The Watergate Break-In Occurs

Setting the scene

President Richard Nixon's reelection committee sought intelligence on Democratic rivals. Former CIA operative E. Howard Hunt and ex-FBI agent G. Gordon Liddy ran a unit nicknamed the 'Plumbers,' which had previously broken into Daniel Ellsberg's psychiatrist's office.

What happened

In the early hours of June 17, 1972, five men were arrested inside the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C., wiretapping phones and photographing documents. The Washington Post linked the burglars to Nixon's campaign through reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein.

Why it still matters

Cover-up payments, White House tapes, and the Senate Watergate hearings led to Nixon's resignation on August 9, 1974. Memorable detail: guard Frank Wills noticed tape on a door, called police, and became a symbol of ordinary vigilance—his log entry for that night read simply that he called authorities about a burglary.

Background

Investigations eventually led to Nixon's resignation.