Chronology of Events

NOVEMBER 5, 1968Richard Nixon defeats Hubert Humphrey to win the presidency with 43.4% of the popular vote
JANUARY 20, 1969Nixon inaugurated as 37th President
MAY 12, 1969The first of 17 "national security" wiretaps on White House aides and media is installed following leaks to the papers about the secret bombing of Cambodia
JUNE 13, 1971The New York Times begins publishing the Pentagon Papers, highly sensitive and politically damaging security documents regarding America's involvement in Vietnam, leaked to the press by Daniel Ellsberg (Click here to read excerpts of the Pentagon Papers)
SEPTEMBER 3-4, 1971White House aides G. Gordon Liddy and E. Howard Hunt supervise a "national security"-based burglary of Ellsberg's psychiatrist office
JUNE 17, 1972Five men are arrested after breaking in to the DNC national headquarters in the Watergate office building
JUNE 20, 1972The President and his advisor H.R. Haldeman discuss the arrests.  A portion of this conversation was obliterated on the White House tapes by an 18-and-a-half minute gap 
NOVEMBER 7, 1972Nixon and Vice-President Agnew are re-elected over George McGovern, garnering 60.8% of the popular vote
JANUARY 8-30, 1973Trial of the 7 men indicted for the Watergate burglary.  All enter guilty pleas except for Liddy and head burglar James McCord, both of whom are convicted
FEBRUARY 7, 1973The Senate votes 70-0 to establish a select committee to investigate Watergate
MARCH 21, 1973Crucial meeting between the President and his counsel John Dean, who discussed the cover-upways to silence those involved, and the allocation of "hush money" to certain players, most notably to E. Howard Hunt
MARCH 23, 1973Judge John Sirica receives a letter from James McCord stating that the burglars were under political pressure to plead guilty and remain silent, that perjury was committed at the trial, and that the burglary was approved by high-ranking White House officials
APRIL 30, 1973Nixon announces the resignations of Haldeman, John Ehrlichman, and Attorney General Richard Kleindienst, and Dean's dismissal
MAY 17, 1973The Senate Watergate Committee, chaired by North Carolina Democrat Sam Ervin, begins its nationally televised hearings
MAY 18, 1973Archibald Cox named Special Prosecutor
JUNE 25-29, 1973Dean testifies before the Senate Committee, implicating the President
JULY 16, 1973Testifying before the Watergate Committee, White House aide Alexander Butterfield reveals the existence of a taping system in the White House
JULY 25, 1973Nixon, citing executive privilege, refuses to turn over subpoenaed tapes
OCTOBER 10, 1973Vice-President Agnew resigns for tax evasion; Nixon nominates Gerald Ford to replace him
OCTOBER 20, 1973The infamous Saturday Night Massacre: Cox fired, Richardson and Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus resign
MARCH 1, 1974The Grand Jury indicts Haldeman, Ehrlichman, Mitchell, Chuck Colson, and 3 others in the cover-up.  Nixon is named an unindicted co-conspirator, although this information is kept secret at the time
APRIL 30, 1974Nixon releases 1,254 pages of edited transcripts of White House tapes, although he still refuses to release the actual tapes
JULY 24, 1974The U.S. Supreme Court rules 8-0 that Nixon must turn over the 64 subpoenaed tapes to the Special Prosecutor
JULY 27-30, 1974The House Judiciary Committee passes three articles of impeachment against the President, charging him with obstruction of justice in attempting to cover-up Watergate
AUGUST 9, 1974President Richard Nixon becomes the first president in U.S. history to resign from office.  Gerald R. Ford becomes President

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