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Nixon is suspicious
Prior to this date, Nixon was very secretive and suspicious. He made an "enemies" list of people that were unsympathetic to him. Nixon then ordered wiretaps on the telephones of news reporters and members of his staff. In this month, Nixon ordered a group called the Plumbers to go break into an office and disclose damaging information. -
Watergate Scandal Begins
Police capture James McCord, Frank Sturgis, and three accomplices inside Democratic Headquarters in Washington, D.C.'s Watergate Hotel for burglary. They find out one of the men, McCord, was retired from government service. -
Nixon tries to stop the investigation
Nixon commands Chief of Staff H.R. Haldeman to tell the F.B.I. not to continue with its Watergate investigation, justifying his actions on national security grounds. -
Nixon clears entire administration
Nixon asks for the resignation of all agency directors, federal department heads, and presidential appointees. -
Nixon takes responsibility for Watergate
Nixon claims responsibility for the Watergate crime on television, but continues to assert no prior knowledge of it. -
Wire tapping and voice taping come to light
Federal Aviation administrator Alexander Butterfield testified and confirmed the existence of an Oval Office taping system. -
Nixon's total involvement is confirmed
The Supreme Court ruled in an unanimous decision that President Richard Nixon had to turn over sixty-four security tapes from Watergate, which disclosed his knowledge and participation in the cover-up of the Watergate burglary. -
Nixon resigns
The conversations on the tapes implicated Nixon and led to his resignation, the first time in United States history a President had resigned.