1964 Democratic National Convention

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The 1964 National Convention of the Democratic Party of the United States took place at the Atlantic City Convention Center in Atlantic City, New Jersey, August 24 - 27, 1964. It resulted in the nomination of the incumbent Lyndon Baines Johnson (who had been vice president under John F. Kennedy) for President and Hubert Humphrey for Vice President.

The convention took place less than a year after Kennedy's assassination. In honor of Kennedy, Robert Kennedy was to introduce a short film in his late brother's memory. Kennedy received 22 minutes of uninterrupted applause, causing him to break into tears before delivering his speech.

Many credit the fact that LBJ had a very close friendship with the Governor of New Jersey at that time, Richard J. Hughes, as one reason Atlantic City hosted the Democratic convention in 1964.

This was where civil rights heroine Fannie Lou Hamer gave her famous "I'm sick and tired" speech, and the epic fight over seating the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party as the official delegation took place, an event that had repercussions that are still felt almost half a century later.

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Preceded by
1960
Democratic National Conventions Succeeded by
1968