Famous Contributors
A Foreword
By the President of the United States
Lyndon B. Johnson (1908-1973), was the 36th President of the United States (1963-1969).
Published November 1967 in the World Almanac and Book of Facts 1968
During the past one hundred years, The World Almanac has become an American institution. In schools, libraries, and homes, it is an indispensable reference work.
A glance through the Almanac's index provides a panorama of American and world history — from John Adams to the Zip Code. And the Almanac acts as a mirror to the changing face of the world, reflecting growth and development of such proportions as would have staggered the reader of one hundred years ago.
In 1868, a large part of America was still a hostile wilderness in which men struggled for survival. Today, our nation extends from the Arctic Circle to the Caribbean, from the shores of the Atlantic to the reaches of the Pacific, and our struggle is toward a loftier ideal: toward a society that is both great and just, that feeds the hungry and shelters the homeless, that strives to make life a pleasure rather than a burden.
In 1868, Negroes were agonizing through the birth pangs of emancipation. Today, they are finally beginning to achieve their fair measure of justice and freedom.
No World Almanac reader of one hundred years ago could possibly have foreseen that would fill its pages in 1968. Who would have believed, for example, that within one hundred years the Almanac would contain a category on "Space Developments" with "Men in Space" as a subtitle?
The Almanac is more than a book of facts. It provides a concise history of man’s thought, of his philosophical development from the Magna Carta to the United Nations. It clarifies the complexities of government, helps us to compute our taxes, and presents a readable synopsis of the major events of the year.
I salute The World Almanac on its Centennial. May it continue, as a responsible friend and reliable teacher for hundreds of years to come.
Lyndon B. Johnson