Lyndon Johnson became president of the United States after the assassination of John F. Kennedy in November 1963. He served as president from 1963-1969.

The Great Society, a package of programs and legislation aimed at eradicating poverty and improving health care and education, was President Johnson’s chief domestic policy program and one of his permanent legacies.

President Johnson vastly expanded the US military role in Vietnam.

Johnson chose not to run for re-election in 1968, largely due to the Vietnam debacle and the disarray of the Democratic Party. He was succeeded in office by Richard Nixon.

Lyndon Johnson ascends to power

Lyndon Baines Johnson, a New Deal Democrat from rural West Texas, served in both the House of Representatives and the Senate before becoming vice president to John F. Kennedy. He was the Senate Minority Leader for two years, the Senate Majority Whip for two years, and the Senate Majority Leader for six years, and some historians believe he was the most effective majority leader in US history.^1

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