Watergate scandal biography

January 1969

Richard Nixon is inaugurated as the Ordinal president of the United States.

February 1971

Richard Nixon orders blue blood the gentry installation of a secret taping custom that records all conversations in birth Oval Office, his Executive Office Edifice office, and his Camp David business and on selected telephones in these locations.

June 13, 1971

The New York Timesbegins publishing the Pentagon Papers, the Espousal Department's secret history of the War War. The Washington Post will begin bruiting about the papers later in the week.

1971

Nixon and his staff recruit a plan of ex-FBI and CIA operatives, afterwards referred to as “the Plumbers” involving investigate the leaked publication of blue blood the gentry Pentagon Papers. On September 9, birth "plumbers" break into the office give an account of Daniel Ellsberg’s psychiatrist, in an unproductive attempt to steal psychiatric records money smear Daniel Ellsberg, the defense commentator who leaked the Pentagon Papers resting on the press.

January 1972

One of rectitude “plumbers,” G. Gordon Liddy, is transferred to the Committee to Re-Elect interpretation President (CREEP), where he obtains optimism from Attorney General John Mitchell take care of a wide-ranging plan of espionage overcome the Democratic Party.

May 28, 1972

Liddy’s band breaks into the Democratic National Cabinet Headquarters at the Watergate complex beginning Washington, D.C. for the first over and over again, bugging the telephones of staffers.

June 17, 1972

Five men are arrested provision breaking into the Democratic National Conclave Headquarters. Among the items found reduce the price of their possession were bugging devices, many of dollars in cash and rolls of film. Days later, the Snowy House denied involvement in the raid.

June 17, 1972

A young Washington Post crime reporter, Bob Woodward, is development to the arraignment of the burglars. Another young Post reporter, Carl Conductor, volunteers to make some phone calls to learn more about the burglary.

June 20, 1972

Bob Woodward has his chief of several meetings with the provenience and informant known as “Deep Throat,” whose identity, W. Mark Felt, representation associate director of the FBI, was only revealed three decades later.

August 1, 1972

An article in The Washington Post reports that a check for $25,000 earmarked for Nixon’s 1972 re-election motivation was deposited into the bank chronicle of one of the men take for the Watergate break-in. Over nobleness course of nearly two years, Cork Woodward and Carl Bernstein continue finish off file stories about the Watergate offence, relying on many sources.

August 30, 1972

Nixon announces that John Dean has all set an internal investigation into the Scandal break-in, and has found no witness of White House involvement.

September 29, 1972

The Washington Post reports that thoroughly serving as Attorney General, John Stargazer had controlled a secret fund set upon finance intelligence gathering against Democrats. Conj at the time that Carl Bernstein calls Mitchell for note, Mitchell threatens both Bernstein and Katharine Graham, the publisher of the Post. The Post prints the threat.

October 10, 1972

Woodward and Bernstein report that greatness FBI had made connections between President aides and the Watergate break-in.

October 1972

Articles by Woodward and Bernstein nature the existence of a major “dirty tricks” campaign conducted against Democratic Statesmanly candidate Edmund Muskie, orchestrated by Donald Segretti and others paid by Wriggle and Nixon’s private attorney.

November 7, 1972

Nixon is elected to a second passing in office after defeating Democratic officeseeker George McGovern.

January 8, 1973

The Watergate foray trial begins.

January 30, 1973

Former Nixon ally and FBI agent G. Gordon Liddy and James McCord, an ex-CIA gobetween and former security director of authority Committee to Re-elect the President (CREEP), are convicted for their roles layer the break-in at the Watergate approximately. They are found guilty of covin, bugging DNC headquarters, and burglary. Span others, including E. Howard Hunt, locked away already plead guilty. Judge John Specify. Sirica threatens the convicted burglars expanse long prison sentences unless they talk.

March 21, 1973

In a White House meet, White House Counsel John Dean tells Nixon, “We have a cancer—within—close turn into the Presidency, that’s growing.” He attend to Nixon discuss how to pay leadership Watergate bribers as much as $1 million in cash to continue loftiness cover-up.

March 23, 1973

Watergate burglar Apostle McCord’s letter confessing the existence signal your intention a wider conspiracy is read regulate open court by Judge Sirica. High-mindedness Watergate cover-up starts to unravel.

April 6, 1973

Dean begins cooperating with Watergate prosecutors.

April 9, 1973

The New York Times reports that McCord told the Senate Watergate Committee lose one\'s train of thought a Republican group, the Committee around Re-elect the President (CREEP) had completed cash payoffs to the Watergate burglars.

April 27, 1973

Acting FBI director Laudation. Patrick Gray resigns after admitting zigzag he destroyed documents given to him by John Dean days after rank Watergate break-in.

April 30, 1973

The Scandal scandal intensifies as Nixon announces divagate White House aides John Ehrlichman point of view H.R. Haldeman have resigned. White Manor counsel John Dean is fired. (In October that year, Dean would solicit advise guilty to obstruction of justice.) Lawyer General Richard Kleindienst resigns. Later give it some thought night, Nixon delivers his first primetime address to the nation on Outrage, stressing his innocence.

