The Watergate scandal was a major US political event in the early 1970s, triggered by a break‑in at Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate complex by operatives associated with President Richard Nixon’s reelection campaign.
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The White House taping system was secretly installed on February 16, 1971—beginning with the Oval Office and Cabinet Room, later expanding to Nixon’s offices, Camp David, and telephones. By the time of its dismantling during the Watergate scandal, the voice-activated devices had recorded approximately 3,700 hours of conversations.
Despite the Watergate break-in becoming public in June 1972, voters largely shrugged it off. On November 7, 1972, Richard Nixon still achieved a historic landslide—winning 520 out of 538 electoral votes, carrying 49 states—making it one of the largest Electoral College victories in US history.
On October 20, 1973, President Nixon ordered the firing of Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox—prompting the resignations of Attorney General Elliot Richardson and Deputy AG William Ruckelshaus. This NBC News special report shows the immediate aftermath of the decision.
The newly elected officials after the Watergate scandal dismantled seniority norms, opened committee votes, and televised proceedings—efforts aimed at increasing transparency that, unintentionally, may have fueled the polarized and combative tone of today’s Congress.
Beginning with the June 17, 1972 break-in, the scandal progressed through Senate hearings in 1973, the explosive revelation of Oval Office tapes, and culminated in Nixon’s resignation by August 1974.
In August 1974, following a unanimous Supreme Court ruling, the White House released the “smoking gun” tape—revealing Nixon’s role in the cover-up. Watch the CBS News report from August 5, 1974 detailing the fallout from the release of the tapes.
Ford’s ascent to the nation's highest office was a direct consequence of the unprecedented political upheaval caused by the Watergate scandal. Initially appointed vice president in October 1973 after Spiro Agnew's resignation, Ford assumed the presidency less than a year later, in August 1974, following Richard Nixon's resignation.
Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford spent months shadowing the real Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward—working at the Washington Post, living with Bernstein’s family, and studying their mannerisms—to bring authentic nuance to their portrayals of Watergate’s investigative journalists.
Among the Watergate burglars, Virgilio González, Bernard Barker, and Eugenio Martínez were Cuban-American anti-Castro exiles who believed they were combating communist influence in the United States.
Since the 1972 break-in at Washington’s Watergate complex, the “-gate” suffix has become a global shorthand for scandal—ranging from major political crises to minor controversies—revealing how Watergate reshaped public discourse about misconduct and cover-ups.
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