Claudia “Lady Bird” Johnson, wife of President Lyndon Baines Johnson, served as First Lady of the United States from 1963-1969, but she remained the beloved “First Lady of Texas” for the rest of her life. December 22 was her birthday.

There was nothing Lady Bird Johnson loved better than wildflowers, so it was fitting that the National Wildflower Research Center in Austin opened to the public in 1982 on her 70th birthday. Lady Bird, herself, conceived the idea of a national center for the study of wildflowers and native plants and the preservation of the ecology.

If you’re in the Austin area, the national Wildflower Research Center is well worth a visit!