Lyndon Baines Johnson (LBJ), born August 27, 1908, near Stonewall, Texas, was the 36th President of the United States (1963-1969). A Democrat, he assumed the presidency following the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963. His administration is best known for enacting the transformative Great Society programs, including landmark civil rights legislation such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. His presidency was also defined by the controversial escalation of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, which became a major source of national division. Prior to his presidency, Johnson served as a U.S. Representative from Texas (1937-1949), a U.S. Senator (1949-1961), Senate Majority Leader, and Vice President (1961-1963). His early career as a teacher in a predominantly Mexican American school in Cotulla, Texas, profoundly influenced his views on poverty and education. He died on January 22, 1973.