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Senator Nixon Takes Tough Stand on Communism (0:56)

As a candidate for vice president, Sen. Richard Nixon delivers a speech at a political rally in Sanford, Maine, on September 3, 1952, and promises that he will take care of the communist problem plaguing the federal government.

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Speeches & Audio (32)

  • Senator Nixon Takes Tough Stand on Communism
    Senator Nixon Takes Tough Stand on Communism

    Audio Clip (0:56)

    As a candidate for vice president, Sen. Richard Nixon delivers a speech at a political rally in Sanford, Maine, on September 3, 1952, and promises that he will take care of the communist problem plaguing the federal government.

    Audio Clip (0:56)
  • The Kitchen Debate
    The Kitchen Debate

    Audio Clip (7:24)

    In July 1959, Vice President Richard Nixon traveled to Moscow to open the U.S. Trade and Cultural Fair in Sokolniki Park. In the kitchen of the exhibit's model house built by General Electric, Nixon and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev began an impromptu series of debates on the merits of capitalism and communism. An audio segment of one of the exchanges, which was filmed by the American company Ampex on the first videotape recorder, illustrates the Cold War tensions simmering beneath the surface.

    Audio Clip (7:24)
  • Richard Nixon's Checkers Speech
    Richard Nixon's Checkers Speech

    Audio Clip (11:12)

    On September 23, 1952, as a candidate for vice president, Richard M. Nixon appears on national television to defend himself against reports that he had taken $18,000 from his supporters for his personal use. In his defense, he denies personal use of any funds, with one exception: the family dog, Checkers, which was given to Nixon as a gift.

    Audio Clip (11:12)
  • Nixon Concedes Defeat in 1962 Governor's Race
    Nixon Concedes Defeat in 1962 Governor's Race

    Audio Clip (16:18)

    Nixon was defeated by Edmund Brown California's gubernatorial seat. He conceded defeat in one of the most bitter speeches of his political career.

    Audio Clip (16:18)
  • Nixon Declines Candidacy in 1964
    Nixon Declines Candidacy in 1964

    Audio Clip (0:49)

    On July 13, 1964, the Republican Party convened at the National Convention in San Francisco to nominate their candidates for the presidency and vice presidency. Though he had flirted with the idea of running for president during the pre-primary period, Richard Nixon makes it clear in his speech that he has decided not to seek a nomination.

    Audio Clip (0:49)
  • Nixon Wins Presidency
    Nixon Wins Presidency

    Audio Clip (0:39)

    Audio Clip (0:39)
  • Nixon’s First Inaugural Address
    Nixon’s First Inaugural Address

    Audio Clip (1:13)

    After losing his first presidential bid to John F. Kennedy in 1960, former Vice President Richard Nixon brought the Republican Party back into power with a win in the 1968 presidential election. On January 20, 1969, he takes the oath of office and promises to heal a divided nation.

    Audio Clip (1:13)
  • Nixon's Second Inaugural Address
    Nixon's Second Inaugural Address

    Audio Clip (1:42)

    After a landslide reelection victory, incumbent President Richard Nixon stresses America's role in the pursuit of world peace during his second inaugural address, delivered on January 20, 1973.

    Audio Clip (1:42)
  • Nixon Discusses Forthcoming Trip to China
    Nixon Discusses Forthcoming Trip to China

    Audio Clip (0:42)

    On January 26, 1972, President Richard Nixon holds a meeting in the Oval Office with Dutch Prime Minister Barend Biesheuvel, Chief of Staff Alexander Haig and U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands J. William Middendorf. In the secretly recorded conversation, Nixon explains his rationale for his forthcoming trip to China.

    Audio Clip (0:42)
  • Nixon Returns From China
    Nixon Returns From China

    Audio Clip (3:20)

    After returning from his historic trip to China, President Richard Nixon meets with a group of Congressional leaders in the Cabinet Room on February 29, 1972, and in a recorded conversation discusses the importance of opening the lines of communication with the communist nation.

