59 years ago today, Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act into law, prohibiting segregation across the US.

The landmark law ended racial segregation in public spaces in the US, as well as employment discrimination. (CNN)

By forbidding the use of federal funds for discriminatory purposes, the act also desegregated schools nationwide. (CNN)

The bill's path to Johnson's desk was arduous: Pres. John F. Kennedy first proposed a civil rights bill in 1963. (History)

After Kennedy's assassination, Johnson took up the bill, vowing to pass it in his first State of the Union address. (CNN)

The House took up the bill in Feb. 1964, passing it by a 290–130 vote, despite opposition from segregationists. (History)

In the Senate, senators from the South launched a 60-day long filibuster against the bill—the longest in Senate history.

The Senate in June voted 71–29 to break the filibuster; the chamber later voted 73-27 to pass the bill. (History)

Johnson signed the bill into law on July 2, 1964, noting, "those who are equal before God shall now all be equal."

The law was consequential: it would later pave the way for the Voting Rights Act, the Fair Housing Act, and Title IX. (CNN)