Richard M. Nixon resigns as President of the United States of America. His resignation is announced in an evening television broadcast. His solemn broadcast included this explanation:
[pullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”#990000″ class=”” size=””]“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.”[/pullquote]
Nixon’s presidency imploded in the aftermath of the Watergate scandal. By July 1974, the President faced impeachment proceedings in the House of Representatives. The three articles for impeachment were for obstruction of justice, abuse of presidential powers, and hindrance of the impeachment process.
Gerald Ford assumed office the next day, becoming the 38th President of the United States.
![Richard Nixon's resignation speech By Ollie Atkins, White House Photographer [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RNresignspeech.jpg)