    Audio Clip (3:20)
  • Nixon Calls Apollo 11 Astronauts
    Nixon Calls Apollo 11 Astronauts

    Audio Clip (1:56)

    In what he described as the most historic phone call ever made from the White House, President Richard Nixon speaks to astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin shortly after they became the first humans to set foot on the moon on July 20, 1969.

    Audio Clip (1:56)
  • Nixon Addresses "Silent Majority"
    Nixon Addresses "Silent Majority"

    Audio Clip (1:53)

    On the heels of a major nationwide protest against the Vietnam War in October 1969, President Richard Nixon delivers a speech on November 3, laying out his plans for ending the war through diplomatic negotiations and asking for the support of the "great silent majority" of Americans.

    Audio Clip (1:53)
  • Nixon Announces Daughter's Engagement
    Nixon Announces Daughter's Engagement

    Audio Clip (0:31)

    Despite the fact that the news had already been leaked to the press, President Richard Nixon makes an official announcement on March 17, 1971, of the engagement of his eldest daughter, Tricia to Edward Cox.

    Audio Clip (0:31)
  • Nixon on Kent State Tragedy
    Nixon on Kent State Tragedy

    Audio Clip (1:57)

    Richard Nixon addresses the nation on the violence that transpired at Kent State University where students died.

    Audio Clip (1:57)
  • Nixon Orders Invasion of Cambodia
    Nixon Orders Invasion of Cambodia

    Audio Clip (1:02)

    On April 30, 1970, President Richard Nixon asks the American people to support his decision to send troops into Cambodia in response to North Vietnam’s invasion of the country.

    Audio Clip (1:02)
  • Nixon on Vietnam War
    Nixon on Vietnam War

    Audio Clip (3:34)

    On March 26, 1971, President Richard Nixon holds a meeting in the Oval Office with his National Security Council to discuss the war in Vietnam. The meeting is secretly recorded. Among the many topics he raises, Nixon recounts a prior conversation with House majority leader Hale Boggs on setting a date for the final withdrawal of U.S. forces.

    Audio Clip (3:34)
  • Nixon Announces Vietnam Peace Agreement
    Nixon Announces Vietnam Peace Agreement

    Audio Clip (3:39)

    On January 23, 1973, President Richard Nixon announces that Henry Kissinger and North Vietnam's chief negotiator, Le Duc Tho, signed an agreement to end U.S. military involvement in Vietnam. The official cease-fire, along with the release of all American prisoners of war, is to go into effect on January 28, though troops would remain in Vietnam until the fall of Saigon in 1975.

    Audio Clip (3:39)
  • Nixon Officials Caught in Watergate Scandal
    Nixon Officials Caught in Watergate Scandal

    Audio Clip (0:38)

    On October 20, 1973, President Richard Nixon dismissed Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox and accepted the resignations of Attorney Gen. Elliot L. Richardson and Deputy Attorney Gen. William D. Ruckelshaus. Later that night, Sen. Alan Cranston reacts to what became known as the "Saturday Night Massacre."

    Audio Clip (0:38)
  • Nixon: "I am Not a Crook"
    Nixon: "I am Not a Crook"

    Audio Clip (1:28)

    On November 17, 1973, President Nixon gave a nationally televised and broadcast press conference in which he denied his involvement in the Watergate cover-up and stated that he had never profited from his public service.

    Audio Clip (1:28)
  • Nixon's "Smoking Gun"
    Nixon's "Smoking Gun"

    Audio Clip (2:15)

    A secretly recorded conversation between President Richard Nixon and his aide H.R. Haldeman on June 23, 1972, reveals the president's involvement in the Watergate break-ins and cover-up. During the conversation, which became known as the "Smoking Gun," Nixon and Haldeman discuss Mark Felt, then an FBI deputy, who 30 years later revealed himself to be the Watergate whistle blower known as Deep Throat.

    Audio Clip (2:15)
  • Nixon Denies Watergate Allegations
    Nixon Denies Watergate Allegations

    Audio Clip (1:03)

    On August 15, 1973, in his second address to the nation concerning the Watergate trial, President Richard Nixon denies any role in a cover-up.

