Richard Nixon

(1914 - 1994)

After winning one the largest landslide victories in the history of American presidential elections in 1972, Nixon resigned from the presidency on August 9, 1974, facing the prospect of impeachment for his role in the Watergate scandal. A controversial and polarizing figure, he was a key player in American politics for decades, having served as a congressman, member of the House Un-American Activities Committee, senator, and vice president for President Dwight D. Eisenhower from 1953 to 1961 prior to his presidency. Among his most significant achievements in office was the normalization of relations between the United States and China after over twenty years of estrangement.