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Lyndon Johnson

Lyndon Johnson

Lyndon Baines Johnson (August 27, 1908 – January 22, 1973), often referred to as LBJ, was the thirty-sixth President of the United States (1963–1969). After serving a long career in the US Congress, Johnson became the thirty-seventh Vice President, serving under John F. Kennedy (1961–1963) and later ascended to the presidency following Kennedy's assassination.

Early years

Johnson was born in Stonewall, Texas on August 27, 1908 in a small farmhouse in a poor area on the Pedernales River. His parents, Samuel Ealy Johnson and Rebekah Baines, had four more children: his sisters Rebekah (1910-1978), Josefa (1912-1961) and Lucia (1916-1997) and his brother Sam Houston (1914-1978). Johnson attended public schools and graduated from Johnson City High School in 1924. In 1927 Johnson enrolled in Southwest Texas State Teachers' College (now Texas State University-San Marcos). He worked his way through school, participated in debate and campus politics, edited the school newspaper, and graduated in the 1930's. Robert Caro devoted several chapters of the first volume of his LBJ biography series, The Path to Power, to detailing how Johnson's years at San Marcos cemented his skills in persuasion that he would use to great effect in his political life. This was complemented by his humbling experience of taking a year off from college, where he taught mostly Mexican immigrants at the Welhausen School in Cotulla, Texas. When he returned to Southwest State Teachers' College in 1965, after having signed Higher Education Act, Johnson looked back fondly on this experience: :"I shall never forget the faces of the boys and the girls in that little Welhausen Mexican School, and I remember even yet the pain of realizing and knowing then that college was closed to practically every one of those children because they were too poor. And I think it was then that I made up my mind that this Nation could never rest while the door to knowledge remained closed to any American." (Source: [http://www.lbjlib.utexas.edu/johnson/lbjforkids/edu_whca370-text.shtm Johnson Library])

Entering politics

Soon after he graduated from college, Johnson taught public speaking and debate in a Houston high school. However, he soon quit his job teaching and went into the field of politics. Johnson's father had served five terms in the Texas legislature and was a close friend to one of Texas's rising political figures, Congressman Sam Rayburn. In 1931 Johnson campaigned for Richard M. Kleberg and was later rewarded for his work in the campaign with an appointment to be the newly elected congressman's secretary. As secretary, Johnson became acquainted with people of influence, found out how they had reached their positions, and gained their respect for his abilities. Johnson's friends soon included some of the men who worked around President Franklin D. Roosevelt, as well as fellow Texans such as Vice President John Nance Garner. During his tenure as secretary, Johnson met Claudia Alta Taylor (generally known as Lady Bird), a young woman who was also from Texas. After only a short period of dating, the two were married on November 17, 1934, Johnson actually proposed to her within 24 hours of meeting her. The couple later had two daughters, Lynda Bird, born in 1944, and Luci, born in 1947. It should be noted that Johnson loved to give everything his own initials. His daughters' given names are examples, as was his dog later in life (Little Beagle Johnson). In 1935, Johnson became the head of the Texas National Youth Administration. His new post enabled him to use the powers of government to find educational and job opportunities for young people. The position in effect enabled him to build political pull with his constituents. He served as the head for two years, only resigning to run for Congress. Johnson was a notoriously tough boss with his employees throughout his career, often demanding long workdays and work on weekends; he worked as much as they did, if not more. National Youth Administration

Member of Congress

In 1937, Johnson ran for Congress in a special election for the 10th Congressional District of Texas to represent Austin, Texas and the surrounding Hill Country. He ran on a New Deal platform and was effectively aided by his wife, Lady Bird Johnson. President Roosevelt showed a personal interest in the young Texan from the time he entered Congress. Johnson was immediately appointed to the Naval Affairs Committee, a job that carried high importance for a freshman congressman. He also worked for rural electrification and other improvements for his district. In 1941, Johnson ran for the U.S. Senate in a special election against the sitting governor of Texas, radio personality W. Lee "Pappy" O'Daniel. Though Johnson was expected to win, he was defeated by controversial late returns in an election marked by massive fraud on the part of both campaigns. During his last campaign, he promised that he would serve in the military should war break out; in December 1941, the U.S. entered World War II.

War record

Most capsule biographies of American Presidents of the latter half of the twentieth century include a single line about their respective service during World War II. Many of those about LBJ reflect the line given for the year 1942 in [http://www.lbjlib.utexas.edu/johnson/archives.hom/biographys.hom/lbj_bio.asp Johnson Library online biography]: "Johnson received the Silver Star from General Douglas MacArthur for gallantry in action during an aerial combat mission over hostile positions in New Guinea on June 9." This is technically accurate, but often builds up an image in the mind of a student of American History that Johnson's service was as broad or deep as that of other decorated soldiers. In actuality, he did not see any combat beyond that mission, where he was not a combatant but merely an observer. Some background is necessary for understanding just how this experience helped form Johnson's political ascent. On June 20th, 1940, the Burke-Wadsworth bill was introduced to Congress to institute the first peacetime draft. The very next day Congressman Johnson received his appointment in the Naval Reserve, which would exempt him from the draft-- signed into law in September as the Selective service and training act of 1940, initiated in November. After America entered the war a year later, Johnson asked Undersecretary of the Navy James Forrestal for a noncomabat assignment-- and was sent to inspect the shipyard facilities in Texas and on the West Coast. By the spring, Johsnon's constituents in Texas were eager to hear about their Congressman's activities on the war front. In addition, he was looking to fulfill his 1940 campaign pledge to "fight in the trenches" should America enter the war, so he again pressed his contacts in the Administration to find a new assignment-- this time, closer to a combat zone. From a suggestion by Forrestal, President Roosevelt assigned Johnson to a three-man survey team of the Southewest Pacific. Johnson left for Melbourne and reported to General Douglas MacArthur. The observers were sent to Garbutt Field in Queensland, home of the 22nd Bomb Group. The bombers' missions targered the Japanese air base at Lae on the conquered part of the island of New Guinea. The military commanders felt that there had no need for an observer from the Navy, but Johnson insisted. The B-26 he flew on was attacked by Japanese Zeroes during the mission, and Johnson stayed cool during the battle. Upon returning to Melbourne and reporting back to MacArthur, the General awarded the Congressman and the other surviving observer the Silver Star, the military's third-highest medal. In Washington, LBJ set to work burnishing this story into legend, staging medal-pinning ceremonies, placing stories, using it in campaign stories. Biographer Robert Caro sums up Johnson's war experience in his 1990 book Means of Ascent this way (p. 46): Nevertheless, althought Lyndon Johnson had avoided being at the scene of battle as long as he could, once he was at it, his conduct was bold and courageous, nonchalant in the face of danger. If he had gone to the Southwest Pacific only so that he could later claim to have been in the war--and if he hand been in that war for only one day--still for that day had been not a politician but a warrior. Ambition may have governed his war services as it governed his entire life, but, as had always been the case, in the service of that ambition he had done whatever he had to do. A month after this incident, President Roosevelt ordered members of Congress serving in the military to return to their offices. Of eight members then serving, four agreed to resign from the armed forces; four resigned from Congress. Johnson returned to Washington, and continued to serve in the House of Representatives through 1949.

