Richard Milhous Nixon

 is a Republican Former President of the United States
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Religion: Quaker
Party: Republican
Born: Jan 9, 1913
Died: Apr 22, 1994
Viewed: 992 times

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During two terms in office, Nixon oversaw an era of "detente" with the Soviet Union and an opening up of relations with China. Nixon is no doubt best known for the infamous Watergate scandal, a mark which forced him to resign from the presidency in 1974.


Supporters & Rivals

John F. Kennedy is a rival of Richard Milhous Nixon
A term as short as it was chaotic, Kennedy, a WWII veteran, witnessed the failed Bay of Pigs, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Space Race and the early Vietnam War. The first Catholic president, JFK fell to an assassin's bullet in 1963.
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Richard Milhous Nixon's Biography

Positions Held

  • 1947-1950 - Representative from California
  • 1950-1953 - Senator from California
  • 1953-1961 - Vice President of the United States
  • 1969-1974 - President of the United States

Early Life

  • Born in Yorba Linda, California
  • Promoted to rank of Lieutenant Commander in the US Navy during WWII.

Vice Presidency

  • Served as Vice President for the entirety of the Eisenhower administration.
  • Nixon was the first VP to step into the role of President when Eisenhower was ill, namely from his heart attack, ileitis, and stroke.
  • Ran for President in 1960, but was plagued by some of the problems of the administration that he was a part of, narrowly lost to Kennedy.

Presidency

  • Nixon was president during the Vietnam War. His presidency saw a reduction in US troop numbers with replacement by American-trained South Vietnamese soldiers. At the same time as he was decreasing American presence on the ground, Nixon stepped up attacks from the air, including bombings of the neighboring countries of Laos and Cambodia.
  • The Nixon presidency brought a period of better relations with the Soviet Union, culminating in the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks and the SALT I Treaty. (Source: )
  • Nixon made a famous trip to Communist China in 1972, which resulted in both increased economic ties, and better relations with both the PRC and USSR.
  • Domestically, the Nixon years saw the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the first massive integration of schools in Southern states, and the successful Apollo moon landings. Nixon also replaced four Supreme Court justices.
  • Nixon is most remembered however for his resignation as a result of the Watergate Scandal. This was a result of five men with associations to Nixon being caught after breaking into the Democratic National Committee headquarters just before the 1972 Presidential election. Although Nixon tried to cover-up the scandal, he ultimately failed. Much of the evidence against Nixon came from his own recorded phone conversations. (Source: ) With this evidence against him, and impeachment pending, Nixon became the only US President to resign from office; he was replaced on August 9, 1974 by Gerald Ford.

Legacy

When attempting to rate Nixon and his legacy, presidential scholars face a great problem. Nixon's great successes on both foreign and domestic issues have to contend with the great corruption of his administration. * Historian James MacGregor Burns observed of Nixon, "How can one evaluate such an idiosyncratic President, so brilliant and so morally lacking?" * George McGovern, whom Nixon defeated in the 1972 Presidential Election said, "President Nixon probably had a more practical approach to the two superpowers, China and the Soviet Union, than any other president since World War II. ... I think, with the exception of his inexcusable continuation of the war in Vietnam, Nixon really will get high marks in history."