    Audio Clip (1:03)
  • Nixon's Memo to Haldeman
    Nixon's Memo to Haldeman

    Audio Clip (0:41)

    On March 10, 1970, President Richard Nixon records a memorandum to his aide H.R. Haldeman asking him to set up a special group to keep tabs on Nixon's opponents.

    Audio Clip (0:41)
  • Nixon and Dean Discuss Watergate
    Nixon and Dean Discuss Watergate

    Audio Clip (1:26)

    On March 21, 1973, in a secretly recorded conversation, President Richard Nixon and his aide John Dean discuss the unfolding Watergate scandal. Dean tells Nixon that the cover-up is "a cancer on the presidency."

    Audio Clip (1:26)
  • Nixon and Dean Discuss Watergate Resignations
    Nixon and Dean Discuss Watergate Resignations

    Audio Clip (2:44)

    In a secretly recorded conversation on April 16, 1973, President Richard Nixon discusses with his aide John Dean the need to have the resignations of Dean, H.R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman "at the ready" in the wake of the Watergate scandal.

    Audio Clip (2:44)
  • Nixon Announces Watergate Resignations
    Nixon Announces Watergate Resignations

    Audio Clip (1:59)

    On April 30, 1973, with the Watergate trial well underway, President Richard Nixon announces on nationwide television and radio the resignation of his closest advisers, H.R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman, as well as White House Counsel John Dean and Attorney General Richard Kleindienst.

    Audio Clip (1:59)
  • Nixon Responds to Watergate Subpoena
    Nixon Responds to Watergate Subpoena

    Audio Clip (2:27)

    In an address to the nation on April 29, 1974, President Richard Nixon explains why he will not be turning over additional subpoenaed tapes in the Watergate trial but will instead provide transcripts of the recordings.

    Audio Clip (2:27)
  • Nixon Withholds Watergate Recordings
    Nixon Withholds Watergate Recordings

    Audio Clip (3:51)

    On August 15, 1973, President Richard Nixon addresses the nation concerning Watergate, explaining his refusal to turn over subpoenaed presidential tape recordings.

    Audio Clip (3:51)
  • Nixon Resigns
    Nixon Resigns

    Audio Clip (4:16)

    After the revelations of the Watergate scandal, President Richard Nixon announces to the nation on August 8, 1974, that he will resign the presidency at noon the following day.

    Audio Clip (4:16)
  • Nixon's Farewell
    Nixon's Farewell

    Audio Clip (2:49)

    On August 9, 1974, President Richard Nixon delivers a farewell speech to his staff in the East Room of the White House. After mounting evidence in the Watergate trial revealed him to be guilty of obstruction of justice and abuse of power, Nixon resigned from the presidency of the United States.

    Audio Clip (2:49)
  • Gerald R. Ford Pardons Richard Nixon
    Gerald R. Ford Pardons Richard Nixon

    Audio Clip (0:53)

    In a live broadcast on September 8, 1974, President Gerald Ford grans his disgraced predecessor, Richard Nixon, a "full free and absolute pardon." In an effort to end speculation over whether he had cut a "deal" with Nixon, Ford emphatically stated he'd given the pardon to heal the nation.

    Audio Clip (0:53)
  • Bill Clinton on the Death of Richard Nixon
    Bill Clinton on the Death of Richard Nixon

    Audio Clip (1:14)

    On April 22, 1994, former President Richard Nixon died in New York City of complications resulting from a stroke he suffered three days earlier. President Bill Clinton eulogizes the former U.S. president.

    Audio Clip (1:14)
  • Deep Throat Revealed
    Deep Throat Revealed

    Audio Clip (1:22)

    After more than 30 years of secrecy, the identity of Deep Throat, the Watergate informant who leaked information to the Washington Post that ultimately led to President Richard Nixon's resignation, is revealed in a Vanity Fair article written by John O'Connor. In a phone interview on May 31, 2005, O'Connor describes the reasons behind former FBI deputy Mark Felt's decision to finally go public.

