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FORMER First Lady Claudia “Lady Bird” Johnson was an influential figure in the 60s who guided her husband Lyndon B. Johnson throughout his presidency.
Over the years, Lady Bird has been the muse behind many auto-documentaries including the 2023 The Lady Bird Diaries.
Who was Claudia “Lady Bird” Johnson?
Claudia Alta Johnson, widely known as Lady Bird, was born on December 22, 1912, in Karnack, Texas.
As a child, Lady Bird was given her nickname because her nursemaid would describe her to be as “pretty as a ladybird.”
Growing up, Lady Bird spent most of her time in Alabama with her aunt Effie Pattillo.
In an article by Time Magazine, Lady Bird said: “Until I was about 20, summertime always meant Alabama to me.”
She went on to say her aunt “opened my spirit to beauty, but she neglected to give me any insight into the practical matters of a girl should know about, such as how to dress or choose one’s friends or learning to dance.”
However, the Texas native went on to build a future of her own receiving her bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas.
Following her degree, she married her husband, former president Lyndon B. Johnson, and spent most of her life advocating for topics she felt most passionate about.
On July 11, 2007, Lady Bird sadly passed away at 94 years old from natural causes.
When did Lady Bird marry Lyndon B. Johnson?
Lady Bird married former president Lyndon B. Johnson the same year they met, in 1934.
The two dated long-distance sending letters, telegrams, and phone calls for seven weeks until he returned to Texas and proposed to her.
According to the White House profile on Lady Bird, she said: “Sometimes Lyndon simply takes your breath away.”
Throughout their relationship, the two welcomed two children together.
What did Lady Bird Johnson advocate for as First Lady?
When Lyndon B. Johnson was elected as president after John F. Kennedy’s assassination in 1960, Lady Bird fell into her role as First Lady naturally.
She spent a lot of her years advocating for environmental issues.
These environmental efforts included the Highway Beautification Act which focused on planting flowers around large highway systems.
Additionally, she saw that almost 200 laws were passed that focused on preserving the land.
Lady Bird was also committed to supporting the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
While segregation was still heavily implemented across the nation, Lady Bird refused to stay in places that didn’t serve people of color.
She even made an effort to take a solo tour to the South to advocate for civil rights despite receiving multiple death threats.
How can I watch The Lady Bird Diaries?
The Lady Bird Diaries premiered on Monday, August 13, 2023, on Hulu.
Anyone with an active subscription to the streaming service can watch the documentary.
The hour and 40-minute-long documentary follows Lady Bird’s audio diaries that tell the life and legacy of Lady Bird herself.
The former First Lady recorded 123 hours of material following JFK’s death.
