August 27

On August 27, 1908, President Lyndon Baines Johnson was born in Texas. He attended a teacher's college before his life in politics. He taught the children of Mexican immigrants. In later life, he would champion early education and the fight against poverty, having witnessed firsthand the effects.

Johnson ran for the House of Representatives in 1937, and moved to the Senate six years later. In 1953 he became House Minority Leader, the youngest to do so. A year later, he was Majority leader. Johnson was very effective in the Senate, and managed to pass a lot of legislation.

In 1960, Johnson became the running mate of John F. Kennedy. Johnson was not impressed with the Vice-Presidency. Upon the death of Kennedy, Johnson became President.

As President, he pushed Kennedy's civil rights legislation and the Great Society. The Great Society was a number of programs that attacked poverty and supported education, Medicare, urban renewal, and voting rights. Johnson also presided over the space program that would go on to put man on the moon.

Johnson also got enmeshed in the conflict in Vietnam. This made him tremendously unpopular. As a result, Johnson declined to run for re-election in 1968. He died of a heart attack in 1973.

Johnson did more for the poor than any president before or since. He championed civil rights and improved the lives of the elderly. He oversaw the creation of programs like Head Start. His legacy lives today.