November 22, 1963: During a campaign trip to Dallas, Texas, President John F. Kennedy is shot. While his motorcade passed the Texas School Book Depository, Lee Harvey Oswald fires a high-power rifle from a nearby building. The shot hits JFK in the head and he is pronounced dead at 1pm. Oswald is captured but killed by a night club owner before he can talk, so no motive or background is ever revealed. This led to a bunch of conspiracy theories you can look up yourself.
The same day, Lyndon B. Johnson is sworn into office from vice presidency. He pushed the most reforms since the New Deal of the 1930's. These include:
The same day, Lyndon B. Johnson is sworn into office from vice presidency. He pushed the most reforms since the New Deal of the 1930's. These include:
- Civil Rights Bill: Bans all discrimination based on race and gender from employment as well as all segregation in public facilities.
- Voting Rights Act: Banned 'literacy tests' and all other ways of illegally restricting voting from members of the public.
- Immigration Act: Ended all discriminatory immigration quotas.
- Creating the National Endowment for the Arts: public money used for artists and galleries.
- Creates medicare, a government subsidy for senior citizens, that builds on social security.
- Building on JFK's Peace Corps with a massive network of volunteer work, such as that required in US high schools.
- Declaring the "War On Poverty".
- Challenged America to be a "Great Society".