Contents
36 Lyndon B. Johnson (1963-1969)
- Full name: Lyndon Baines Johnson
- Born: August 27, 1908
- Died: January 22, 1973
- Age at inauguration: 54
- Political party: Democratic
- Known for: Johnson increased the US involvement in the Vietnam War. in 1963 there were 16,000 advisors slash soldiers in Vietnam, but by 1968 there 550,000 combat troops. This triggered the antiwar movement that followed in demonstrations, riots and general soaring of crime rates. Johnson eventually gave up on trying to get reelected for a second term.
- What you may not know about Johnson: Johnson called his johnson “Jumbo” and it is said that he was so proud of it that he reportedly was quite fond of unzipping and displaying his giant member. Also, energetic and with a big ego, Johnson was sure to become the best US President of all time. He didn’t.
Being president is like being a jackass in a hailstorm. There’s nothing to do but to stand there and take it. -Lyndon B. Johnson
37 Richard Nixon (1969-1974)
- Full name: Richard Milhous Nixon
- Born: January 9, 1913
- Died: April 22, 1994
- Age at inauguration: 56
- Political party: Republican
- Known for: He further escalated involvement in Vietnam, but eventually gave up and ended direct US military involvement in 1973. He set up diplomatic relationships with the Republic of China and he declared the War on Drugs. Nixon is the only president to date to have resigned from office, as a result of the Watergate Scandal and his administration’s attempts to cover it up.
- What you may not know about Nixon: Nixon played five musical instruments (piano, violin, clarinet, saxophone and accordion), but never learned to read music.
When the President does it, that means that it’s not illegal. -Richard Nixon
38 Gerald Ford (1974-1977)
- Full name: Gerald Rudolph “Jerry” Ford, Jr.
- Born: July 14, 1913
- Died: December 26, 2006
- Age at inauguration: 60
- Political party: Republican
- Known for: Ford signed the Helsinki Accords, which somewhat decreased the Cold War stress between the communist bloc and the West. He’s mainly criticized for his presidential-pardon to Richard Nixon and his involvement in the Watergate Scandal. In 1975 Ford survived two assassination-attempts, both performed by women.
- What you may not know about Ford: Ford was born Leslie Lynch King, Jr., but after being adopted (never formally) his name was changed. In his late 20′s, Ford worked as a model and was featured on the cover of Cosmopolitan magazine in 1942.
Tell the truth, work hard, and come to dinner on time. -Gerald Ford
39 Jimmy Carter (1977-1981)
- Full name: James Earl “Jimmy” Carter, Jr.
- Born: October 1, 1924
- Age at inauguration: 52
- Political party: Democratic
- Known for: He was sadly involved in many crises, such as the 1979–1981 Iran hostage crisis (go see Argo, or better yet: “Banged Up Abroad: The Real Argo”), the 1979 energy crisis and the Three Mile Island nuclear accident. His popularity never reached very high and these events only made it worse. However, today Carter still fights for human rights and through his Carter Center he and his wife Rosalynn travel the world to do good.
- What you may not know about Carter: In 1973 Carter filed a report on a UFO sighting. He later said he does not remember why he filed it, especially because he believed it to be an experimental military aircraft from a nearby base.
War may sometimes be a necessary evil. But no matter how necessary, it is always an evil, never a good. We will not learn how to live together in peace by killing each other’s children. -Jimmy Carter
40 Ronald Reagan (1981-1989)
- Full name: Ronald Wilson Reagan
- Born: February 6, 1911
- Died: June 5, 2004
- Age at inauguration: 70
- Political party: Republican
- Known for: Reagan signed the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty with Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev in 1987, eliminating certain nuclear and conventional missiles. Two years later, in 1989, the Cold War was officially over.
- What you may not know about Reagan: After a traumatizing flight in 1937 Reagan was so afraid of flying that he didn’t step in an airplane for 30 years and had to turn down invitations if he did not have enough time to travel by car or train. Of course he was also a Hollywood movie star, but during his Hollywood days in the 1940s he also acted as FBI-informant to point out communist-sympathizers.
We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone. -Ronald Reagan