M Lyndon Johnson

Lyndon B. Johnson (1908–1973), known as LBJ, was the 36th President (1963–1969). Assuming office after Kennedy’s assassination, he was elected to a full term in 1964. Johnson launched the “Great Society” programs, a sweeping set of domestic initiatives aimed at eliminating poverty and racial injustice (including Medicare, Medicaid, and the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act). His presidency, however, was increasingly consumed by the Vietnam War, which eroded his popularity and led him not to seek re-election.

Interesting anecdote: Johnson had a prankster streak. At his Texas ranch, he owned an amphibious car (the Amphicar). He would delight in terrifying unsuspecting guests by driving downhill straight into a lake, shouting that the brakes had failed – only to break into a grin as the car floated like a boat. It was his way of injecting some humor and shock into a visit.