11/22/1963: Lyndon Baines Johnson inaugurated
Lyndon Baines Johnson is sworn in as the thirty-sixth President of the United States following the assassination of John F. Kennedy.
11/27/1963: Johnson addresses Congress
Johnson addresses a joint session of Congress calling on legislators to fulfill Kennedy's legacy and pass civil rights and tax legislation.
11/29/1963: Commission to investigate Kennedy assassination created
Johnson creates a special commission chaired by Chief Justice Earl Warren to investigate the Kennedy assassination.
01/23/1964: Twenty-Fourth Amendment ratified
The Twenty-Fourth Amendment to the Constitution is ratified, abolishing poll taxes.
02/07/1964: The Beatles arrive in NYC
The Beatles arrive in New York for their first U.S. tour.
03/14/1964: Jack Ruby convicted of murder
Jack Ruby is convicted of the murder of Lee Harvey Oswald and sentenced to death.
05/22/1964: Johnson’s Great Society
In a speech at the University of Michigan, Johnson announces his intention to create a Great Society by extending American prosperity to all its citizens.
07/02/1964: Civil Rights Act of 1964
Johnson signs The Civil Rights Act of 1964, outlawing discrimination based on race or color, sex, religion or national origin. This act also prohibits discrimination in voter registration as well as segregation in schools, employment and public accommodations.
07/15/1964: Republicans nominate Barry Goldwater
Sen. Barry Goldwater (R-AZ) receives the Republican nomination for President.
07/19/1964: Wallace drops out of presidential race
Governor George Wallace of Alabama drops out of the presidential race despite strong showings in several Democratic primaries.
08/04/1964: Freedom Summer murders
Three civil rights workers are found dead in Mississippi; the bodies of James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner were discovered in an earthen dam two months after having been abducted and shot at close range. Chaney, Goodman and Schwerner had all been participating in the Mississippi Freedom Summer efforts to register black voters in the state. Several members of the local KKK were involved in the murder, though only one perpetrator was ever convicted, 41 years later, before the case was closed.
08/07/1964: Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
Congress passes the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution giving the President power to pursue military action in Vietnam.
08/26/1964: Democrats nominate Johnson
Johnson receives the Democratic nomination for President. Senator Hubert H. Humphrey (D-MN) is nominated as the vice-presidential candidate.
