Richard_M_Nixon

Richard M Nixon Nixon, Richard Milhous (1913-1994), was the only president of the United States ever to resign from office. He left the presidency on Aug. 9, 1974, while facing almost certain impeachment for his involvement in the Watergate scandal. This scandal included a break-in at the Democratic national headquarters and other illegal activities by employees of Nixon's 1972 reelection committee. Nixon's attempts to cover up these crimes became a major part of the scandal. See Watergate. Nixon was succeeded as president by Vice President Gerald R. Ford. One month after Nixon resigned, Ford pardoned him for all federal crimes he may have committed during his presidency. Although Nixon left office in disgrace, he won respect for his conduct of foreign policy. As president, he ended U.S. military participation in the Vietnam War in 1973 and eased the tension that had existed for years between the United States and both China and the Soviet Union. Nixon became the first president to visit China while in office. He also visited the Soviet Union. Nixon won congressional approval of U.S.-Soviet trade agreements and agreements to limit the production of nuclear weapons. At home, Nixon was challenged by sharply rising prices. He placed government controls on nixon, president, vice, watergate, became, won, office, while, under, scandal, presidency, elected, democratic, united, union, succeed, states, soviet, second, ran, prices, political, one, nixon's, military, man, left, john, home, governor, george, former, ford, first, ended