1960s Timeline

May 17, 1962 - Caroline Kennedy and three young friends, two boys and a girl, took turns riding two ponies on the south lawn of the White House today. Her baby brother, John Jr., now almost 18 months old, also sat in the saddle and, while a Secret Service agent held him on, had a ride at the pony’s walking pace. President Kennedy spent a few minutes looking on. Mrs. Kennedy and a few other persons were standing by. Caroline, four and a half years old, rode her pet pony, Macar

May 9, 1962 - President Kennedy said today that Vice President Johnson would be on the Democratic ticket again in 1964 “if he chooses to run.” Mr. Johnson is constantly involved in the highest affairs of state and is “invaluable” to the Administration, the President stated. This unusual Presidential endorsement for a Vice President, normally the forgotten man of American politics, was given in answer to a question at Mr. Kennedy’s news conference. The question referred to rum

May 8, 1962 - Former President Harry S. Truman (pictured with Sir Winston Churchill in 1952) observed his 78th birthday in Kansas City, Mo., today. On hand to help him celebrate at a luncheon at the Hotel President were 250 old friends, former members of his Administration, and Vice President Johnson. Mr. Johnson, speaking at the luncheon, called Mr. Truman one of the great Presidents of the United States. “Certainly,” the Vice President said, “there are other people — studen

Apr. 10, 1962 - Vice President Johnson was congratulated today by President Kennedy and Democratic Congressional leaders on 25 years’ service with the Federal Government. Mike Mansfield of Montana, the Senate Democratic leader, told newsmen after the weekly breakfast meeting of legislative leaders with Mr. Kennedy that the President “thought this was a fine time to express congratulations” to Mr. Johnson. Vice President Johnson was elected to the House of Representatives in 1

Nov. 30, 1961 - Vice President Johnson said today that he saw “no reason to protect the Communists from the truth.” He was referring to a speech he made Wednesday at a dinner honoring Adlai E. Stevenson (right). In the middle of Mr. Johnson’s speech, Valerian A. Zorin, Soviet Ambassador to the U.N., and the envoys of Bulgaria and the Ukraine walked out. The Vice President said today: “The free world is winning. The Communists seem to want someone to build an iron curtain arou

Nov. 16, 1961 - Here is Vice President Johnson’s statement on the passing of his friend and colleague of long standing, Speaker Sam Rayburn (pictured right at last year’s Democratic National Convention): “The capital is a lonely place without him. The good people of the world have lost a companion and an ally. He was always there when he was needed. His voice and his judgment were heard and respected. In the end, it all added up to one thing: He did what was right.” #JFK #jfk

Nov. 3, 1961 - Vice President Johnson urged voters in San Antonio to vote for State Senator Henry Gonzalez (center) tomorrow to “show we can elect a man to the U.S. Congress regardless of his race.” “The eyes of the whole world are on us,” Mr. Johnson said. “They want to see whether we’re bigots, whether we’re going to be prejudiced or whether we’ll all go out and vote for a good American.” The Vice President said President Kennedy would use Mr. Gonzalez “to work on racial an

Aug. 25, 1961 - Vice President Lyndon Baines Johnson is at his Texas ranch today looking forward to celebrating his 53rd birthday on Sunday. It has long been the Vice President's custom, whenever possible, to spend his birthdays among relatives and lifelong friends at his ranch in Texas, the state from which he hails. #LBJ #americanhistory #politics

Aug. 10, 1961 - President Kennedy disclosed today that he had made an agreement that Vice President Johnson would exercise the rights and duties of the President in the event of any period of Presidential incapacity. The agreement follows the example set by President Eisenhower and Vice President Nixon in 1958. President Kennedy made his disclosure in response to a question at his news conference today. It was stated that no specific event or ailment led to the agreement. #JF

July 23, 1961 - Here is Vice President Johnson's speech today on civil rights at the National Governors Conference. #LBJ #civilrights #civilrightsmovement #integration #jimcrow #racism #MLK #civilrightsleader #politics