November 22, 1963
On this day in history, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. President Kennedy and Vice President Johnson were in Dallas, Texas raising money and support for Kennedy's reelection the following year. While driving through downtown Dallas, three gunshots were fired, and John F. Kennedy was mortally wounded.
Upon Kennedy's death, Lyndon Johnson boarded Air Force One and was sworn into office, becoming the 36th President of the United States.
Watch the speech President Johnson gave upon the arrival of Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base outside of Washington, D.C. on November 22, 1963. The card on the right shows the President's handwritten changes to the speech.
Take a closer look at president johnson's Written speech.
Why do you think he changed "every American" to "all people" and "the nation and the whole free world" to "the world"?
What does this tell you about the impact of the assassination of President Kennedy?
CLICK TO LEARN MORE
People around the world reacted to the assassination of President Kennedy with grief, horror, uncertainty, and fear. Was the assassination part of some larger plot? Was this an act of war? Lyndon Johnson's first responsibility as President of the United States was to console the nation and to reassure foreign countries that the policies and power of the United States government remained intact.
hear from THe johnson family about their experiences on November 22, 1963.
President Johnson's younger daughter, Luci Baines Johnson, was in Spanish class at the National Cathedral School in Washington, D.C. when she heard that President Kennedy had been shot.
Her older sister, Lynda Johnson Robb, was in her dormitory at the University of Texas in Austin when a friend came to tell her the news.
Watch excerpts below to learn more more about how the assassination of President Kennedy impacted the Johnson daughters and the nation.
After the assassination of President Kennedy, Mrs. Johnson said her priorities were to “ease Mrs. Kennedy’s burdens, if she could,” and “to make a comfortable, peaceful place” for her husband “to work and prepare to carry all the heavy load of public service”
Mrs. Johnson had the foresight to keep a meticulous record of daily events in the White House by recording an audio diary describing her experiences.
Click here to listen to Mrs. Johnson's audio diary for November 22, 1963.