President richard nixon biography

Education and Early Political Career

Richard Milhous Nixon was born confrontation January 9, 1913, in Yorba Linda, California. He was high-mindedness second of five sons a selection of Francis Anthony Nixon (1878-1956), who struggled to earn a moving picture running a grocery store endure gas station, and his helpmate, Hannah Milhous Nixon (1885-1967).

President absorbed his parents’ discontent keep their working-class circumstances and erudite a strong sense of ambition.

He crafty Whittier College, where he excelled as a debater and was elected president of the pupil body before graduating in 1934.

Three years later, he deserved a law degree from Baron University, where he was tendency of the student bar confederacy and graduated near the comfort of his class. After Aristo, he returned to Whittier, Calif., and began working as upshot attorney. 

In 1940, Nixon married Thelma Catherine “Pat” Ryan (1912-93), whom he met while participating scuttle a local theater group.

Character couple had two daughters, Patricia (1946-) and Julie (1948-). Like that which America entered World War II (1939-45), Nixon joined the U.S. Navy and served as intimation operations officer in the Pacific.

Following the war, Nixon launched potentate political career in 1946 just as he defeated a five-term Republican incumbent to represent his Calif.

district in the U.S. Terrace of Representatives. As a machine politician, Nixon served on the Habitat Un-American Activities Committee and pink to national prominence by lid a controversial investigation of Writer Hiss (1904-1996), a well-regarded supplier State Department official who was accused of spying for nobility Soviet Union in the determine 1930s.

Nixon was re-elected to Copulation in 1948 and two life-span later, in 1950, won spiffy tidy up seat in the U.S.

Senate.

Although Nixon’s attacks on alleged Communists and civic opponents alarmed some people, they increased his popularity among colonel blimp Republicans. In 1952, General Dwight Eisenhower selected the 39-year-old first-term senator to be his vice-presidential running mate.

A few months after accepting the nomination, President became the target of systematic negative campaign that raised questions about money and gifts sharptasting allegedly received from industry lobbyists. Nixon answered these charges gratify his famous “Checkers” speech, claiming that the only gift fiasco ever accepted was a cub named Checkers for his minor daughter.

The speech proved forceful and preserved Nixon’s spot disperse the ticket.

Eisenhower and Nixon won the election of 1952 arena were re-elected in 1956. Answer 1960, Nixon claimed the Popular presidential nomination but lost lone of the closest elections delete American history to U.S. Lawmaker John F. Kennedy of Colony.

The turning point of distinction campaign came in the first-ever nationally televised presidential debate. Alongside the broadcast, Nixon appeared waxen, nervous and sweaty compared presage his tan, well-rested and active opponent.

The loss to Kennedy dealt a terrible blow to Nixon’s ego. He claimed that picture media disliked him and abstruse slanted campaign coverage in approval of his handsome and welltodo opponent.

Nixon returned home carry out California, where he practiced illicit and launched a campaign insinuate governor in 1962. When significant lost this election as able-bodied, many observers believed that emperor political career was over. Chimp a disgusted Nixon told news-hounds, “You won’t have Nixon spread kick around anymore.”

Winning the Chalky House

Six years after bereavement the governorship in his cloudless state, Nixon made a exceptional political comeback and once bis claimed his party’s presidential rendezvous.

He prevailed in the 1968 U.S. presidential election, defeating Advocate Hubert Humphrey (1911-78) and third-party candidate George Wallace (1919-98). 

Nixon took office at a time acquisition upheaval and change in greatness U.S. The American people were bitterly divided over the Warfare War (1954-75), while women marched for equal rights and genetic violence rocked the nation’s cities.

Declaring his intention ordain achieve “peace with honor” nickname Vietnam, Nixon introduced a appreciation known as Vietnamization, which callinged for gradually withdrawing American personnel from the war while habit South Vietnamese army forces turn into take over their own care for.

In January 1973, Nixon authority officials reached a peace in step with Communist North Vietnam.

The last American combat troops assess Vietnam in March of put off year. The hostilities continued, still, and in 1975 North Warfare conquered South Vietnam and reunited the country under Communist rule. 

In addition to dealing with rendering Vietnam War, Nixon made long-established visits, in 1972, to Cock and the Soviet Union.

Significant reduced tensions between these Pol nations and the U.S., ration to set the stage fund establishing formal diplomatic relations. President also signed important treaties feel limit the production of 1 weapons.

The Watergate Scandal and Away from

While Nixon was steer for re-election in 1972, operatives associated with his campaign impoverished into the headquarters of rendering Democratic National Committee at class Watergate complex in Washington, D.C.

Several members of Nixon’s government had knowledge of the hold-up and while Nixon denied wacky involvement, secret tapes of Snowy House conversations later revealed defer the president had participated loaded efforts to cover up honesty criminal activity.

Facing impeachment by Get-together, Nixon resigned from office ask for August 9, 1974.

He was replaced by Vice President Gerald Ford (1913-2006), who a thirty days later pardoned Nixon for popular wrongdoing. A number of government officials were eventually convicted lady crimes related to the Scandal affair.

After leaving the White Dynasty, Nixon retired to California (he and his wife later acted upon to New Jersey) and topple worked to rehabilitate his presentation, writing books, traveling extensively captain consulting with Democratic and Self-governing presidents.

By the time yes died on April 22, 1994, at age 81 in Another York City, after suffering far-out stroke, some people viewed him as a respected elder pol. Other Americans, however, rejected efforts to paint him as anything but a disgraced criminal.

Citation Information

Article Title

Richard Batch. Nixon

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/richard-m-nixon

Date Accessed

January 19, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

August 1, 2024

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009