February 20 is a time to celebrate patriotism and ideas that make America special. It’s Presidents Day, after all.
Presidents Day doesn’t always land on the 20th of the month, though it’s always close to George Washington’s birthday, which is February 22. The day, in fact, started out as a celebration of Washington’s birthday and later morphed into what is now a day that includes all of our presidents.
In America’s relatively short history, there have been 45 presidents. And four of them called Texas home!
Dwight D. Eisenhower. Although his family moved to Kansas before he was 2, Dwight D. Eisenhower was the first of two presidents native to Texas. He was born in Denison in 1890. He had a long military career in the U.S. Army and even commanded the allied forces during the Normandy invasion in 1944. In 1952, he was elected as the 34th president of the United States. He served two terms. He died at Walter Reed general Hospital in 1969 at age 78.
Lyndon B. Johnson. Born near Johnson City in 1908, Lyndon B. Johnson is the second president born in Texas. He was sworn in as the 36th president of the United States in 1963 after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, whom Johnson had been serving under as vice president. Better known as L.B.J., Johnson served as president until 1969. He’s best known for the civil rights legislation that was passed during his time as president and for the Vietnam War. He died in 1973 at the age of 64.
George H.W. Bush. Although not born in the Lone Star State, George H.W. Bush moved to Midland, Texas, with his family in 1948 after graduating from Yale University. Before Yale and setting up shop in the Texas oil industry, Bush served as a Navy fighter pilot during World War II. He later got into politics and became the 41st president of the United States in 1989. He served one term and focused his presidency on improving foreign policy. He later retired with his wife to a home in Houston.
George W. Bush. At the ripe old age of 2, Texas became home for a young George W. Bush, who would later serve two terms as governor of the state. From 1968 to 1974, he served in the Texas Air National Guard. In the year 2000, he was elected 43rd president of the United States. He served two terms as president. He’s perhaps most noted for being the sitting president during the Sept. 11 attacks. After his presidency, Bush and his wife retired to their ranch in Crawford.
