President Richard Nixon made an address to the American public from the Oval Office on August 8, 1974, to announce his resignation from the presidency due to the Watergate scandal.

Why did Richard Nixon resign?

The tapes revealed that Nixon had conspired to cover up activities that took place after the break-in and later tried to use federal officials to deflect the investigation. ... With his complicity in the cover-up made public and his political support completely eroded, Nixon resigned from office on August 9, 1974.

Who was president when Nixon resigned?

Gerald Ford's tenure as the 38th president of the United States began on August 9, 1974, upon the resignation of Richard Nixon from office, and ended on January 20, 1977, a period of 895 days.