Senate years

In 1948, Johnson again ran for the Senate and this time won. This election was highly controversial: a three-way Democratic Party primary left Johnson in a run-off with former governor Coke Stevenson. Johnson campaigned very hard and won by only 87 votes out of a million cast. Stevenson contested the vote count. There were allegations that Johnson's campaign manager, John Connally, was connected with 202 ballots in Jim Wells County that had curiously been cast in alphabetical order. [http://thoughtcrimes.org/bbv/bbv_chapter-4.pdf][http://www.eiu.edu/~historia/1999/texas99.htm]). In Robert A. Caro's 1989 book Means of Ascent, he argued that Johnson had rigged the election not only there, but at least 10,000 ballots in Bexar County alone. In the federal court case arising from the election, Johnson hired Abe Fortas to represent him. Fortas persuaded U.S. Supreme Court justice Hugo Black to dissolve the federal injunction nullifying Johnson's runoff victory. Johnson went on to win the general election, but the Texas media sardonically nicknamed him "Landslide Lyndon" in reference to his bout with Stevenson. Once in the Senate, Johnson immediately began to work toward his ultimate goal: the presidency. Johnson was known among his colleagues for his highly successful "courtships" of older Senators, especially Senator Richard Russell, patrician leader of the Southern bloc and arguably the most powerful man in the Senate. Johnson, always at his best when working one-on-one, proceeded to gain Russell's favor in the same way as he had "courted" Speaker Sam Rayburn and gained his crucial support in the House. Johnson was appointed to the Armed Services Committee, and later in 1950, he helped create the Preparedness Investigating Subcommittee. With Russell's support, Johnson eventually was able to become its chairman and conducted a number of investigations of defense costs and efficiency. These investigations—couched in headline-grabbing phraseology but largely devoid of substance—tended to recycle old investigations and demand actions that were already being taken by the Truman administration. However, Johnson's brilliant strategic leaks, his overall manipulation of the press, the incredible speed at which his committee issued new reports (less incredible considering the recycled content), and the fact that he ensured every report was endorsed unanimously by the committee all got him headlines and national attention.

Senate Democratic leader

After only a few years in the Senate, Johnson was moving up in leadership power. In 1953, he was chosen by his fellow Democrats to be the minority leader. Thus, he became the youngest man ever named to the post by either major political party. One of his first actions was to eliminate the seniority system in committee selection. In 1954, Johnson was re-elected to the Senate and since the Democrats won the majority in the Senate, Johnson became majority leader. His duties were to schedule legislation and help pass measures favored by the Democrats.

Vice Presidency

Johnson's success in the Senate led to his name being widely mentioned as a possible Democratic presidential candidate. He was Texas' "favorite son" candidate at the party's national convention in 1956. In 1960, Johnson received 409 votes on the first and only ballot at the Democratic convention which nominated John F. Kennedy. During the convention, Kennedy designated Johnson as his choice for vice president. Some later reports (such as Arthur Schlesinger, Jr.) say that Kennedy offered the position to Johnson as a courtesy, and did not expect him to accept. Others (such as W. Marvin Watson) say that the Kennedy campaign was desperate to get Johnson on the ticket to help carry Southern voters. In the November 1960 election the Kennedy/Johnson duo beat Richard M. Nixon and Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. by a narrow margin. There were serious accusations of voter fraud, especially in Illinois (home of the political machine run by Richard J. Daley) and Johnson's home state of Texas. However, there were no criminal convictions. The only state to have its results changed was Hawaii-which was ruled to have gone to Kennedy not Nixon. Upon swearing in, Kennedy appointed Johnson to head the President's Committee on Equal Employment Opportunities, which led him to work with blacks and other minorities. During his tenure as Vice President, Johnson also took on some international missions, which gave him limited insights into foreign problems. He also sat on Cabinet and National Security meetings, giving him an insight into the presidency. Kennedy gave Johnson control over all presidential appointments involving Texans. Johnson was crucially made chairman of the President's Ad Hoc Committee for Science. When in April 1961 the U.S.S.R. beat the U.S. with the first manned spaceflight Kennedy tasked Johnson with coming up with a 'scientific bonanza' that would prove world leadership. Johnson knew that Project Apollo and an enlarged NASA would benefit Texas and southern states most directly so steered the recommendation towards a crash program for a manned lunar landing.

