1973: “I Am Not a Crook”

The Nixon years were a tough time for our country and through the whole Watergate scandal, President Richard Nixon rejected the notion that he was responsible for any wrongdoing. On this day in 1973, he made the infamous speech on television where he said, “People have got to know whether or not their President is a crook. Well, I’m not a crook. I’ve earned everything I’ve got.” In short order, more allegations were heaped on the president which he vowed to fight. However, one of the Watergate tapes proved that Nixon had been aware of the White House connection to Watergate and had plans to stifle the investigation. It became known as the “smoking gun tape.” On August 5, 1974, Nixon accepted blame for misleading the country. He resigned from office on August 9, 1974.