Richard Nixon
Best known as: 37th president of the USA
Occupation: Politician, lawyer
Nationality: American
Religion: Quaker
Political party: Republican
Born: January 9, 1913 in Yorba Linda, California
Died: April 22, 1994 in New York City
Remains: Buried at the Nixon Library in Yorba Linda
Education: Attended Whittier College and Duke Law School
Offices held:
- U.S. Congressman from California (1947-1951)
- U.S. Senator from California (1951-1953)
- Vice President of the U.S. (1953-1961)
- President of the U.S. (1969-1974)
Short biography:
Nixon is best known for being the only U.S. president to resign from office. Despite his negative reputation, however, his presidency was marked by several important achievements. Nixon was the first president to visit China, and he established diplomatic relations with Chairman Mao Zedong. Additionally, he pulled large numbers of U.S. troops out of Vietnam and eventually negotiated a ceasefire with North Vietnam. The Cold War thawed during Nixon's presidency, as he and Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev signed the SALT I treaty and Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, which restricted nuclear weapons and systems designed to intercept them. Nixon was re-elected in 1972 by a landslide. In 1973, however, the Watergate scandal came to light. Burglars hired by Nixon's re-election committee had been caught attempting to bug the office of the Democratic National Committee in 1972, and the White House attempted an elaborate cover-up. With Congress likely to impeach him, Nixon resigned in 1974. His successor, Gerald Ford, pardoned him on all charges connected to Watergate.
Wife: Pat Nixon
Vice president: Spiro Agnew (1969-1973), Gerald Ford (1973-1974)
Parents: Francis Nixon and Hannah Milhous