Presidency

NASA NASA Johnson was sworn-in as President on Air Force One in Dallas at Love Field Airport after the assassination of President Kennedy on November 22, 1963. He was sworn in by federal judge Sarah T. Hughes, a very close friend of his family, making him the first president sworn in by a woman. In his first year, Johnson faced conflicts with everyone from Senators to speechwriters who wanted to honor Kennedy's legacy, but were reluctant to support new propositions by Johnson. Johnson used his famous charm and strong-arm tactics to push through his new policies. In 1964, upon Johnson's request, Congress passed a tax-reduction law and the Economic Opportunity Act, which was in association with the War on Poverty. Johnson also hired Jerri Whittington, the first African-American White House secretary, and appointed Jack Valenti as his "special assistant." An example of his strong arm tactics was 'The Treatment'; this was where he saw people alone in a small adjoining room where he would pull his chair close to the guests and lean forward until his nose was inches away from the visitor's face. Members of Congress from whom Johnson wanted a vote looked visibly shaken after their meeting with the President. In 1964, Johnson won the Presidency in his own right with 61 percent of the vote and the widest popular margin in American history—more than 15,000,000 votes. However, 1964 was also the year that Johnson supported the racist Democratic delegates from Mississippi and denied the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party seats at the 1964 Democratic National Convention in Atlantic City, New Jersey. To appease the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP) chaired by Dr. Aaron Henry with the intent of seating a passionate and charismatic leader of the Mississippi Freedom Movement, Fannie Lou Hamer, the Democrats at the convention offered the MFDP an unsatisfactory compromise and the MFDP rejected it rather than appear concilatory in the eyes of their "comrades". In the same year, Johnson lost the popular vote to Republican challenger Barry Goldwater in the Deep South states of Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia and South Carolina, a region that had voted for Democrats since the Reconstruction era. The election, though a success for the Democratic Party, marked the beginning of the long transformation of the Democrats' Solid South to a Republican bastion. Solid South are on far right]] The Great Society program became Johnson's agenda for Congress in January 1965: aid to education, attack on disease, Medicare, urban renewal, beautification, conservation, development of depressed regions, a wide-scale fight against poverty, control and prevention of crime and delinquency, and removal of obstacles to the right to vote. Congress, at times augmenting or amending, rapidly enacted Johnson's recommendations. Millions of elderly people found succor through the 1965 Medicare amendment to the Social Security Act. In 1964 a longtime employee and camapign fundrasier for Johnson named Walter Wilson Jenkins was forced to resign after the Washington Star reported that Jenkins was arrested for having sex with a retired male solider. While Johnson tried to persaude the newspaper not to print the story, noting that Wilson was a married man with children, the scandel that erupted forced Jenkins to resign. Under Johnson, the country made spectacular explorations of space in a program he had championed since its start. When three astronauts successfully orbited the moon in December 1968, Johnson congratulated them: "You've taken … all of us, all over the world, into a new era…." Nevertheless, two overriding crises had been gaining momentum since 1965. Despite the beginning of new anti-poverty and anti-discrimination programs, unrest and rioting in black ghettos troubled the nation. President Johnson steadily exerted his influence against segregation and on behalf of law and order, but there was no early solution. The other crisis arose from Vietnam. Despite Johnson's efforts to end Communist insurgency and achieve a settlement, fighting continued. Controversy over the war had become acute by the end of March 1968, when he limited the bombing of North Vietnam in order to begin negotiations. At the same time, he startled the world by withdrawing as a candidate for re-election (which candidacy was being seriously challenged by other Democrats). He said he was withdrawing as a candidate so he could devote his full efforts, unimpeded by politics, to the quest for peace.

Vietnam War

While still Vice President, President Johnson ordered the execution of the president of South Vietnam in 1963, which he discusses in a White House recording made in 1966. ([http://whitehousetapes.org/clips/1966_0201_lbj_mccarthy_vietnam.html Audio file and transcript]) Kennedy reacted with somber shock to the assassination of a fellow president in ([http://whitehousetapes.org/clips/1963_1104_jfk_vietnam_memoir.html this white house recording]). Kennedy was assassinated less than three weeks later, and Johnson became president. President Johnson had a dislike for the American war effort in Vietnam, which he had inherited from Kennedy, but expanded considerably following the Gulf of Tonkin Incident (less than 3 weeks after the Republican Convention of 1964 which had nominated Barry Goldwater for president). Though he would often privately curse the war, referring to it as his "bitch mistress," at the same time Johnson believed that America could not afford to look weak in the eyes of the world, and so he escalated the war effort continuously from 1964 to 1968, which resulted in thousands of American deaths. In one speech, he said of the Vietnam conflict "If we allow Vietnam to fall, tomorrow we’ll be fighting in Hawaii, and next week in San Francisco" - alluding to Eisenhower's 'Domino Theory'. At the same time, Johnson was afraid that too much focus on Vietnam would distract attention from his Great Society programs, so the levels of military escalation, while significant, were never enough to make any real headway in the war. Against his wishes, Johnson's presidency was soon dominated by the Vietnam War. As more and more American soldiers and civilians were killed in Vietnam, Johnson's popularity declined, particularly in the face of student protests. During these protests students would often chant the line, "Hey, hey, LBJ, how many kids will you kill today?" In what was termed an October surprise, Johnson announced to the nation on March 31, 1968 that he ordered a complete cessation of "all air, naval, and artillery bombardment of North Vietnam" effective November 1 citing progress with the Paris peace talks. And at the end of his speech he shocked the country by telling them he would not run for re-election, by saying: "I shall not seek, and I will not accept the nomination of my party for another term as your president." ([http://millercenter.virginia.edu/scripps/diglibrary/prezspeeches/johnson/lbj_1968_0331.html Text and audio of speech])

Appointments

Cabinet appointments

All of the cabinet members when Lyndon B. Johnson became president in 1963 had been serving under John F. Kennedy previously.

Supreme Court appointments

Johnson appointed the following Justices to the Supreme Court of the United States:
- Abe Fortas - 1965
- Thurgood Marshall - 1967
  - Marshall was the first African-American to be appointed to the Supreme Court.

Retirement, death, and honors

Under the 22nd Amendment, Johnson was still eligible for a second full term, having served less than two years of Kennedy's term. However, on March 31, 1968, after the Tet Offensive, a narrow victory over Eugene McCarthy in the New Hampshire primary, the entry of Robert Kennedy into the presidential race, and new lows in the opinion polls, he announced, in an address to the nation, that he would no longer seek renomination for the presidency. He cited the growing division within the country over the war as his reason. The Democratic nomination eventually went to Johnson's Vice President Hubert Humphrey, who was later defeated in the 1968 election by Richard M. Nixon. After leaving the presidency in 1969, Johnson went home to his ranch in Johnson City, Texas. In 1971, he published his memoirs, The Vantage Point. That year, the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum, which is the most visited presidential library in the nation—over a quarter million visitors per year—opened on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin. He donated his Texas ranch in his will to the public to form the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park, with the proviso that the ranch "remain a working ranch and not become a sterile relic of the past" [http://www2.nature.nps.gov/parksci/vol19/vol19(2)/08-1harris.htm]. Johnson died at 4:33 PM on January 22, 1973 from a third heart attack at his ranch, at the age of 64. His health ruined by years of heavy smoking and stress, the former President had severe heart disease. He was found in his bed, reaching for his phone. Johnson was honored with a state funeral in which Texas Congressman J.J. Pickle and former Secretary of State Dean Rusk eulogized at the Capitol. The final services took place on January 25. The funeral was held at the National City Christian Church (in Washington, D.C.), where he worshipped often when president. The service, which foreign dignitaries, led by former Japanese prime minister Eisaku Sato, attended, was the first presidential funeral to feature a eulogy. They came from former White House Chief of Staff, and Postmaster General W. Marvin Watson, and the church's rector, Rev. Dr. George Davis, a very close friend of the Johnsons who officiated the services in Washington. Though he attended the service, Nixon did not speak, as customary for presidents during presidential funerals, but both eulogists turned to him as they spoke and lauded him for his tributes to the former president, as Rusk had the day before. Johnson was buried that afternoon at his ranch in Texas. The burial service was the first presidential burial to feature a eulogy, and the eulogies were delivered by former Texas Democratic governor John Connally, an LBJ protege and fellow Texan, who was wounded in the assassination that made Johnson president, and by the minister who officiated the services, Rev. Billy Graham. Anita Bryant closed the services by singing "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," paying tribute to her friendship with the former president, at his own request. The state funeral was part of a busy week for the Military District of Washington, which began with Nixon's second inauguration. Later in 1973, President Nixon signed Congressional legislation renaming the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. Also, the Texas State Legislature created a legal state holiday to be observed on August 27 to mark LBJ's birthday. It is known as Lyndon Baines Johnson Day. Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously in 1980.

