Lyndon B. Johnson's Biography

Lyndon B. Johnson (often known simply as LBJ) was the 36th President of the United States and one of the biggest personalities ever to occupy the Oval Office. He served as Vice President to John F. Kennedy, and took office following his assassination. LBJ ran successfully again in 1964, handily defeating Barry Goldwater to win a second term.

Johnson’s administration oversaw several major historical events, such as the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the dawn of the Apollo Program, the race riots of the late ‘60s, and most controversially, the escalation of the Vietnam War. He was known for giving fellow politicians and foreign leaders the “Johnson treatment,” which generally consisted of abrasive strong-arming in order to advance his political and legislative goals.

Lyndon Johnson was a fan of scotch whisky (often Cutty Sark), but apparently ordered his staff to make his Scotch and Sodas considerably weaker than those of his guests, so that he could get an upper hand in negotiations. When he was at home on his Texas ranch, he liked to drive around the property with a beer, usually Pearl, a classic Texan brew.