Watergate was a political scandal that occurred in the United States in the 1970s, involving the administration of President Richard Nixon.
Here are ten fun facts about Watergate:
1. The Watergate scandal began on June 17, 1972, when five men were caught breaking into the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C.
2. The break-in was part of a larger operation known as “Operation Gemstone” which involved bugging the DNC offices and conducting espionage against the Democrats.
3. The burglars were caught after an employee of the Watergate complex noticed tape on door locks and alerted security guards.
4. The five men were arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit burglary.
5. On August 8, 1974, President Nixon resigned from office after it was revealed that he had been involved in covering up the Watergate scandal.
6. Vice President Gerald Ford became president and pardoned Nixon for any crimes he may have committed while in office.
7 .The term “Watergate” has since become synonymous with political scandals and corruption in government.
8. In total, 69 people were indicted or pleaded guilty as a result of Watergate; most notably John Mitchell (Attorney General), Haldeman (White House Chief of Staff), Ehrlichman (White House Counsel) and Dean (White House counsel).
9. After resigning from office, Nixon retired to his home in California where he lived until his death in 1994.
10 Although it brought about the end of Nixon’s presidency, many argue that Watergate ultimately strengthened American democracy by exposing corruption within government and leading to reforms such as campaign finance laws.