Miscellaneous information


- Lyndon Johnson was 6 ft 3 1/2 in (192 cm) tall and weighed about 215 pounds, the second tallest president after Abraham Lincoln at 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) and 180 pounds (82 kg).
- He was baptized in the Pedernales River as a member of the Disciples of Christ in 1923. [http://www.lbjlib.utexas.edu/johnson/archives.hom/FAQs/Religion/religion_hm.asp]
- Johnson was famously frugal. Even as President, White House tapes recorded him asking a photographer to take his family portraits for free, saying he was a very poor man living on a weekly paycheck and had a very great deal of financial debt. In fact Johnson was a multimillionaire, but he still received the photographic portraits without having to pay a cent. The White House press corps would make jokes at his expense regarding his habit of turning off all lights in the White House when the rooms were not in use. Johnson's secretary revealed years later that he would wash and reuse styrofoam cups.
- Johnson seemed to crave personal approval. After delivering a major speech on civil rights, he called 32 people, all of whom he knew would greatly approve of his speech, to ask what they thought. All of these people, recorded for posterity in White House tapes, were overwhelmingly complimentary.
- At his ranch in Texas, he was fond of taking visitors in the car while driving 90 miles an hour down country roads, drinking scotch from a paper cup.
- His favorite soft drink was Fresca, which he drank constantly. He had a soda tap installed in the Oval Office.
- Johnson, while using the White House bathroom, was known to insist that others accompany him and continue to discuss official matters, take dictation, or another convenient pretense. This was one of Johnson's many tactics for asserting psychological power over others.
- All other American presidents born in the 20th century were born after LBJ.
- The only American president to have ever visited Malaysia.
- The first American president to visit Turkey

Further information

See also


- U.S. presidential election, 1960
- U.S. presidential election, 1964
- U.S. presidential election, 1968
- History of the United States (1945–1964)
- History of the United States (1964–1980)
- Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum in Austin, Texas

Further reading


- Barrett, David Marshall. Advice and Dissent: An Organizational Analysis of the Evolution of Lyndon Johnson's Vietnam Advisory System, 1965-1968. (University of Notre Dame, 1990)
- Casey, Francis Michael. The Vietnam Policy of President Lyndon Baines Johnson in Response to the Theory of the Protracted Conflict as Applied in the Politics of Indochina: A Case Study of Threat Perception and Assessment in the Crisis Management Process of a Pluralistic Society. (Claremont Graduate School, 1976)
- Cherwitz, Richard Arnold. The Rhetoric of the Gulf of Tonkin: A Study of the Crisis Speaking of President Lyndon B. Johnson. (University of Iowa, 1978)
- Goodnight, Lisa Jo. The Conservative Voice of a Liberal President: An Analysis of Lyndon B. Johnson's Vietnam Rhetoric. (Purdue University, 1993)
- Kearns Goodwin, Doris. Lyndon Johnson & the American Dream. (1977)
- Logevall, Fredrik Bengt Johan. Fear to Negotiate: Lyndon Johnson and the Vietnam War, 1963-1965. (Yale University, 1993)
- Turner, Kathleen Jane. The Effect of Presidential-Press Interaction on Lyndon B. Johnson's Vietnam War Rhetoric. (Purdue University, 1978)
- Winter-Berger, Robert N. The Washington pay-off: a lobbyist's own story of corruption in government. (Secaucus, New Jersey : L. Stuart 1972)

Johnson career documentary

Johnson is the subject of an extensive multi-volume biography: The Years of Lyndon Johnson by Robert A. Caro. So far three volumes have appeared: :# The Path to Power (1982), :# Means of Ascent (1990), :# Master of the Senate (2002).

References and external links


- [http://www.lbjlib.utexas.edu/ Lyndon B. Johnson Library]
- [http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/lj36.html White House biography]
- [http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/JJ/fjo19.html Handbook of Texas entry]
- [http://www.whitehousetapes.org/pages/tapes_lbj.htm LBJ's secret White House recordings @ University of Virginia's Miller Center of Public Affairs]
- [http://educatetheusa.com/LBJ36.html Lyndon B. Johnson], article on educatetheusa.com.
- [http://gi.grolier.com/presidents/nbk/bios/36pjohn.html Johnson, Lyndon Baines], article in the New Book of Knowledge.
- Robert A. Caro Master of the Senate: The Years of Lyndon Johnson (2002)
- [http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/presiden/inaug/johnson.htm Inaugural Address]
- [http://vvl.lib.msu.edu/showfindingaid.cfm?findaidid=JohnsonLB Audio recordings of Johnson's speeches]
- [http://www.libraryreference.org/johnson.html Lyndon Johnson Biography]
- [http://www.npr.org/features/feature.php?wfId=1507155 White House Tapes: Eavesdropping on LBJ, NPR Weekend Edition audio archives]
- [http://www.b-26marauderarchive.org/MS/MS1709/MS1709.htm LBJ's silver star]
- [http://home.nyc.rr.com/alweisel/outwalterjenkins.htm Walter Jenkins Scandal]
-

Footnote


- Elsen, William A., "Ceremonial Group Had Busy 5 Weeks." The Washington Post, January 25, 1973. Johnson, Lyndon B. Johnson, Lyndon B. Johnson, Lyndon B. Johnson, Lyndon B. Johnson, Lyndon B. Johnson, Lyndon B. Johnson, Lyndon B. Johnson, Lyndon B. Johnson, Lyndon B. Johnson, Lyndon B. Johnson, Lyndon B. Johnson, Lyndon B. Johnson, Lyndon B. Johnson, Lyndon B. Johnson, Lyndon B. ja:リンドン・B・ジョンソン

August 27

August 27 is the 239th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (240th in leap years), with 126 days remaining.

