THE WATERGATE SCANDAL
Robert Nixon lost the 1960 presidential election to John F. Kennedy, but in 1968 he defeats Hubert Humphrey in the closest election of all time. On June 17, 1972 five men are arrested at the Watergate hotel for attempting to bug the offices of the Democratic National Committee at around 2:30 a.m. Four months after the burglars are arrested FBI agents discover that the break in stemmed from a large campaign of sabotage and spying conducted by Nixon. Even after this Nixon is reelected in the 1972 election, winning by a landslide victory. From January to June of 1973, a total of 11 men are fired or resign from positions in the White House due to the Watergate scandal, but Nixon remains president. On July 13, 1973 Alex Butterfeild reveals that Nixon has recorded all phone calls in the white house since 1971, however Nixon refuses to give up the tapes and orders the White House tapping system disconnected. By November of 1973 Nixon still remains innocent in the Watergate case. On July 24, 1974 the Supreme Court unanimously rules that Nixon must turn over 64 tape recordings of White House conversations. Three days later the House Judiciary Committee passes the first of three articles of impeachment, charging Nixon with obstruction of justice. On August 8, 1974 Richard Milhous Nixon becomes the first U.S. president to resign and vice president Gerald R. Ford takes over. He later pardons Nixon of all charges regarding the Watergate scandal. http://watergate.info/chronology/brief-timeline-of-events