Early Life
Born in California as Richard Milhous Nixon, in 1913, Nixon attended Whittier College and The Duke University Of Law, both of which he had an excellent record in. Nixon joined the United States Navy in August, 1942. As a lieutenant he was sent to the Pacific as an Operations Officer with the South Pacific Combat Air Transport Command. Nixon left the Navy in 1946 when The Republican Party asked him to run for congress. During his campaihn he attacked th New Deal and his Democratic Party opponent as an enemy of free enterprise.
Further Political Career
Dwight Eisenhower chose him as his running mate in the 1952 presidential election. During the campaign Nixon was accused of receiving $18, 235 from private citzens. In a television spech Nixon accounted for the money and was allowed to stay on the team. In 1960 Nixon ran for President and was beaten by John F. Kennedy by just 100,000 votes out of 62 million. In 1962 he said he was retiring from politics but in 1968 he ran again and won, with Spiro T. Agnew as his running mate. Nixon promised to end the Vietnam War nut with Paris peace talks going badly he escalated the war by ordering the bombing of the National Liberation Front in Cambodia. In an effort to avoid international protest at this action it was decided to hide the truth of the operation. Pilots were sworn to secrecy and operational logs were falsified.
Watergate
In 1972 Nixon ran against anti-Vietman War campaigner, George McGovern, with 61% of the vote. During the election campaign there was a break-in at The Watergate Hotel at the headquarters of the Democraric Party in Washington. Reports by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein accused Nixon of being responsible for the break-in. Nixon continued to insist thaat he knew absolutely nothing about the case or the payment of "hush-money" to the burglars. However, in April 1972, Nixon forced the resination of his principal advisors, H. R. Halderman and John Ehrlichman. An dlater he attempted to force a third advisor, John Dean, but at Dean's refusal to leave, Nixon had him fired. And later Spiro T. Agnew was also removed and replaced by Gerald Ford. On the 20th of April Dean stated he was ''unwilling to be a scapegoat for the Watergate scandal. When Dean testified on June 25th, 1973 he confirmed Nixon had been involved in the cover-up and had tape-recordings of meetings where these issues were discussed.
The Special Prosecutor now demanded access to these tapes. At first Nixon refused but when the Supreme Court ruled against him and members of the Senate began to call for him to be impeached, he changed his mind. But many of the tapes were missing and the ones given in contained large, important gaps. Under extreme pressure Nixon supplied tapescripts of the missing tapes. Nixon's involvement in the cover up was now clear. Members of the Senate called for his impeachment. On the 9th of August, 1974 Nixon became the first president of the United States to resign from office.
The Special Prosecutor now demanded access to these tapes. At first Nixon refused but when the Supreme Court ruled against him and members of the Senate began to call for him to be impeached, he changed his mind. But many of the tapes were missing and the ones given in contained large, important gaps. Under extreme pressure Nixon supplied tapescripts of the missing tapes. Nixon's involvement in the cover up was now clear. Members of the Senate called for his impeachment. On the 9th of August, 1974 Nixon became the first president of the United States to resign from office.
Later Life
On 8th of September, 1974, the new president Gerald Ford, controversially fully pardoned Nixon "for any offences against the United States" that might have been committed while in office. The pardon brought an end to any and all criminal prosecutions that he may have had to face on account of The Watergate Scandal. However, other members of his staff involved in his deception were imprisoned.
Richard Milhous Nixon died of a stroke on the 22nd of April, 1994.
Richard Milhous Nixon died of a stroke on the 22nd of April, 1994.
Nixon Quotes
I'm not a crook. R. M. Nixon
Defeat doesn't finish a man, quit does. A man is not finished when he's defeated. He's finished when he quits R. M. Nixon
Don't get the impression that you arouse my anger. You see, one can only be angry with those he respects. R. M. Nixon
Always remember that others may hate you but those`that hate don't win unless you hate them. And then you destroy yourself. R. M. Nixon
Defeat doesn't finish a man, quit does. A man is not finished when he's defeated. He's finished when he quits R. M. Nixon
Don't get the impression that you arouse my anger. You see, one can only be angry with those he respects. R. M. Nixon
Always remember that others may hate you but those`that hate don't win unless you hate them. And then you destroy yourself. R. M. Nixon
Nixon In Humour
R. Nixon has played a part in humour and shows like "Futurama", "All In The Family", "Laugh In" and "The Simpsons". Nixon was also in "South Park" for some *ahem* 'controversial' material.