The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is a landmark civil rights and labor law in the United States that outlaws discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, and later sexual orientation and gender identity. It prohibits unequal application of voter registration requirements, racial segregation in schools and public accommodations, and employment discrimination.

The act “remains one of the most significant legislative achievements in American history”.

: Hubert Humphrey served as America’s 38th Vice President under President Lyndon B. Johnson from 1964-69. He later ran as the Democratic candidate for President in the 1968 election, after Johnson decided not to run again, but lost to Richard Nixon.

A leading progressive in the Democratic party Humphrey was an important legislator during a turbulent period in America’s history. First elected to the Senate in 1948, he was instrumental in pushing for the 1963 Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty with the Soviet Union. In 1964 he shepherded the Civil Rights Act into law.

Humphrey’s support for Johnson and for the Vietnam war was a crucial factor in his defeat when he ran for President in 1968. He then returned to the Senate, serving until his death in 1978.

Born: May 27, 1911
Birthplace: Wallace, South Dakota, USA

Died: January 13, 1978 (aged 66)