Watergate and Fall of Nixon

Richard Nixon reclaims presidency

Nov 5, 1968

Richard Nixon, the 55-year old former vie president who lost the presidency for the Republicans in 1960, reclaims it by defeating Hubert Humphrey in one of the closest eletions in U.S. history.

Expansion of domestic intelligence

Jul 23, 1970

Nixon approves a plan for greatly expanding domestic intelligence gathering by the FBI, CIA, and other agencies. He has second thoughts a few days later and rescinds his approval.

Publishing of Pentagon Papers

Jun 13, 1971

The New York Times begins publishing the Pentagon Papers-- the Defense Departments secret history of teh Vietnam War. the Washington Post will begin publsihing the papers later in the week.

White House "plumbers"

Sep 9, 1971

The White House "plumbers" unit-named for their orders to plug leaks in the administration-burglazies a psychiatrist's office to find files on Daniel Ellsberg, the former defense analyst who leaked the Pentagon Papers.

Arrests made for Watergate Burglary

Jun 17, 1972

5 men, one of whom says he used to work for the CIA, are areested at 2:30 a.m. trying to bug the offices, at the Watergate hotel and office complex, of the Democratic National Committee.

Republican security

Jun 19, 1972

A Republican security aide is among the Watergate burglars, The Washington Post reports. Former attorney general John Mitchell, head of the Nixon reeelction campaign, denies any link to the operation.

Watergate break-in cause

Oct 10, 1972

FBI agents establish Watergate break-in stems from a massive campaign of political spying and sabotage conducted on behlaf of the Nixon reelection effort.

Nixon Reeelection

Nov 11, 1972

Nixon is reeelcted in one of teh largest landslides in American poltiical history, taking more than 60 percent of the votes and crushing the Democratic nominee, Sen. George McGovern of South Dakota.

Former Nixon aides convicted

Jan 30, 1973

Former Nixon aides G.Gordon Liddy and James W. McCord Jr. are convicted of conspiracy, burglary, and wiretapping in the Watergate incident. Five other men plead guilty, but mysteries remain.

White House staffers resign

Apr 30, 1973

Nixon's top White House staffers, H.R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman, and Attorney General Richard Kleindienst resign over the scandal. White House counsel John Dean is fired.

Televised hearings

May 18, 1973

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.

John Dean discusses Watergate cover-up

Jun 3, 1973

John Dean has told Watergate investigators that he discussed th Watergate coverup with President Nixon at least 35 times, The Post reports.

Alexander Butterfield reveals

Jul 13, 1973

Alexander Butterfield, former presidential appointments secretary, reveals in congressional testimony that since 1971 Nixon had recorded all conversations and telephone calls in his offices.

Saturday Night Massacre

Oct 20, 1973

Saturday Night Massacre: Nixon fires Archibald Cox and abolishes the office of teh special prosecutor. Attorney General Richardson and Deputy Attorney General William D. Ruckelshaus resign. Pressure for impeachment mounts in Congress.

"I'm not a crook"

Nov 17, 1973

Nixon declares, "Im not a crook," maintaining his innocence in the Watergate case.

The Supreme Court ruling

Jul 24, 1974

The Supreme Court rules unanimously that Nixon must turn iver the tape recordings of 64 White House conversations, rejecting the president's claims of executive privilege.

House Judiciary Committee

Jul 27, 1974

Hosue Judiciary Committee passes the first of three articles of impeachment charging obstruction of justice.

Nixon resigns

Aug 8, 1974

Richard Nixon becomes the first US president to resign. Vice president Gerald R. Ford assumes the country's highest office. He will later pardon nixon of all charges related to the Watergate case.