First Lady Johnson was born on December 22, 1912, in Karnack, Texas. Born Claudia Alta Taylor, the future Mrs. Johnson was nicknamed “Lady Bird” by her nurse, who said she was “as purty as a lady bird.” The daughter of a successful cotton planter and one of the largest landowners in the county, Lady Bird had a privileged childhood. She spent time in the fields of wildflowers surrounding her East Texas home, instilling an appreciation of nature that continued throughout her life.