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Richard Nixon Facts & Worksheets

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Richard Nixon was the 37th President of the United States (1969-1974). He was the only U.S. President to resign from his position after the controversial Watergate Scandal. Below are some great facts on President Richard Nixon or alternatively download our comprehensive worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Early Life:

  • Richard Milhous Nixon was born on January 9, 1913. in Yorba Linda, California. He was one of the sons of Francis A. Nixon and Hannah Milhous. Young Richard attended the East Whittier Elementary School. He enrolled at Fullerton Union High School before transferring to Whittier High School in 1928, until his graduation in 1930. He entered the Whittier College in California and graduated in 1934. After receiving a full scholarship, he enrolled at Duke University School of Law and graduated in 1937.
  • After graduation, he applied for the Federal Bureau of Investigation but was not successful.
  • Nixon went back to California in 1937 and was admitted to the bar that same year. He practised law in La Habra until 1942.
  • On June 21, 1940, Nixon married Thelma “Pat” Catherine Ryan, an actress with whom he had two daughters, Patricia and Julie.
  • In January 1942, he got a job at the Office of Price Administration in Washington, D.C., which only lasted four months. By August, he was enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served with the South Pacific Combat Air Transport Command.
  • By 1946, he ran for the U.S. House of Representatives and served until 1950. Nixon became a U.S. Senator from 1950 to 1953. During the 1952 election, he won the vice presidency with running mate Dwight D. Eisenhower, and was re-elected in 1956. In the 1960 election, Nixon was the Presidential candidate for the Republican Party but lost to the charismatic Democrat, John F. Kennedy.
  • Nixon attempted running as California’s Governor in 1962, but lost. He continued practising law in New York City.
    In 1968 election, he was nominated as the Presidential candidate for the Republican Party. He won with majority of the electoral vote and less than half of the popular vote.

Richard Nixon’s Presidency:

  • On January 20, 1969, Richard Nixon took his oath as the 37th President of the United States at the East Portico, U.S. Capitol. On the same day, he presided over the Apollo 11 mission, which later delivered the first man on the moon.
  • On July 25, 1969, during his press conference in Guam, he announced the Nixon Doctrine, ending the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. It stated that all Allied nations should take sole responsibility for their own security without the interference of the U.S., even on request.
  • By the end of August 1969, Nixon ordered the withdrawal of U.S. troops in south Vietnam. About 25,000 American troops were recalled.
  • In January 1970, Nixon focused on the environmental concerns of America. He signed the National Environmental Policy Act, which led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency. Later that year, the Clean Air Act was signed followed by the Endangered Species Act in 1973.
  • The Postal Reorganization Act was signed in August 1970. It established the U.S. Postal Service as a separate government entity.
  • In April 1971, a voice-activated taping system was installed in a number of rooms in the White House.
  • By May 1971, he signed the Wage-Price Controls Bill, giving the President the power to control wages, salaries, prices, and rents for a year. Two months later, the Emergency Employment Act was signed by Nixon. It provided $2.25 billion in funds to create jobs in the public sector.
  • President Nixon became the first U.S. President to visit China from February 21-27, 1972. His visit aimed to establish diplomatic relations between the two countries. After a month, Nixon also became the first incumbent President to visit the USSR. The Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty was signed, which limited the development of ballistic missiles.
  • Inside the Democratic headquarters at the Watergate Hotel in Washington, five men with wire-tapping devices were arrested on June 17, 1972. These men, linked to the Nixon administration, were attempting to sabotage the incumbent’s political adversaries.
  • In the 1972 election, Nixon won his re-election. One year later, his vice president Spiro Agnew resigned after the so called Watergate Scandal. On December 6, 1973, Gerald Ford was sworn in as the new Vice President after Nixon’s nomination and approval by Congress.
  • On April 30, 1973, Nixon admitted responsibility regarding the Watergate Scandal on national television. He denied any prior knowledge about it. Federal Aviation administrator Alexander Butterfield notified the Senate Watergate Committee about the existence of tape recordings made in the White House but the president refused the turn over.
  • By April 1974, a 1 200 pages transcript of conversations between Nixon and his aides was released. In response, the House of Judiciary Committee opened impeachment proceedings against the president. In July, the same committee filed three articles of impeachment: Obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and the unconstitutional defiance of its subpoenas. The Supreme Court found the impeachment constitutional, while Congress did not supported Nixon. On August 8, 1974, Nixon addressed the nation on national television regarding his resignation, which would be effective the next day.

Post-presidency and Death

  • The next day, Vice President Gerald Ford was sworn in as the new President.
  • Upon retirement, Nixon returned to his home in San Clemente, California. By September 8, 1974, President Gerald Ford granted Nixon a full, free, and absolute pardon. Nixon’s statement showed remorse for what he did.
  • Later, in October 1974, Nixon underwent surgery. In 1978, his memoir, RN: The Memoirs of Richard Nixon was published. He was earned $2 million after it became a bestseller.
  • In February of 1976 and 1979, he visited China upon invitation by Mao Zedong. In addition, he visited the United Kingdom and met opposition leader Margaret Thatcher. His interview with David Frost for a British television program earned him $600 000. Nixon also travelled to USSR in 1986 to meet Mikhail Gorbachev, the General Secretary of the Communist Party.
  • On July 19, 1990, the Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace Foundation was opened using his privately earned money. The opening was attended by former-presidents Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan and then-president George H.W. Bush. In 2007, it was renamed the Richard Nixon Library and Museum and was included in the Presidential Libraries systems funded by the federal government.
  • On April 22, 1994, Nixon died from complications of a stroke. His body was interred in the grounds of his library. The funeral service was attended by former-presidents Ford, Carter, Reagan, and Bush, and then-president Bill Clinton. A state funeral was not granted.
  • The controversial tapes and papers were kept in his library after a 30-years legal battle.

President Richard Nixon Worksheets

This bundle contains 11 ready-to-use President Richard Nixon Worksheets that are perfect for students who want to learn more about Richard Nixon who was the 37th President of the United States (1969-1974). He was the only U.S. President to resign from his position after the controversial Watergate Scandal.

Download includes the following worksheets:

  • Richard Nixon Facts
  • Tricky Dick
  • Nixon’s Travels
  • Towards the White House
  • At the Funeral
  • Man on the Moon
  • Watergate Scandal
  • Nixon Doctrine
  • Cross Referencing
  • Nixon Administration
  • All Taped

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Link will appear as Richard Nixon Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, August 11, 2017

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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