Andrew Johnson was born on the 29th of December 1808 in a two-room shack in Raleigh, North Carolina. He grew up in poverty with illiterate parents who were tavern servants before his father died when he was three years old.
Andrew Johnson became mayor of Greeneville on the 4th of January 1834 after being elected by fellow aldermen. He later served as a Tennessee state representative from 1835 to 1837 and as a U.S. Senator starting in 1861 before becoming Vice President.
John Wilkes Booth shot President Lincoln on the 14th of April 1865 at Ford's Theatre while a conspiracy also targeted Vice President Andrew Johnson. George Atzerodt failed to kill Johnson and Leonard J. Farwell woke him to inform him of the shooting before Johnson rushed to Lincoln's deathbed.
Andrew Johnson was impeached on the 24th of February 1868 for violating the Tenure of Office Act by dismissing Secretary Edwin Stanton. The impeachment trial began on the 5th of March 1868 but ended without conviction when the Senate voted against removing him from office.
Andrew Johnson died five months into his term as a U.S. Senator after being elected back to that body in 1875. Historians consistently rank him among the worst presidents due to his strong opposition to federally guaranteed rights for African Americans.