Nixon Resigns: First President Forced from Office
Richard Nixon resigned under the weight of the Watergate scandal, making him the first U.S. president to step down from office. Gerald Ford immediately ascended to the presidency, triggering a constitutional crisis that forced the nation to confront the limits of executive power and the fragility of its democratic institutions.
August 9, 1974
52 years ago
Key Figures & Places
President of the United States
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Richard Nixon
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Watergate scandal
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Gerald Ford
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Vice President of the United States of America
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Watergate scandal
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Richard Nixon
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Vice President of the United States
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Gerald Ford
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United States
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President
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Nuclear weapon
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Fat Man
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Nagasaki
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