Biography
36th US President Lindon Johnson took account responsibility for the country immediately after the tragic death of John F. Kennedy. For 4 years, politician led a successful struggle with poverty, crime, racial and religious discrimination, but lost the battle with Vietnamese and his own health.Childhood and youth
Lindon Bains Johnson was born on August 27, 1908 on a farm near Stonuolet, Texas, and became senior of five children Samuel Eli Johnson Junior and Rebecca Banes. Later in the family, Sam Houston, Rebecca, Joseph and Lucia appeared in the family. From ancestors, the boy inherited English, German and Scottish roots.
Johnson was a conversational child, at school participated in public speeches, debates, was engaged in baseball, managed in all subjects. Congenital curiosity and the flexibility of the mind allowed Lyndon in 1923 to become the youngest student Johnson City High School.
Parents insisted that the Son go to College before. In 1926, the future president of the United States entered the Texas State University, and 2 years later, he threw his education to teach Mexican children.
Later Johnson recalled:
"I remember pain from the realization that the college is closed for students of this little Mexican school: their parents were too poor. Probably, it was then that I decided that I would not calm down while the knowledge would not be available to any American. "The part-time job helped Lindon to save money for the payment of the university. The cum has a young man in 1930. The skills assimilated in the youth skills of eloquence provided it with the place of the controversy teacher and rhetoric at the Houston school, and then in the US House of Representatives.
Political activity
Congressman Richard M. Cleberg in 1931 appointed Lindon Johnson to his secretary. The position was attracted by a young man not so much of the duties, how much uphill dating: the friends of the American were the assistants of the operating president of Franklin Roosevelt, Vice President John Nans Garner and Congressman Sam Raibern.
Johnson was successfully ejected to the Chamber of US representatives in 1937. In the internal policy, he adhered to the "new course" Roosevelt, which was not covered by the President of the President: Lyndon appointed to lead the Operation of Texas, the purpose of which was to rescue European Jews from Nazi Germany. Johnson helped his hundreds of Jews to penetrate the staff through Cuba, Mexico and South America.
In 1948, after the scandalous elections, the opponents suspected Johnson in frauds with bulletins, ran into the US Senate. The politician became famous for "courtieces" for authoritative colleagues Richard Russell and Sam Rairen, the support of which was further helped by presidential elections.
In his post, Johnson, the concerned about the threat of possible Soviet domination in outer space, has highlighted the adoption of the National Act of Aeronautics and Cosmonautics in 1958. Thanks to this document in the United States appeared NASA.
Already in those years, Lindon Johnson showed himself as an experienced manager and a psychologist, in the biographies of historians characterized him as the "the greatest intelligence officer, who ever knew Washington." The politician knew the strengths and weaknesses of their associates and opponents, their prejudices and skeletons in the closet, the way to conquer their votes.
In July 1955, Johnson, smoking 60 cigarettes per day, survived a heart attack, but at the end of the year announced his intention to run into the presidents from the Democratic Party. Decent competition policies amounted to John F. Kennedy. The abilities of the mind and the natural charm highlighted a young man against the background of a strict, coarse Lyndon.
Americans chose Kennedy. In January 1961, simultaneously with the inauguration of the President, Johnson was appointed by his deputy. It is assumed that Kennedy suggested Lindon a post from politeness and expected failure. Until the last day, the rule of Kennedy Men did not go.
Johnson, accustomed to working on wear and solve several tasks at the same time, wanted to expand its terms of reference as a vice president. Kennedy instructed him the security issues, migration, education and science, specifically - aeronautics. In 1961, the USSR first sent a person to space orbit, and the president demanded a project from Johnson, which would allow the US to catch up.
November 22, 1963, 2 hours 8 minutes after the murder of John Kennedy, on the "board number one" Lyndon Johnson under the view of the widow Jacqueline Kennedy took the oath as president of the United States. The Bible did not turn at hand, and in loyalty to the state politician swore at the Roman Missal. Photos from the ceremony is considered the most famous picture ever made in the presidential plane.
In memory of the predecessor Johnson assigned the name of John Kennedy to the space center on Cape, and also created the Warren Commission to investigate the president's murder. Johnson's Board proceeded into a prosperous economic period, with a low unemployment. The United States at that time did not enter large disputes with states, and the attention of the newly new president focused on domestic politics, and after 1966 - in the War in Vietnam.
In the first year, Lindon entered the war with poverty, crime, racial and religious prejudices. His ideas were embodied in the "Great Society" program. The changes in economic policy followed, thanks to which the personal income of the Americans only in 1966 increased by 15%.
In 1965, African Americans received the right to vote in elections, and the murder of a fighter for the rights of Black Viol Liuzzio provoked persecution of members of the Ku-Klux Clan. Johnson called them the "society of fanatics in the hoods", which you need to return to the civilized society, has not yet been too late. " He became the first president since the grant Uliva, who was arrested and judged by Ku-Klux Clan members. With Joneson, African Americans first began to occupy state posts.
As a result of the Board of Lindon, the number of Americans living beyond the poverty line decreased from 23% to 12%, children raised in such families, for free educated education.
A series of high-profile murders - John Kennedy and his brother Robert, Martin Luther King - served as a reason for signing in 1968 by the Arms Control Law. The document expanded the list of persons who are forbidden to have a weapon introduced a "collector license", which allowed the "curious and relict" weapons to acquire taxes.
The failure of hostilities in Vietnam, the reasons for which are described in detail in the biographical film "Path to War" (2002), weakened the authority of Johnson. In the primary elections of 1968, he scored 49%, and his opponent Senator Eugene McCarthy is 42%. In this regard, Lindon decided not to run into the presidents for a second term. His successor was the Republican Richard Nixon.
Personal life
November 17, 1934, Lindon Johnson's wife became Claudia Alta Taylor, known as Lady Bird (Ladybird Eng. "Ladybug"). The nickname, which in childhood the girl gave nanny, actually became her name: Lyndon called Claudia Berd, the same name is written in a marriage certificate.
The offer to get married Johnson voiced on the first date. Lady Bird did not want to rush with the wedding, but after 10 weeks said yes. The celebration took place in the Episcopal Church of St. Mark in San Antonio, Texas. Claudia survived three miscarriages before the Day of Linda Berd (1944) and Lucy Bane (1947) appeared. Interesting fact: Spouses and children have the same initials LBJ.
Lady Berd was the only legal wife Johnson, but in his personal life the policies did not cost without love romance. Until 1967 he had an incineration with Alice of Glass - the beloved newspaper magnate Charles Marsha, in 1948 he met the young coquette Madelein Brown. It is assumed that his second child, Stephen Brand Brown, a woman gave birth from Lyndon. "Son" tried to prove involvement in the presidential family, but in 1989 he lost the court.
Death
In secret, the actuarial study predicted that Death would find Johnson at the age of 64: a politician smoked a lot, suffered from excess weight (in 1970 weighed 107 kg) and heart problems. On January 20, 1973, Lindon survived the third heart attack, as a result of which he was declared dead. He was 64 years old.
Johnson's funeral took place in the National City Christian Church in Washington, chaired by President Richard Nixon. The body rests in the hometown of the politician - Stonuolet, on a private family cemetery.
Awards
- Medal "For the American Campaign"
- Silver Star
- Medal "For the Asia-Pacific Campaign"
- Victory Medal in World War II
- Presidential Medal of Freedom