On this day in history, August 8, 1974, President Nixon announces his resignation
Fox News
President Richard Nixon announced he would step down from the U.S. presidency amid the Watergate scandal and a lack of support from Congress on this day in history, August 8, 1974.
"America needs a full-time president and a full-time Congress, particularly at this time with problems we face at home and abroad." Nixon spent the years following his presidency taking foreign trips on behalf of the United States and offering counsel based on decades of experience. Christine Rousselle is a lifestyle reporter with Fox News Digital.
On August 9, Gerald Ford would assume the presidency as the nation's 38th president.
Nixon was the first U.S. president to resign from the position. He left the highest office in the land in the face of likely impeachment amid the Watergate scandal, which involved his administration's cover-up of spying activities on the Democratic Party's headquarters during the election.