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President Nixon resigns
Episode 2580 of the Vietnam Veteran News Podcast will feature a story about the first resignation of a sitting president in history. The featured story comes from the History Channel is titled: Nixon Resigns. It was provided by the History Channel writers and editors to create accurate and informative content. Articles with the “HISTORY.com Editors” byline have been written or edited by the HISTORY.com editors, including Amanda Onion, Missy Sullivan, Matt Mullen and Christian Zapata.
On August 9, 1874, the nation went through a traumatic event. For the first time in the nation’s history, a sitting president, Richard M. Nixon, resigned from office. The end began in an evening televised address on August 8, 1974, President Richard M. Nixon announces his intention to become the first president in American history to resign. With impeachment proceedings underway against him for his involvement in the Watergate affair, Nixon was finally bowing to pressure from the public and Congress to leave the White House.
He stated in a solemn address to the nation from the Oval Office, “By taking this action. I hope that I will have hastened the start of the process of healing which is so desperately needed in America.”
Just before noon the next day, Nixon officially ended his term as the 37th president of the United States. Before departing with his family in a helicopter from the White House lawn, he smiled farewell and enigmatically raised his arms in a victory or peace salute. The helicopter door was then closed, and the Nixon family began their journey home to San Clemente, California. Minutes later, Vice President Gerald R. Ford was sworn in as the 38th president of the United States in the East Room of the White House.
Listen to episode 2580 and discover more about the first resignation of a sitting president in history.