Events


- 479 BC - Greco-Persian Wars: Persian forces led by Mardonius are routed by Pausanias, the Spartan commander of the Greek army in the Battle of Plataea. Along the with the Greek victory on the same day in the Battle of Mycale, the Persian invasion of Greece ended.
- 55 BC - Julius Caesar lands in Britain for the first time.
- AD 410 - Visigoth sack of Rome ends after three days.
- 1232 - The Formulary of Adjudications is promulgated by Regent Hojo Yasutoki. (Traditional Japanese date: August 10, 1232)
- 1776 - Battle of Long Island, in present day Brooklyn, New York, British forces under General William Howe defeat Americans under General George Washington
- 1813 - Napoleon defeats the Austrians, Russians and Prussians at the Battle of Dresden
- 1828 - The Russians defeat the Turks at Akhaltzikke.
- 1859 - Petroleum discovered in Titusville, Pennsylvania. World's first successful oil well.
- 1861 - Union forces attack Cape Hatteras, North Carolina
- 1883 - The after effects caused by the Krakatau explosion in Indonesia kills 36,000 people.
- 1896 - Anglo-Zanzibar War: the shortest war in world history (9:02 to 9:40) between the United Kingdom and Zanzibar.
- 1900 - British defeat Boer commandos at Bergendal
- 1928 - Kellogg-Briand Pact, outlawing war, signed by sixty nations
- 1937 - The automobile division of Toyoda Automatic Loom Works is spun off into the Toyota Motor Corporation.
- 1939 - First jet aircraft flight
- 1952 - Reparation negotiations between West Germany and Israel end in Luxembourg; West Germany to pay 3 billion Deutschmarks.
- 1962 - Mariner 2 launched
- 1969 - The first installment of the Otoko wa Tsurai yo (It's Tough Being a Man) movies is released in Japan. Director and screenplay writer Yoji Yamada went on to make 48 installments of the series, which is recognized in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running movie series.
- 1979 - An IRA bomb kills Lord Mountbatten and 3 others on holiday in Sligo, Republic of Ireland. Another near Warrenpoint, Northern Ireland kills 18 British soldiers.
- 1985 - The Nigerian government is peacefully overthrown by Army Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Babangida.
- 1990 - The British Broadcasting Corporation launches BBC Radio Five Live at 9am GMT with a mixture of sports, news, and children's programming. The station broadcasts for eighteen hours per day.
- 1991 - The European Community recognizes the independence of the Baltic states: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
- 1991 - Moldova declares independence from the USSR.
- 1993 - The Florida DOT decides to cease producing its distinctive colored U.S. Highway shields so that it can make use of Federal funds for those signs.
- 1993 - The Rainbow Bridge, connecting Tokyo's Shibaura and the island of Odaiba, is completed.
- 2000 - Ostankino Tower in Moscow catches fire, three people are killed.
- 2003 - Mars makes closest approach to Earth in nearly 60,000 years, passing approximately 34,646,416 miles (55,758,006 kilometers) from Earth.

Births


- 1407 - Ashikaga Yoshikazu, Japanese shogun (d. 1425)
- 1471 - George, Duke of Saxony (d. 1539)
- 1637 - Charles Calvert, 3rd Baron Baltimore, Governor of the Province of Maryland (d. 1715)
- 1665 - John Hervey, 1st Earl of Bristol, English politician (d. 1751)
- 1677 - Otto Ferdinand Graf von Abensperg und Traun, Austrian field marshal (d. 1748)
- 1724 - John Joachim Zubly, Swiss-born Continental Congressman (d. 1781)
- 1730 - Johann Georg Hamann, German philosopher (d. 1788)
- 1770 - Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, German philosopher (d. 1831)
- 1809 - Hannibal Hamlin, Vice President of the United States of America (d. 1891)
- 1858 - Giuseppe Peano, Italian mathematician (d. 1932)
- 1865 - James Henry Breasted, American Egyptologist (d. 1935)
- 1865 - Charles G. Dawes, 30th Vice President of the United States, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (d. 1951)
- 1870 - Amado Nervo, Mexican poet (d. 1919)
- 1871 - Theodore Dreiser, American author (d. 1945)
- 1874 - Carl Bosch, German chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1940)
- 1875 - Katharine McCormick, American women's rights activist (d. 1967)
- 1886 - Rebecca Clarke, English composer and violist (d. 1979)
- 1886 - Eric Coates, English composer (d. 1957)
- 1890 - Man Ray, photographer and artist (d. 1976)
- 1899 - C.S. Forester, British author (d. 1966)
- 1899 - Byron Foulger, American character actor (d. 1970)
- 1904 - Norah Lofts, British author (d. 1983)
- 1906 - Ed Gein, American serial killer (d. 1984)
- 1908 - Don Bradman, Australian cricketer (d. 2001)
- 1908 - Lyndon B. Johnson, 36th President of the United States (d. 1973)
- 1908 - Kurt Wegner, German artist
- 1909 - Lester Young, American musician (d. 1959)
- 1910 - Mother Teresa, Albanian missionary and humanitarian, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (d. 1997)
- 1911 - Kay Walsh, British actress (d. 2005)
- 1915 - Norman F. Ramsey, American physicist, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1916 - Martha Raye, American actress (d. 1994)
- 1921 - Leo Penn, American film director-actor (d. 1998)
- 1926 - Kristen Nygaard, Norwegian mathematician, computer scientist, and politician (d. 2002)
- 1928 - Mangosuthu Buthelezi, South African politician
- 1929 - Ira Levin, American author
- 1932 - Antonia Fraser, British author
- 1935 - Frank Yablans, American film producer
- 1937 - Tommy Sands, American actor and singer
- 1940 - Sonny Sharrock, American jazz guitarist (d. 1994)
- 1942 - B. J. Thomas, American singer
- 1943 - Tuesday Weld, American actress
- 1945 - G.W. Bailey, American actor
- 1947 - Barbara Bach, American actress
- 1947 - Harry Reems, American actor
- 1950 - Charles Fleischer, American actor
- 1951 - Buddy Bell, baseball player-manager
- 1952 - Paul "Pee-Wee Herman" Reubens, American actor
- 1953 - Peter Stormare, Swedish-born actor
- 1954 - Derek Warwick, British race car driver
- 1955 - Diana Scarwid, American actress
- 1957 - Bernhard Langer, German golfer
- 1959 - Gerhard Berger, Austrian race car driver
- 1963 - Downtown Julie Brown, Welsh television personality
- 1966 - Juhan Parts, Prime Minister of Estonia
- 1970 - Peter Ebdon, English snooker player
- 1970 - Tony Kanal, American-British musician (No Doubt)
- 1970 - Jim Thome, baseball player
- 1973 - Dietmar Hamann, German footballer
- 1974 - Jose Vidro, Puerto Rican Major League Baseball player
- 1975 - Jonny Moseley, American skier
- 1976 - Sarah Chalke, Canadian actress
- 1976 - Carlos Moya, Spanish tennis player
- 1976 - Mark Webber, Australian race car driver
- 1977 - Deco, Brazilian footballer
- 1979 - Tian Liang, Chinese diver
- 1988 - Alexa Vega, American actress