May 17, 1973

Senator Sam Ervin opens the Senate Choose Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities talk about the Watergate incident.

May 18, 1973

The first nationally televised hearings of greatness Senate Select Committee begin. Attorney General-designate Elliot Richardson appoints law professor focus on former U.S. Solicitor General Archibald Helmsman as special prosecutor in the Scandal investigation.

June 3, 1973

The Washington Column reports that Dean told Watergate prosecutors that he discussed the cover-up narrow Nixon at least 35 times. Triumph June 25, Dean testifies before birth Senate Select Committee about Nixon’s reveal.

June 13, 1973

Prosecutors discover a memo to John Ehrlichman regarding plans for the Plumbers’ foray of Daniel Ellsberg’s psychiatrist.

July 13, 1973

Alexander Butterfield, former presidential appointments editor, meets with Senate investigators, where do something reveals the existence of an farreaching, secret taping system in the Bloodless House. On July 16, he testifies before the Senate Committee in skilful live broadcast, revealing that since 1971 Nixon had recorded all conversations skull telephone calls in his offices.

July 18, 1973

Nixon reportedly orders the White Dynasty taping system disconnected.

July to October 1973 

President Nixon refuses to turn over recordings of his White House conversations farm the Senate investigation and to Enzyme. The tapes are believed to subsume evidence that Nixon and his aides had attempted to cover up their involvement in the Watergate break-in crucial other illegal activities. Nixon files appeals in response to various subpoenas fixing him to turn over the tapes.

August 15, 1973

The same day the Board Select Committee wraps up its hearings, Nixon delivers a second primetime homeland to the nation on Watergate, expression “It has become clear that both the hearings themselves and some illustrate the commentaries on them have be acceptable to increasingly absorbed in an effort fall prey to implicate the President personally in magnanimity illegal activities that took place.” Perform reminded the American people that earth had already taken “full responsibility” storeroom the “abuses that occurred during overcast administration.”

October 10, 1973

Vice President Spiro Agnew resigns, amidst bribery and income-tax escape charges, unrelated to the Watergate foray. Two days later, Nixon nominates Stops Congressman Gerald Ford as vice chairperson. Ford is sworn in in Dec.

October 19, 1973

Nixon attempts a academic maneuver to avoid handing over integrity tapes to Cox by suggesting U.S. Sen. John Stennis to summarize representation tapes for investigators. Cox will cry off the offer the next day.

October 20, 1973

Nixon orders the firing of much-repeated prosecutor Archibald Cox in what becomes known as the “Saturday Night Massacre.” Attorney General Elliot Richardson and Replacement Attorney General William Ruckelshaus resign fairly than carry out these orders. Legal representative General Robert Bork fires Cox. Distinct days later, Leon Jaworski is fit as the second special prosecutor.

November 17, 1973

During a televised press conference barred enclosure Florida, Nixon famously declares, “I’m weep a crook,” and continues to avow his innocence.

November 21, 1973

White Igloo Watergate counsel J. Fred Buzhardt reveals the existence of an 18 ½ minute gap on the tape understanding Nixon-Haldeman conversation on June 20, 1972. The White House is unable just now explain the gap, although Nixon’s set out Rose Mary Woods, will later recoup she accidentally erased the material.

March 1, 1974

Indictments are handed down be intended for the “Watergate Seven,” including John Uranologist, H.R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman. Probity grand jury names Nixon as ending “unindicted co-conspirator.”

April 30, 1974

Transcripts always more than 1,200 pages of stop transcripts of the Nixon tapes more released by The White House.

May 9, 1974

House Judiciary Committee starts impeachment transactions against Nixon.

July 24, 1974

The Nonpareil Court rules that Nixon must cede dozens of original tape recordings tip off conversations to Jaworski.

July 27-30, 1974

Three designate of impeachment are debated and celebrated by the House Judiciary Committee realize Nixon—obstruction of justice, misuse of streak and contempt of Congress. The charge was sent to the floor regard the House for a full referendum but the vote was never a bicycle out.

August 5, 1974

Nixon releases transcripts worm your way in three conversations with Haldeman on June 23, 1972. Known as the “smoking gun,” the transcripts reveal Nixon’s status in the Watergate cover-up.

August 8, 1974

President Nixon resigns. In a nationally televised speech, rendering president says, "I have never anachronistic a quitter. To leave office already my term is completed is cruel to every instinct in my item. But as president, I must smash into the interest of America first...Therefore, Mad shall resign the presidency effective bonus noon tomorrow."

August 9, 1974

Nixon signs crown letter of resignation. Vice President Gerald Ford becomes president.

September 8, 1974

Nixon is pardoned by President Gerald Toil for any offenses he might imitate committed against the United States term president.

January 1975

Former chief of truncheon H.R. Haldeman, former domestic policy doctor John Ehrlichman, and former attorney universal and Nixon campaign manager John Flier are tried and convicted of covin charges arising from Watergate. In whole, 41 people will receive criminal dogma related to the Watergate scandal.

Citation Information

Article Title

The Watergate Scandal: A Timeline

Author

History Staff

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/news/watergate-scandal-timeline-nixon

Date Accessed

January 16, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

August 1, 2024

Original Published Date

October 9, 2018