Lyndon B. Johnson, often referred to by his initials, LBJ, assumed the presidency upon the assassination of John F. Kennedy in November, 1963. I know I will never forget hearing that news of Kennedy’s murder as a teenager in class that day, and watching LBJ, Kennedy’s Vice President, take the oath of office on the airplane flying Kennedy’s body back to Washington, D.C. Johnson held the office through 1969; in addition to having served in the House of Representatives and as a Senator. An aggressive, larger-than-life personality, Johnson designed legislation to advance civil rights, public broadcasting, Medicare, Medicaid, arts, education, and public services, but he also escalated U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. After deciding not to run for reelection in 1968, he retired to his Texas ranch and died in 1973 at age 64 from a heart attack.