Deaths


- 1312 - Arthur II, Duke of Brittany (b. 1262)
- 1394 - Chokei, Emperor of Japan (b. 1343)
- 1450 - Reginald West, 6th Baron De La Warr, English politician (b. 1395)
- 1521 - Josquin Des Prez, Flemish composer
- 1545 - Piotr Gamrat, Polish Catholic archbishop (b. 1487)
- 1572 - Claude Goudimel, French composer
- 1577 - Titian, Italian artist
- 1590 - Pope Sixtus V (b. 1521)
- 1635 - Félix Lope de Vega, Spanish poet and playwright (b. 1562)
- 1664 - Francisco Zurbarán, Spanish painter (b. 1598)
- 1748 - James Thomson, Scottish poet (b. 1700)
- 1773 - Friedrich Wilhelm von Seydlitz, Prussian general (b. 1721)
- 1875 - William Chapman Ralston, American banker (b. 1826)
- 1909 - Emil Christian Hansen, Danish fermentation physiologist (b. 1842)
- 1929 - Herman Potočnik Noordung, Slovenian rocket scientist (b. 1892)
- 1931 - Frank Harris, Irish author and editor (b. 1856)
- 1931 - Francis Marion Smith, American borax magnate (b. 1846)
- 1948 - Charles Evans Hughes, U.S. Supreme Court justice (b. 1862)
- 1958 - Ernest Lawrence, American physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1901)
- 1963 - Garrett Morgan, American inventor (b. 1877)
- 1963 - W.E.B. DuBois, American civil rights activist and scholar (b. 1868)
- 1964 - Gracie Allen, American actress and comedienne
- 1965 - Le Corbusier, Swiss architect (b. 1887)
- 1967 - Brian Epstein, English manager of The Beatles (b. 1934)
- 1968 - Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent (b. 1906)
- 1969 - Ivy Compton-Burnett, English novelist (b. 1884)
- 1969 - Erika Mann, German writer and daughter of Thomas Mann (b. 1905)
- 1971 - Bennett Cerf, American publisher and television personality (b. 1898)
- 1975 - Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia (b. 1892)
- 1976 - Mukesh, Indian playback singer (b. 1923)
- 1979 - Earl Mountbatten, British admiral and statesman (assassinated) (b. 1900)
- 1980 - Douglas Kenney, American humorist (b. 1947)
- 1988 - William Sargant, British psychiatrist (b. 1907)
- 1990 - Stevie Ray Vaughan, American guitarist (b. 1954)
- 1997 - Brandon Tartikoff, American television producer (b. 1949)
- 2002 - Richard Ricci, American handyman wrongly suspected of being a kidnapper in the Elizabeth Smart case (b. 1953)
- 2003 - Pierre Poujade, French politician (b. 1920)
- 2004 - Willie Crawford, baseball player (b. 1946)

Holidays and observances


- Roman festivals - Volturnalia held in honor of Volturnus
- RC Saints - Saint Monica of Hippo
- Moldova - Independence Day (from the USSR, 1991): the national holiday

External links


- [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/august/27 BBC: On This Day] ---- August 26 - August 28 - July 27 - September 27 -- listing of all days ko:8월 27일 ms:27 Ogos ja:8月27日 simple:August 27 th:27 สิงหาคม

January 22

January 22 is the 22nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There are 343 days remaining (344 in leap years).

Events


- 565 - Eutychius is deposed as Patriarch of Constantinople by John Scholasticus.
- 1521 - Diet of Worms is opened by Emperor Charles V.
- 1771 - Spain cedes Port Egmont in the Falkland Islands to England.
- 1824 - Ashantis crush British forces in the Gold Coast.
- 1840 - British colonists reach New Zealand.
- 1863 - The January Uprising broke out in Poland, Lithuania and Belarus. The aim of the national movement was to regain Polish-Lithuanian-Ruthenian Commonwealth from occupation of Russia.
- 1879 - Anglo-Zulu War: Zulu troops massacre British troops at the Battle of Isandlwana.
- 1889 - Columbia Phonograph is formed in Washington, DC.
- 1899 - Leaders of six Australian colonies meet in Melbourne to discuss confederation.
- 1901 - Edward VII becomes King after his mother, Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, dies.
- 1905 - 'Bloody Sunday' in St. Petersburg, beginning of the 1905 revolution.
- 1917 - World War I: President Woodrow Wilson calls for "peace without victory" in Europe.
- 1924 - Ramsay MacDonald becomes the first Labour Prime Minister.
- 1931 - Sir Isaac Isaacs sworn in as the first Australian-born Governor-General of Australia.
- 1941 - World War II: The United Kingdom captures Tobruk from Nazi forces.
- 1944 - World War II: Allies begin Operation Shingle (an assault on Anzio, Italy).
- 1947 - KTLA, the first commercial television station west of the Mississippi River, begins operation in Hollywood, California.
- 1947 - Paul Ramadier becomes Prime Minister of France.
- 1952 - The first commercial jet plane, the BOAC's Comet, is put into service.
- 1953 - The Crucible, a drama by Arthur Miller, opens on Broadway.
- 1957 - Israel withdraws from the Sinai Peninsula.
- 1957 - The New York City "Mad Bomber," George P. Metesky, is arrested in Waterbury, Connecticut and is charged with planting more than 30 bombs.
- 1962 - The Organization of American States (OAS) suspends Cuba's membership.
- 1963 - Elysée treaty between France and Germany.
- 1964 - Mumbai's lowest ever temperature recorded (7.4°C).
- 1967 - Simon & Garfunkel perform live at Philharmonic Hall in the Lincoln Center, New York City. The recording is not released until 16 July 2002.
- 1968 - Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, debuts on NBC.
- 1973 - The Supreme Court of the United States delivers its decision in Roe vs. Wade striking down state laws restricting abortion during the first six months of pregnancy.
- 1973 - A chartered Boeing 707 exploded in flames upon landing at Kano Airport, Nigeria killing 176.
- 1973 - George Foreman breaks Joe Frazier's professional career undefeated heavyweight world boxing champion status.
- 1980 - Andrei Sakharov is arrested in Moscow.
- 1983 - Björn Borg retires from tennis after winning five consecutive Wimbledon championships.
- 1984 - The Apple Macintosh, the first consumer computer to popularize the computer mouse and the graphical user interface, is introduced during Super Bowl XVIII with the famous television commercial "1984".
- 1987 - Pennsylvania politician R. Budd Dwyer commits suicide on national television.
- 1990 - Robert Tappan Morris, Jr. is convicted of releasing the 1988 Internet worm.
- 1992 - Rebel forces occupy Zaire's national radio station in Kinshasa and broadcast a demand for the government's resignation.
- 1992 - STS-42: Dr. Roberta Bondar becomes the first Canadian woman in space.
- 1995 - Israeli-Palestinian conflict: In central Israel, two suicide bombers from the Gaza Strip blow themselves-up at a military transit point killing 19 Israelis.
- 1997 - Madeleine Albright becomes the first female secretary of state after confirmation by the United States Senate.
- 1998 - Suspected Unabomber Theodore Kaczynski pleads guilty and accepts a sentence of life without the possibility of parole.
- 2001 - Four of the Texas 7 are caught at a convenience store in Woodland Park, Colorado and a fifth killed himself inside a motor home.
- 2002 - AOL Time Warner brings a federal suit against Microsoft alleging that the market for AOL's Netscape Navigator Internet browser was harmed when Microsoft started to give away a competing browser.
- 2002 - Kmart Corp becomes the largest retailer in American history to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
- 2003 - The Netherlands vote for a new parliament after the previous had only been into power for 86 days.
- 2003 - Last successful contact with the spacecraft Pioneer 10, one of the most distant man-made objects.

