Timeline of the Lyndon B. Johnson presidency (1968–1969)

This timeline details key events during the final two years of Lyndon B. Johnson's presidency, focusing on 1968 and 1969.

1968

• January 17: Johnson delivers his State of the Union address, focusing on achievements in civil rights and economic opportunity, but also acknowledging the challenges of the Vietnam War. He emphasizes a commitment to seeking a peaceful resolution.
• January 30: The Tet Offensive begins in Vietnam, a coordinated series of North Vietnamese attacks on cities and military installations throughout South Vietnam. This event significantly shifts public opinion in the United States regarding the war.
• February 8: Gallup poll shows Johnson's approval rating at 35%.
• February 27: Walter Cronkite, a highly respected news anchor, delivers a special report on Vietnam concluding the war is a stalemate.
• March 12: Senator Eugene McCarthy performs surprisingly well against Johnson in the New Hampshire Democratic primary, fueled by anti-war sentiment.
• March 16: Senator Robert F. Kennedy announces his candidacy for president, challenging Johnson for the Democratic nomination.
• March 31: In a televised address to the nation, Johnson announces a partial halt to the bombing of North Vietnam and shocks the country by declaring that he will not seek, nor will he accept, the nomination of his party for president.
• April 4: Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. Riots erupt in cities across the United States.
• April 11: President Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (Fair Housing Act), prohibiting discrimination in housing based on race, religion, national origin, and sex.
• May 10: Peace talks between the United States and North Vietnam begin in Paris.
• June 5: Robert F. Kennedy is assassinated in Los Angeles, California, shortly after winning the California Democratic primary.
• August 26-29: The Democratic National Convention in Chicago is marked by violent clashes between protesters and police. Hubert Humphrey is nominated for president.
• November 5: Republican Richard Nixon defeats Hubert Humphrey in the presidential election.
• December 24: Apollo 8 enters lunar orbit.

1969

• January 14: President Johnson delivers his final State of the Union address.
• January 20: Richard Nixon is inaugurated as the 37th President of the United States, marking the end of Lyndon B. Johnson's presidency.