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Richard ascends to Presidency
In one of the closest elections in U.S. history Richard Nixon beats, his democratic opponent Hubert Humphrey -
Pentagon Papers
Daniel Ellsberg leaks confidental papers on the Defense Department's secret history in the Vietnam War to the New York Times and then the Washington Post. This has a profound effect on Richard Nixon. -
The Plumbers
Richard Nixon assembles a group to discredit the leaker of the Pentago Papers. He calls this unit the "plumbers" because they're intended to fix the leaks in Nixons Administartion. On this dat they had their first mission which was to break into Ellsberg's psychiatrists office and trash it. Afterward Nixon sees the blatant illegality of it and disammbles the team for a more subtle approach. -
The Incident at Watergate
Five men are caught and arrested while trying bug the offices of the Democratic National Committee at the Watergate Hotel and Office complex. It is later learned that one of the men used to work at the CIA. -
The Washington Post reports...
FBI establish the motive behind the Watergate Break-ins as a campaign of political spying and sabatoge in order to bolster the campaign to re-elect Nixon. -
Nixon Re-Elected
Nixon wins the election in one of the largest landsides in American history, raking in more than 60% of the vote. -
Watergate Hearings Begin
The Senate Watergate committee begins its nationally televised hearings. Attorney General-designate Elliot Richardson taps former solicitor general Archibald Cox as the Justice Department's special prosecutor for Watergate. -
White House tapes discovered
Alexander Butterfield, former presidential appointments secretary, reveals in congressional testimony that since 1971 Nixon had recorded all conversations and telephone calls in his offices. -
The begining of the end for Nixon
Nixon refuses to turn over the presidential tape recordings to the Senate Watergate committee or the special prosecutor. -
Nixon digs himself a deeper hole
Saturday Night Massacre: Nixon fires Archibald Cox and abolishes the office of the special prosecutor. Attorney General Richardson and Deputy Attorney General William D. Ruckelshaus resign. Pressure for impeachment mounts in Congress. -
Over-ruling the President
The Supreme Court rules unanimously that Nixon must turn over the tape recordings of 64 White House conversations, rejecting the president's claims of executive privilege. -
Nixon impeached
Richard Nixon is the first president to ever resign from office. VP Gerald F. Ford becomes president ad later pardons Nixon.