President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into law the Social
Security Act on August 14, 1935.

FDR commended Congress for what he considered to be
a “patriotic” act.

Roosevelt had taken the helm of the country in 1932 in the
midst of the Great Depression, the nation’s worst economic
crisis.

The Social Security Act (SSA) was in keeping with his other
“New Deal” programs, including the establishment of the
Works Progress Administration and the Civilian Conservation
Corps, which attempted to hoist America out of the Great
Depression by putting Americans back to work.

Although it was initially created to combat unemployment,
Social Security now functions primarily as a powerful safety
net for retirees and the disabled, and provides death benefits
to taxpayer dependents.

The Social Security system has remained popular and relatively unchanged since 1935.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into law the Social
Security Act on August 14, 1935.

Press photographers snapped pictures as FDR, flanked by
ranking members of Congress, signed into law the historic
act, which guaranteed an income for the unemployed and
retirees in the wake of the Great Depression.

President Lyndon Johnson (left) signed the Social Security Amendments with former President Harry Truman and his
wife Bess present. 

On July 30, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed Medicare,
a health insurance program for elderly Americans, into law.

At the bill-signing ceremony, which took place at the Truman
Library in Independence, Missouri, former President Harry
Truman was enrolled as Medicare’s first beneficiary and
received the first Medicare card.

Johnson wanted to recognize Truman, who, in 1945, had
become the first president to propose national health
insurance, an initiative that was opposed at the time by
Congress.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt (above) signed into law the Social Security  Act on August 14, 1935. Press photographers snapped
pictures as FDR, flanked by ranking members of Congress, signed
into law the historic act, which guaranteed an income for the unemployed  and retirees. FDR commended Congress for what he considered to be a “patriotic” act.   

        
         

CAMILLE BOHANNON

Stephen Glenn Martin an actor, comedian, writer, producer,
and musician. He has won five Grammy Awards, a Primetime
Emmy  Award, and was awarded an Honorary Academy Award
at the Academy’s 5th Annual Governors Awards in 2013. He’s
77 today.       
 

In 2004, Comedy Central ranked Martin at sixth place in a list
of the 100 greatest stand-up comics.    

In 2009, Martin released his first all-music album, The Crow:
New Songs for the 5-String Banjo with appearances from
stars such as Dolly Parton.The album won the Grammy
Award for Best Bluegrass Album in 2010.

1987