We all know about Abraham Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation. But what are some modern presidential decrees that have helped shape the country?
This President's Day, we take a look at the leaders that helped us reduce inequality, protect our environment, and put a man on the moon. Some are expected, others may be surprising. But they all captured our imaginations.
Is there anyone we're missing in our gallery? Let us know in the comments.
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FDR Signs Social Security Bill
Before President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law on August 14, 1935, most Americans were forced to retire into "poverty-ridden old age," lacking any financial support. Today, thanks to his efforts, one in six Americans—nearly 46 million people—receive a Social Security benefit, including retirees, the blind, and disabled.
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Eisenhower Sends National Guard to Little Rock
Dwight Eisenhower's decision to send the National Guard to Little Rock to escort nine black schoolchildren not only reinforced 1954's Brown v. Board of Education United States Supreme Court decision, but it sent a clear message to recalcitrant Southern governors like Orval Faubus and marked a decisive victory for the Civil Rights movement.
(Photo: Getty Images)
John F. Kennedy Shoots for the Moon
On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy captured the imagination of the public by announcing the ambitious plan of sending an American safely to the Moon before the end of the decade. Spurred by the recent success of the Soviets, Kennedy's bold proclamation gave the rapidly innovating nation a tangible goal, one that was achieved on July 20, 1969, when Apollo 11 commander Neil Armstrong stepped off the Lunar Module's ladder and onto the Moon's surface.
(Photo: Getty Images)
Lyndon Johnson Signs Civil Rights Act
Not only did President Lyndon Johnson's history-making 1964 Civil Rights Act make racial discrimination in public places illegal, it also required employers to provide equal employment opportunities and cut federal funding for projects that discriminated based on color, race or national origin. Most importantly, it ended de facto segregation and changed the face of politics in the deep South, allowing African Americans to vote there without fear for the first time.
(Photo: Getty Images)
Nixon Goes Green
Between the EPA, Clean Air Act Extension, Endangered Species Act, Marine Mammal Act, and Safe Drinking Water Act—all signed within five years—Richard Nixon arguably did more for the environment than any president before or since. Though not a treehugger himself—he once complained that environmentalists wanted to live like a "bunch of damn animals"—Nixon assured Americans a better quality of life and helped jump-start the green movement.