Births


- 1263 - Ibn Taymiya, Islamic scholar (d. 1328)
- 1440 - Ivan III of Russia (d. 1505)
- 1553 - Mori Terumoto, Japanese warrior (d. 1625)
- 1561 - Sir Francis Bacon, English philosopher (d. 1626)
- 1570 - Sir Robert Bruce Cotton, English politician (d. 1631)
- 1592 - Pierre Gassendi, French philosopher, mathematician, and scientist (d. 1655)
- 1654 - Richard Blackmore, English physician and writer (d. 1729)
- 1690 - Nicolas Lancret, French painter (d. 1743)
- 1729 - Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, German author and philosopher (d. 1781)
- 1775 - Andre Marie Ampere, French physicist (d. 1836)
- 1788 - George Gordon, Lord Byron, English poet (d. 1824)
- 1820 - Joseph Wolf, German artist (d. 1899)
- 1849 - August Strindberg, Swedish writer (d. 1912)
- 1875 - D. W. Griffith, American film director (d. 1948)
- 1892 - Marcel Dassault, French industrialist (d. 1986)
- 1893 - Conrad Veidt, German actor (d. 1943)
- 1902 - Daniel Kinsey, American hurdler
- 1903 - Fritz Houtermans, Polish physicist (d. 1966)
- 1904 (N.S.) - George Balanchine, Russian choreographer (d. 1983)
- 1904 - Arkady Gaidar, Russian children's writer (d. 1941)
- 1906 - Robert E. Howard, American author (d. 1936)
- 1907 - Douglas Corrigan, American pilot (d. 1995)
- 1907 - Mary Dresselhuys, Dutch actress (d. 2004)
- 1908 - Lev Davidovich Landau, Russian physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1968)
- 1909 - Ann Sothern, American actress (d. 2001)
- 1909 - U Thant, Burmese United Nations Secretary General (d. 1974)
- 1911 - Bruno Kreisky, Chancellor of Austria (d. 1990)
- 1913 - Carl F. H. Henry, American theologian and publisher (d. 2003)
- 1915 - Heinrich Albertz, German theologian and politician (d. 1993)
- 1916 - Henri Dutilleux, French composer
- 1924 - J. J. Johnson, American jazz trombonist and composer (d. 2001)
- 1927 - Lou Creekmur, American football player
- 1931 - Sam Cooke, American singer (d. 1964)
- 1932 - Piper Laurie, American actress
- 1934 - Bill Bixby, American actor (d. 1993)
- 1935 - Seymour Cassel, American actor
- 1936 - Alan J. Heeger, American chemist, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1936 - Joseph Wambaugh, American author
- 1937 - Edén Pastora Gómez, Nicaraguan rebel leader
- 1939 - Jeff Smith, American chef (d. 2004)
- 1940 - Addie "Micki" Harris, singer (Shirelles) (d. 1982)
- 1940 - John Hurt, English actor
- 1940 - George Seifert, American football coach
- 1946 - Serge Savard, Canadian hockey player
- 1949 - Steve Perry, American musician
- 1953 - Jim Jarmusch, American director
- 1954 - Chris Lemmon, American actor
- 1954 - Peter Pilz, Austrian politician
- 1956 - John Wesley Shipp, American actor
- 1957 - Mike Bossy, Canadian hockey player
- 1959 - Linda Blair, American actress
- 1960 - Michael Hutchence, Australian musician (INXS) (d. 1997)
- 1965 - DJ Jazzy Jeff, American rapper and actor
- 1965 - Diane Lane, American actress
- 1965 - Andrew Roachford, English singer and songwriter
- 1967 - Olivia d'Abo, English actress
- 1968 - Frank Lebœuf, French footballer
- 1972 - Gabriel Macht, American actor
- 1975 - Balthazar Getty, American actor
- 1977 - Hidetoshi Nakata, Japanese footballer
- 1978 - Chone Figgins, baseball player
- 1980 - Christopher Masterson, American actor
- 1980 - Ben Moody, American guitarist (Evanescence)
- 1981 - Chantelle Anderson, American basketball player
- 1981 - Willa Ford, American singer
- 1981 - Beverley Mitchell, American actress
- 1983 - Shaun Cody, American football player
- 1985 - Mohamed Sissoko, Malian footballer

