Having announced his resignation the day before, Richard M. Nixon steps down from the the presidency of the United States and is succeeded by Vice President Gerald R. Ford. Nixon had resigned rather than face almost certain impeachment because of the Watergate scandal, in which he was charged with misuse of presidential powers to violate the constitutional rights of U.S. citizens, obstruction of justice, and failure to respond to House Judiciary Committee subpoenas. The departure of Nixon would prove to be a fatal blow to the South Vietnamese, who always believed that the American president would be there to make good his promises to support them in their continuing post-ceasefire war against the North Vietnamese.
Also on This Day
- Lead Story
- Unusual succession makes Ford president, 1974
- American Revolution
- Guy Johnson predicts Indian allegiances, 1776
- Automotive
- Bridgestone/Firestone announces massive tire recall, 2000
- Civil War
- Rebels score narrow victory at the Battle of Cedar Mountain, 1862
- Cold War
- Arthur Walker found guilty of spying for Soviet Union, 1985
- Crime
- Manson cult kills five people, 1969
- Disaster
- Hurricane Belle strikes Eastern Seaboard, 1976
- General Interest
- Romans routed at Adrianople, 378
- Owens wins 4th gold medal, 1936
- JetBlue flight attendant quits job via escape slide, 2010
- Hollywood
- Actress Sharon Tate found murdered, 1969
- Literary
- Mystery writer Jonathan Kellerman born, 1949
- Music
- Jerry Garcia dies, 1995
- Old West
- Nez Perce fight Battle of Big Hole, 1877
- Presidential
- Ford is inaugurated, 1974
- Sports
- The Great One gets traded, 1988
- Vietnam War
- Marines launch Operation Cochise, 1967
- Nixon leaves office, 1974
- World War I
- Walter Rathenau of AEG takes charge of German war production, 1914
- World War II
- Atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki, 1945
Aug 9, 1974:
Nixon leaves office
Fact Check We strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you see something that doesn't look right, contact us!
This Week in History, Aug 9 - Aug 15
- Aug 09, 1967
- Marines launch Operation Cochise
- Aug 09, 1974
- Nixon leaves office
- Aug 10, 1955
- Diem refuses to negotiate with Communists
- Aug 10, 1966
- Marines fight bitter battle in Quang Tin Province
- Aug 10, 1972
- North Vietnamese forces attempt to cut off Saigon
- Aug 11, 1967
- U.S. pilots cleared to bomb Hanoi-Haiphong area
- Aug 11, 1970
- South Vietnamese troops assume responsibility for guarding border
- Aug 11, 1972
- Last U.S. ground combat unit departs South Vietnam
- Aug 12, 1965
- Henry Cabot Lodge sworn in as Ambassador to Vietnam
- Aug 12, 1969
- VC launch new offensive
- Aug 13, 1966
- Prince Sihanouk criticizes the United States
- Aug 13, 1972
- Sappers raid Long Binh ammo dump
- Aug 14, 1964
- Hanoi prepares for more air attacks
- Aug 14, 1965
- Seventh Marines land at Chu Lai
- Aug 14, 1972
- Former Attorney General Ramsey Clark reports on his tour of North Vietnam
- Aug 14, 1973
- U.S. bombing of Cambodia ceases
- Aug 15, 1968
- Heavy fighting erupts in and around the DMZ
- Aug 15, 1969
- Woodstock begins in upstate New York
- Aug 15, 1970
- Regional Forces victorious
- Aug 15, 1971
- North Vietnamese capture Vietnamese marine base
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