Investigation and Resignation
As investigators closed in, Nixon grew desperate to stop them. In the infamous "Saturday Night Massacre," he ordered his Attorney General to fire the special prosecutor investigating Watergate. When the Attorney General refused and resigned instead, it created a constitutional crisis.
Meanwhile, Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned due to unrelated bribery charges from his time as governor of Maryland. Nixon appointed House Minority Leader Gerald Ford as the new Vice President—unknowingly selecting his own replacement.
The final blow came when Nixon reluctantly released White House tapes that contained suspicious gaps, including one 18½ minutes long. With impeachment imminent, Nixon resigned on August 9, 1974, and Gerald Ford became president, bringing the dramatic Watergate saga to its conclusion.
Historical significance: Nixon's resignation represented the first time in American history a president had resigned from office—a profound constitutional moment that demonstrated both the system's vulnerability and its ultimate resilience.