War; Enacted the Immigration and Nationality Act (1965)

Timeline Entries

Key highlights and dated events associated with this presidency.

Showing 12 of 216 entries.

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U.S. and South Vietnamese forces recapture Hue, ending the Battle of Hue

February 25, 1968 • Lyndon B. Johnson

Military Action

U.S. and South Vietnamese forces recapture Hue, ending the Battle of Hue

After nearly a month of urban combat following the Tet Offensive, U.S. Marines and South Vietnamese troops declared the city of Hue retaken from North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces on February 25, 1968.

Battle of Lang Vei: North Vietnamese assault overruns U.S. Special Forces camp

February 6, 1968 • Lyndon B. Johnson

Military Action

Battle of Lang Vei: North Vietnamese assault overruns U.S. Special Forces camp

On February 6–7, 1968 North Vietnamese Army units, employing tanks, assaulted and overran the U.S. Special Forces camp at Lang Vei in I Corps, inflicting heavy casualties and captures among allied forces.

Execution of Nguyen Van Lem in Saigon (photographed by Eddie Adams)

February 1, 1968 • Lyndon B. Johnson

Crisis Response

Execution of Nguyen Van Lem in Saigon (photographed by Eddie Adams)

During the Tet Offensive on Feb 1, South Vietnamese National Police chief General Nguyễn Ngọc Loan executed alleged Viet Cong officer Nguyễn Văn Lém on a Saigon street while photographer Eddie Adams captured the moment.

Attack on the U.S. Embassy in Saigon during the Tet Offensive

February 1, 1968 • Lyndon B. Johnson

Military Action

Attack on the U.S. Embassy in Saigon during the Tet Offensive

Viet Cong sappers breached the U.S. Embassy compound in Saigon as part of the Tet Offensive; U.S. and South Vietnamese forces fought to clear the grounds and retake the building.

January 30, 1968 • Lyndon B. Johnson

Military Action

Tet Offensive begins

North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces launched the Tet Offensive, a coordinated series of large-scale attacks across South Vietnam, including strikes on provincial capitals and Saigon.

January 23, 1968 • Lyndon B. Johnson

Foreign Policy

USS Pueblo seized by North Korea

North Korean forces captured the U.S. Navy intelligence ship USS Pueblo (AGER-2) off the Korean coast and took its crew prisoner.

January 21, 1968 • Lyndon B. Johnson

Military Action

Siege of Khe Sanh begins

North Vietnamese Army forces launched heavy attacks and began besieging the U.S. Marine garrison at Khe Sanh Combat Base in South Vietnam.

January 17, 1968 • Lyndon B. Johnson

Speech

State of the Union Address

President Lyndon B. Johnson delivered the 1968 State of the Union Address outlining his administration's domestic agenda and approach to the Vietnam conflict.

Age Discrimination in Employment Act signed into law

December 15, 1967 • Lyndon B. Johnson

Legislation

Age Discrimination in Employment Act signed into law

President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), prohibiting employment discrimination against persons 40 years of age and older.

November 28, 1967 • Lyndon B. Johnson

Legislation

Signing of the Wholesome Meat Act

President Johnson signed the Wholesome Meat Act, strengthening federal meat-inspection standards and extending inspection requirements to state-inspected meat plants.

U.N. Security Council adopts Resolution 242; Johnson administration endorses principles for Arab–Israeli settlement

November 22, 1967 • Lyndon B. Johnson

Foreign Policy

U.N. Security Council adopts Resolution 242; Johnson administration endorses principles for Arab–Israeli settlement

The U.N. Security Council passed Resolution 242 calling for withdrawal of Israeli forces from territories occupied in the 1967 conflict and the recognition of every state in the region, and the Johnson administration publicly endorsed its principles.

United Nations Security Council adopts Resolution 242; Johnson administration endorses principles for Arab‑Israeli settlement

November 22, 1967 • Lyndon B. Johnson

Foreign Policy

United Nations Security Council adopts Resolution 242; Johnson administration endorses principles for Arab‑Israeli settlement

On November 22, 1967 the U.N. Security Council adopted Resolution 242 after the Six‑Day War, and the Johnson administration publicly endorsed the resolution's call for withdrawal of Israeli forces from territories occupied in the conflict and for a just settlement guaranteeing the territorial integrity and political independence of every state in the area.

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