    Audio Clip (1:22)

Videos (14)

  • Nixon's Personality
    Nixon's Personality

    Video Clip (2:26)

    Find out why Nixon described himself as an introvert in an extrovert's job, and how his personality type may have affected his presidency.

    Video Clip (2:26)
  • Deconstructing History: White House
    Deconstructing History: White House

    Video Clip (1:35)

    It may not have been home to the president until 1800 or even called the White House until 1901, but it remains a symbol of freedom and democracy throughout the world.

    Video Clip (1:35)
  • Presidential Fun Facts
    Presidential Fun Facts

    Video Clip (1:21)

    The Oval Office has been filled with extraordinary presidents, but did you know about these not-so-famous firsts?

    Video Clip (1:21)
  • Watergate Forces Nixon to Resign
    Watergate Forces Nixon to Resign

    Video Clip (3:20)

    In this History Rocks the 70's video, brought to you by the History Channel, learn about special investigator Archibald Cox's quest to investigate the Watergate cover-up. Nixon tries to get Cox fired several times.

    Video Clip (3:20)
  • Watergate Brings Down Nixon
    Watergate Brings Down Nixon

    Video Clip (2:33)

    A seemingly random robbery at a Washington, D.C. building leads to the first presidential resignation in American history.

    Video Clip (2:33)
  • When Elvis Met Nixon
    When Elvis Met Nixon

    Video Clip (2:55)

    On January 27, 1972, Washington Post columnist Jack Anderson was leaked information about President Richard Nixon's appointment of Elvis Presley as a special assistant on the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs.

    Video Clip (2:55)
  • Richard Nixon's Paranoia Leads to Watergate Scandal
    Richard Nixon's Paranoia Leads to Watergate Scandal

    Video Clip (2:41)

    Find out about Nixon's personal demons, which may have led to his involvement in the Watergate scandal.

    Video Clip (2:41)
  • Was Nixon Better
    Was Nixon Better

    Video Clip (4:21)

    John F. Kennedy utilizes television to his advantage by presenting dynamic attention grabbing advertisements.

    Video Clip (4:21)
  • Richard Nixon's Impeachment Investigation
    Richard Nixon's Impeachment Investigation

    Video Clip (3:27)

    Lawrence Hogan gives us the lowdown on Richard Nixon's impeachment in the wake of the Watergate scandal.

    Video Clip (3:27)
  • Inaugural Address: Richard Nixon
    Inaugural Address: Richard Nixon

    Video Clip (2:20)

    Excerts from Richard Nixon's first inaugural address on Monday, January 20, 1969.

    Video Clip (2:20)
  • Ford: Defends Nixon Pardon
    Ford: Defends Nixon Pardon

    Video Clip (1:49)

    Watch this historical clip of President Gerald Ford as he speaks in front of the House Judiciary Committee about the impeachment of President Nixon. Listen and see what he had to say in this clip.

    Video Clip (1:49)
  • Campaign Spot: Nixon's Experience (1960)
    Campaign Spot: Nixon's Experience (1960)

    Video Clip (1:00)

    At the end of a long press conference, then President Dwight Eisenhower was asked about his Vice President, Richard Nixon. He hesitated and replied that he couldnt remember Nixons contributions

    Video Clip (1:00)
  • Nixon's Secret Plan to End the Vietnam War
    Nixon's Secret Plan to End the Vietnam War

    Video Clip (3:36)

    In 1968, Richard Nixon ran on a platform for presidency that included a "secret plan" to end the war in Vietnam.

    Video Clip (3:36)
  • Nixon's Lincoln Day Dinner
    Nixon's Lincoln Day Dinner

    Video Clip (1:11)

    Pat Buchanan, aide to former president Richard Nixon during the 1968 campaign, tells the story of Nixons unique campaigning techniques.

    Video Clip (1:11)

Photo Galleries (1)

  • Richard Nixon
    Richard Nixon

    18 Photos

    See pictures from the life and presidency of Richard Nixon.

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Richard Nixon, the 37th president of the United States, was the first to resign from office.

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