Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States from 1969 to 1974. He was the only U.S. President to resign from office. He is remembered for ending American involvement in the Vietnam War, for improving relations with the U.S.S.R. and China, and for the Watergate scandal that led to his resignation.
Early Life
Nixon was born on January 9, 1913, in Yorba Linda, California to Quaker parents. He attended Whittier College and Duke University School of Law. He married Pat Ryan in 1940 and the couple had two daughters.
In his early career, Nixon practiced law and served as a Navy lieutenant commander in the Pacific during World War II. He served in the House of Representatives from 1947-1950 and the U.S. Senate from 1950-1953. He was then Vice President for eight years.
When President Dwight D. Eisenhower was ill, Nixon informally stepped into the role of president. The practice was later formalized in the 25th Amendment, which states that a vice president will have the duties of president in the event the president is incapacitated.
Nixon narrowly lost the 1960 election to John F. Kennedy and many people suspected there was voter fraud. Nevertheless, for the good of the country, he said, Nixon chose not to contest it and to return to California.
Presidency
As President, Nixon proposed legislation that created the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The Apollo 11 mission landed men on the Moon for the first time. He made historic state visits to China and Moscow.
The country was intensely divided over the Vietnam War. There were many protests, including one at Kent State University in May 1970, when Ohio National Guardsmen fired into a crowd of protestors, killing four unarmed students. In 1973, Nixon finally brought an end to American involvement in Vietnam and the military draft ended.
Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned in 1973. Nixon appointed Gerald R. Ford, Minority Leader of the House of Representatives to take his place.
While Nixon was running for reelection in 1972, there was a break-in at the offices of the Democratic National Committee. The scandal that unfolded became known as “Watergate,” the name of the building in Washington D.C. Eventually, the investigation uncovered that Nixon was involved in the cover-up. Facing impeachment, he resigned from office on August 9, 1974.
Post Presidency
After his resignation, many Americans believed that Nixon had to be prosecuted. However, on September 8, 1974, President Ford pardoned him for any crimes he may have committed in office.
He died on April 22, 1994, at the age of 81, and is buried at his Presidential Library and Museum in Yorba Linda, California.