Deaths


- 1536 - Bernhard Knipperdolling, German religious leader
- 1599 - Cristofano Malvezzi, Italian composer (b. 1547)
- 1666 - Shah Jahan, Mughal Emperor of India (b. 1592)
- 1750 - Franz Xaver Josef von Unertl, Bavarian politician (b. 1675)
- 1763 - John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville, English statesman (b. 1690)
- 1767 - Johann Gottlob Lehmann, German minterologist and geologist (b. 1719)
- 1779 - Jeremiah Dixon, English surveyor and astronomer (b. 1733)
- 1779 - Claudius Smith, American Revolutionary War loyalist (b. 1736)
- 1840 - Johann Friedrich Blumenbach, German anthropologist (b. 1752)
- 1892 - Joseph Philo Bradley, U.S. Supreme Court Justice (b. 1813)
- 1901 - Queen Victoria I of the United Kingdom (b. 1819)
- 1921 - Captain George Streeter, American riverboat captain and circus owner (b. 1837)
- 1922 - Fredrik Bajer, Danish politician and pacifist, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (b. 1837)
- 1922 - Pope Benedict XV (b. 1854)
- 1945 - Else Lasker-Schuler, German-born poet (b. 1869)
- 1950 - Alan Hale, Sr., American actor (b. 1892)
- 1959 - Mike Hawthorn, English race car driver (b. 1929)
- 1968 - Duke Kahanamoku, American swimmer (b. 1890)
- 1973 - Lyndon B. Johnson, President of the United States (b. 1908)
- 1975 - Andrew George Burry, Swiss-born manufacturer and businessman (b. 1873)
- 1978 - Oliver Leese, British World War II general (b. 1894)
- 1978 - Herbert Sutcliffe, English cricketer (b. 1894)
- 1987 - R. Budd Dwyer, American politician (b. 1939)
- 1988 - Parker Fennelly, American comedian and actor (b. 1891)
- 1993 - Abe Kobo, Japanese writer (b. 1924)
- 1994 - Telly Savalas, American actor (b. 1924)
- 2000 - Craig Claiborne, American writer and editor (b. 1920)
- 2001 - Tommie Agee, baseball player (b. 1942)
- 2003 - Bill Mauldin, American World War II cartoonist (b. 1921)
- 2004 - Billy May, American composer and musician (b. 1916)
- 2004 - Ann Miller, American actress and dancer (b. 1923)
- 2005 - César Gutiérrez, Venezuelan Major League Baseball player (b. 1943)
- 2005 - Carlo Orelli, last surviving Italian veteran of World War I (b. 1894)
- 2005 - Consuelo Velázquez, Mexican songwriter (b. 1924)
- 2005 - Rose Mary Woods, American Watergate scandal figure (b. 1917)

Holidays and observances


- Catholicism - Feast day of St. Vincent.
- New Zealand - Wellington Anniversary

External links


- [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/january/22 BBC: On This Day] ---- January 21 - January 23 - December 22 - February 22 — listing of all days ko:1월 22일 ms:22 Januari ja:1月22日 simple:January 22 th:22 มกราคม

1973

1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday.

Events

January


- January 1 - United Kingdom, Ireland, and Denmark enter the European Economic Community, now known as the European Union.
- January 3 - Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) sells the New York Yankees for $10 million to a 12-person syndicate led by George Steinbrenner.
- January 15 - Vietnam War: Citing progress in peace negotiations, President of the United States Richard Nixon announces the suspension of offensive action in North Vietnam.
- January 17 - Ferdinand Marcos becomes President for Life of the Philippines.
- January 22 - Supreme Court of the United States rules on Roe v. Wade.
- January 22 - George Foreman breaks Joe Frazier's professional career undefeated heavyweight world boxing champion status.
- January 22 - Nigerian Airlines passenger plane from Mecca crashes in Kano, Nigeria - 176 dead.
- January 23 - The eruption of Eldfell on the Icelandic island of Heimaey begins.
- January 23 - President Richard Nixon announces that a peace accord has been reached in Vietnam.
- January 25 - Derren Nesbitt convicted of assaulting Anne Aubrey
- January 27 - U.S. involvement in Vietnam War ends with the signing of peace pacts. See Paris Peace Accords.

February


- February 11 - Vietnam War: First release of American prisoners of war from Vietnam takes place.
- February 12 - Ohio becomes the first U.S. state to post distance in metric on signs. (See: Metric system in the United States)
- February 21 - Over the Sinai Desert, Israeli fighter aircraft shoot down a Libyan Arab Airlines jet killing 100.
- February 22 - Sino-American relations: Following President Richard Nixon's visit to mainland China, the United States and the People's Republic of China agree to establish liaison offices.
- February 27 - The American Indian Movement occupies Wounded Knee, South Dakota.

March


- March 1 - The New York Joffrey Ballet's Deuce Coupe Ballet opens. The ballet is set entirely around music by The Beach Boys.
- March 7 - Comet Kohoutek is discovered.
- March 8 - IRA bombs explode in the Whitehall and the Old Bailey.
- March 16 - Queen Elizabeth II opens the New London Bridge.
- March 29 - The last United States soldiers leave Vietnam.
- March 31 - Paramount's Carowinds opens for the first time.

April


- April 2 - Launch of LexisNexis computerized legal research service.
- April 4 - World Trade Center officially opens in New York with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
- April 6 - Launch of Pioneer 11 spacecraft.
- April 17 -German GSG-9 group formed officially

May


- May 5 - Shambu Tamang becomes the youngest person to climb to the summit of Mount Everest.
- May 8 - A 71-day standoff between federal authorities and the American Indian Movement who were occupying the Pine Ridge Reservation at Wounded Knee, South Dakota, ends with the surrender of the militants.
- May 10 - Polisario formed.
- May 14 - Skylab, the United States' first space station, is launched.
- May 17 - Watergate scandal: Hearings begin in the United States Senate and are televised.
- May 27 - By the virtue of non-retroactiveness of the copyright laws of the USSR, all works published before this date are public domain. This applies worldwide.

June


- June 1 - Greek military junta abolishes the monarchy and proclaims a republic.
- June 3 - Tupolev Tu-144 crashes at the Paris air show - 15 dead.
- June 4 - patent for the ATM granted to Don Wetzel, Tom Barnes and George Chastain.
- June 9 - Secretariat wins the Belmont Stakes becoming the first Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing winner since 1948.
- June 10 - Grandson of J. Paul Getty is kidnapped in Rome.
- June 22 - William Mark Felt retires from the FBI.
- June 25 - Erskine Hamilton Childers is elected the fourth President of Ireland.
- June 26 - On Plesetsk Cosmodrome 9 persons were killed at an explosion of a Cosmos 3-M rocket.
- June 30 - Very long total solar eclipse. During the entire Second Millennium, only seven total solar eclipses exceeded seven minutes of totality.

July


- July 1 - US Drug Enforcement Agency founded.
- July 5 - Isle of Man begins to issue its own postage stamps
- July 10 - The Bahamas gain full independence within the British Commonwealth.
- July 12 - A major fire destroys the entire 6th floor of the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri. The disaster comes to be known as the 1973 National Archives Fire.
- July 16 - Watergate Scandal: Former White House aide Alexander Butterfield informs the United States Senate committee investigating the scandal that President Richard Nixon had secretly recorded potentially incriminating conversations.
- July 20 - France resumes nuclear bomb tests in Mururoa Atoll over protestations of Australia and New Zealand.
- July 25 - Soviet Mars 5 space probe launched.
- July 28 - Watkins Glen Summer Jam, a massive rock festival featuring The Grateful Dead, The Allman Brothers Band and The Band attracts over 600,000 music fans.
- July 30 - An 11-year legal action for the victims of Thalidomide ends.
- July 31 - Militant protesters of Ian Paisley disrupt the first sitting of the Northern Ireland Assembly

August


- August 2 - Flash fire kills 51 at the Summerland amusement centre at Douglas, Isle of Man.
- August 5 - Black September members open fire at Athens