The Kennedy Assassination--24 Hours After: Lyndon B. Johnson’s Pivotal First Day as President

Riding in an open-topped convertible through Dallas on November 22, 1963, Lyndon B. Johnson heard a sudden explosive sound at 12:30 PM. The Secret Service sped him away to safety, but not until 1:20 PM did he learn that John F. Kennedy had been assassinated. Sworn in next to a bloodstained Jackie Kennedy at 2:40 PM, Johnson worked feverishly until 3:00 in the morning, agonizing about the future of both his nation and his party. Unbeknownst to him, his actions had already determined the tragic outcome of his presidency.

In November 22, 1963, historian Steven Gillon tells the story of how Johnson consolidated power in the twenty-four hours following the assassination. Based on scrupulous research and new archival sources, this gripping narrative sheds new and surprising light on one of the most written-about events of the twentieth century.

Steven M. Gillon earned his PhD at Brown University, and taught for several years at Yale University and then at Oxford. He is currently a professor of history at the University of Oklahoma and the resident historian for The History Channel. He is the author of numerous books and articles on modern American history and politics, including Ten Days that Unexpectedly Changed America. He lives in New York and Oklahoma.