Richard Nixon, the 37th president of America is perhaps remembered the most for the Watergate Scandal. The scandal had disastrous consequences and Nixon had to resign from office even after successfully ending American fighting in Vietnam and improving international relations with the U.S.S.R. and China.
The Watergate Scandal was uncovered in 1972, when five men were arrested for breaking into the Democratic Party offices in a building called Watergate. It was found that those men worked for a committee set up to support Nixon’s re-election. Nixon and many others who worked for him lied to cover up the break-in. However, Congress accused Nixon of political spying and threatened to impeach him. Nixon chose to resign to avoid impeachment.
Like many other American politicians, Nixon began his career as a lawyer. He served as a lieutenant commander in the Navy during the World War II and was elected to the Congress upon leaving service. Nixon made it to the Senate in 1950. At the age of 39, Eisenhower selected Nixon as his vice president. This happened in 1952.
Nixon lost his first presidential election to Kennedy. However, he was successful in 1968. As president, his significant achievements include revenue sharing, anti-crime laws and a range of environmental programmes. Neil Armstrong landed on the Moon when Nixon was president and it was one of the most significant events during his term.
In the 1972 elections, Nixon defeated Democratic candidate George McGovern by one of the widest margins on record, after which the Watergate scandal shook the country. Nixon tried to overcome his bad reputation in his final years. He gained praise as an elder statesman and wrote a lot about his public life and foreign policy.
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