Person talk:Richard Nixon (1)

Notable Events and Accomplishments of Nixon’s Presidency [26 February 2017]

[Moved here from the Personal History box on the main genealogy page, 26 Feb 2017.]
Nixon inherited the war with Vietnam. While in office he cut the number of soldiers by over half, down from over 54,0000 troops to 25,000. By 1972 all U.S. ground combat troops were withdrawn.

On April 30, 1970, U.S. and South Vietnamese troops raided Cambodia to try and capture the Communist headquarters. Protests erupted around the nation. The most visible was at Kent State University. Students protesting at the campus were fired on by the Ohio National Guard killing four and wounding nine.

In January 1973, a peace treaty was signed whereby all U.S. forces left withdrew from Vietnam and all prisoners of war were released. Soon after the agreement, however, fighting resumed and the Communists eventually won.

In February 1972, President Nixon traveled to China to try and encourage peace and more contact between the two nations. He was the first U.S. President to visit the country.

On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 landed on the moon and man took his first step outside of earth. This fulfilled Kennedy's goal to land a man on the moon before the end of the decade.

A number of acts to protect the environment were enacted during the Nixon administration. The Environmental Protection Agency was created in 1970.

When Nixon ran for reelection, it was discovered that five individuals from his reelection committee had broken into the Democratic National Headquarters at the Watergate business complex. Two reporters for the Washington Post uncovered a massive cover-up of the break-in. Nixon had installed a taping system in the oval office and when the Senate asked for tapes recorded he refused to hand them over, citing executive privilege. The Supreme Court did not agree with him and he was forced to give them up. The tapes showed that while Nixon was not involved in the break-in he was involved in its cover-up. In the end, Nixon resigned when he was faced with impeachment. He left office on August 9, 1974.

For more information, see the EN Wikipedia article Richard Nixon.--cos1776 14:44, 26 February 2017 (UTC)