Video: 'CBS Evening News (1/22/1973) - Lyndon B. Johnson Death' (LBJ's death reported at 8:28)
(Monday, January 22, 1973, suffered a massive heart attack at 3:39 p.m CST, declared dead at 4:33 p.m. CST) — Lyndon B. Johnson, the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969, died this afternoon after suffering a massive heart attack at his ranch in Stonewall, Texas. He was 64.
Johnson had recorded an hour-long television interview with newsman Walter Cronkite at his ranch on Jan. 12, 1973, in which he discussed his legacy, particularly about the civil rights movement. He was still smoking heavily at the time, and told Cronkite that it was better for his heart “to smoke than to be nervous.”
Video: 'LBJ: The Last Interview (1973)'
Ten days later, at approximately 3:39 p.m. Central Standard Time on January 22, 1973, Johnson suffered his third and final, fatal heart attack in his bedroom. He managed to telephone the Secret Service agents on the ranch, who found him still holding the telephone receiver, unconscious and not breathing.
Johnson was airlifted in one of his planes to San Antonio and taken to Brooke Army Medical Center, where cardiologist and Army colonel George McGranahan pronounced him dead on arrival at 4:33 p.m. CST.
Video: 'WEB EXTRA: LBJ death'
The news of Johnson’s death was dramatically communicated on CBS Evening News by Walter Cronkite, on live television, as he spoke with Tom Johnson, Lyndon B. Johnson’s press secretary.
Johnson had previously served as the 37th vice president from 1961 to 1963 under President John F. Kennedy and was sworn in shortly after Kennedy’s assassination. He completed Kennedy’s term and was elected president in his own right, winning by a large margin in the 1964 election.
Video: 'PBS - American Experience - LBJ (1991) 1of4'
Johnson’s domestic policy was aimed at expanding civil rights, public broadcasting, access to healthcare, aid to education and the arts, urban and rural development, and public services. In 1964 Johnson coined the term “Great Society” to describe these efforts.
In addition, he sought to create better living conditions for low-income Americans by spearheading a campaign unofficially called the “War on Poverty.” As part of these efforts, Johnson signed the Social Security Amendments of 1965, which resulted in the creation of Medicare and Medicaid.
Johnson followed his predecessor’s actions in bolstering NASA and made the Apollo Program a national priority. He enacted the Higher Education Act of 1965 which established federally insured student loans.
Video: 'PBS - American Experience - LBJ (1991) 2of4'
Johnson signed the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 which laid the groundwork for U.S. immigration policy today.
Johnson’s opinion on the issue of civil rights put him at odds with other white, southern Democrats. His civil rights legacy was shaped by signing the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Civil Rights Act of 1968.
During his presidency, the American political landscape transformed significantly, as white southerners who were once staunch Democrats began moving to the Republican Party and black voters began moving to the Democratic Party. Because of his domestic agenda, Johnson’s presidency marked the peak of modern liberalism in the United States.
Video: 'PBS - American Experience - LBJ (1991) 3of4'
Johnson’s presidency took place during the Cold War and thus he prioritized halting the expansion of communism. Prior to his presidency, the U.S. was already involved in the Vietnam War, supporting South Vietnam against the communist North.
Following a naval skirmish in 1964 between the United States and North Vietnam, Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which granted Johnson the power to launch a full-scale military intervention in South East Asia.
Video: 'PBS - American Experience - LBJ (1991) 4of4'
The number of American military personnel in Vietnam increased dramatically, and casualties soared among U.S. soldiers and Vietnamese civilians. Johnson also expanded military operations in neighboring Laos to destroy North Vietnamese supply lines.
In 1968, the communist Tet Offensive inflamed the anti-war movement, especially among draft-age students on university campuses, and public opinion turned against America’s involvement in the war.
Video: 'Dick Cavett Reacts To The Death Of President Lyndon B. Johnson | The Dick Cavett Show' (7:20 p.m. EST, Jan. 22, 1973)
At home, Johnson faced further troubles with race riots in major cities and increasing crime rates. His political opponents seized the opportunity and raised demands for “law and order” policies.
Johnson began his presidency with near-universal support, but his approval declined throughout his presidency as the public became frustrated with both the Vietnam War and domestic unrest.
Video: 'January 25, 1973 - Funeral Service for President Lyndon Baines Johnson in Washington D.C.'
Johnson initially sought to run for re-election; however, following disappointing results in the New Hampshire primary he withdrew his candidacy. The war was a major election issue and the 1968 presidential election saw Republican candidate Richard Nixon defeat Johnson’s vice president Hubert Humphrey.
At the end of his presidency in 1969, Johnson returned to his Texas ranch, published his memoirs, and in other respects kept a low profile until he died of a heart attack in 1973.
