mother, Rebekah Baines Johnson, was a
daughter of a state legislator.
Lyndon B. Johnson was the 36th president
of the United States.
Jack Johnson
continued to
box in nonchampionship
matches until
he was about
67 years old.
28 Johnson, Lyndon B. BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
After graduating from college in 1930,
Johnson taught at a Houston high
school. The next year he went toWashington,
D.C., as an assistant to a Democratic
congressman. In 1934 Johnson
married Claudia Alta Taylor, known as
Lady Bird. The couple had two daughters.
Political and Military Career
In 1937 Johnson entered the U.S.
House of Representatives. He joined the
U.S. Navy in 1941. After fighting in
WorldWar II, Johnson was elected to
the U.S. Senate in 1948. During his 12
years there he became the leader of the
Democratic senators. He had a heart
attack in 1955 but soon went back to
work.
Presidency
In 1960 Johnson ran for vice president
under the Democrat John F. Kennedy.
The Republican presidential candidate
was Richard M. Nixon. Johnson’s influence
in the South helped the Democrats
to win. On November 22, 1963,
Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas,
Texas. Johnson was sworn in as president
that afternoon.
Johnson helped to calm the mourning
nation. He urged Congress to pass laws
that Kennedy had proposed. In July
1964 Johnson signed the historic Civil
Rights Act. The act’s goal was to end
racial discrimination.
In the presidential election of 1964
Johnson defeated Republican Barry
Goldwater. In his second term Johnson
continued his program of reforms called
the Great Society. He signed laws to
fight poverty and to improve education,
medical care for the aged, and housing.
In 1965 Congress passed the Voting
Rights Act, which outlawed the many
ways that people had tried to prevent
African Americans from voting.
Despite those successes, many people
criticized Johnson for sending hundreds
August 27, November 22, January 22,
1908 1960 1963 1964 1965 1969 1973
Johnson
is born near
Stonewall,
Texas.
Johnson is
elected vice
president under
President John
F. Kennedy.
Kennedy is
killed; Johnson
becomes
president.
Johnson
signs the
Civil Rights
Act.
Johnson begins
sending
thousands of
troops to
Vietnam.
Johnson retires.
Johnson dies in
San Antonio,
Texas.
T I M E L I N E
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Johnson, Lyndon B. 29
of thousands of U.S. troops to fight in
the VietnamWar. Many also complained
that racism and poverty were
still huge problems. Beginning in the
mid-1960s, several cities experienced
severe rioting. In 1968 Johnson decided
not to seek reelection.
Last Days
In 1969 Johnson retired to his ranch in
Texas. On January 22, 1973, just a few
days before the end of the VietnamWar,
Johnson died of a heart attack in San
Antonio.
#More to explore
Civil Rights • Kennedy, John F. • United
States • VietnamWar
Johnson, Magic
Magic Johnson was a basketball player
who led the Los Angeles Lakers to five
National Basketball Association (NBA)
championships. He was known especially
for his expert passing and for his
leadership on the court.
Early Life
Earvin Johnson, Jr., was born in Lansing,
Michigan, on August 14, 1959. As
a young boy he practiced basketball for
many hours at the playground. In high
school he earned the nickname Magic
for his skills in handling the ball. In
1977 he helped his high school team
win the state championship. Later he
played for Michigan State University. He
led the Michigan State Spartans to the
college championship in 1979.
Professional Career
That same year Johnson joined the Los
Angeles Lakers. He was the team’s point
guard from 1979 to 1991. He was
named the NBA’s most valuable player
six times. He also earned a gold medal as
a player on the 1992 U.S. Olympic basketball
team.
In 1991 Johnson found out that he had
HIV. HIV is the virus that causes the
disease AIDS. He left the NBA, but he
returned for the 1995–96 season. In
2002 he was named to the Basketball
Hall of Fame.
Beyond Basketball
In 1991 Johnson started the Magic
Johnson Foundation. The foundation
gives money to HIV/AIDS clinics in
U.S. cities. It also builds computer centers
and provides money for city chil-
Magic Johnson of the Los Angeles
Lakers makes a hook shot
during the 1992 NBA All-Star
Game.
People often
called Lyndon
Johnson by his
initials: LBJ.
His Texas
home was
called the LBJ
Ranch.
30 Johnson, Magic BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
dren to go to college. Johnson became
part owner of the Lakers in 1994.
#More to explore
Basketball
Jolliet, Louis
Louis Jolliet was a French-Canadian
explorer and mapmaker. He and Father
Jacques Marquette were the first white
men to explore the upper Mississippi
River in North America.
Louis Jolliet was born in about September
1645 in Beaupre, Canada. He went
to France to study science. After returning
to Canada, he made his living trading
furs near the Great Lakes.
In 1672 the French governor in North
America asked Jolliet and Marquette to
explore the great river west of the Great
Lakes—the Mississippi. They set out
with five other men on May 17, 1673,
in two canoes made of bark. They left
from Saint Ignace in what is now the
Upper Peninsula of Michigan. From
