March 31, 1968: In a prime time address that stunned the nation, President Johnson said he would not seek re-election. LBJ, overwhelmed by Vietnam, barely won the New Hampshire primary over Eugene McCarthy a few weeks earlier, then saw his arch-rival Robert Kennedy join the race. Had LBJ run and gotten re-elected in 1968, he might have died in office. His fatal heart attack on January 22, 1973 came two days after his term would have ended.
Quote of the Day
“I shall not seek, and I will not accept the nomination of my party for another term as your president." – Lyndon Johnson
THE WEEK'S AUDIOPHILE PODCASTS: LISTEN SMARTER
- How Ronald Reagan turned America into a nation of children
- Why Mitt Romney is perfectly poised for a comeback in 2016
- The Nazi smart bomb that inspired China's most dangerous weapon
- The crusade against Iraq War supporters has forgotten someone: Hillary Clinton
- Why is the West so afraid of Islam?
- Here's the schedule very successful people follow every day
- This week I learned the moon might be littered with dinosaur fossils, and more
- 8 things the world's most extraordinary survivors can teach you about resilience
- How to make classic pulled pork
- Why scientists can't kill HIV
Subscribe to the Week