Watergate Day occurred in 1972 when five men were arrested for breaking into the Democratic Headquarters. The headquarters were located in the Watergate building in Washington, DC. The men were tied to President Richard Nixon’s reelection committee. Over 60 people were indicted. Ultimately Richard Nixon resigned on August 9, 1974, because he was about to be impeached. Older children can view a timeline of the Watergate scandal at: Watergate.
Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon resigned from office as the thirty-seventh President in 1974 because he was about to be impeached for his part in the Watergate scandals.
Gerald Ford
Gerald Ford was then sworn in as the thirty-eighth president in 1974.
Gerald Ford
Richard Nixon
President Gerald Ford pardoned Richard Nixon in 1974. Nixon had resigned on August 9, 1974, to avoid impeachment. Gerald Ford became president that day. He decided to pardon Nixon to bring calm and unity to the country. Some experts believe those goals were not accomplished.
Kennedy-Nixon Debate
Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy, presidential candidates, held the first of four televised debates in 1960. Experts believe Kennedy fared better in the first debate, but Nixon improved as time went on.