About Richard M. Nixon
A Republican, Nixon represented California in both houses of Congress before serving as the 36th vice president under Dwight D. Eisenhower from 1953 to 1961. His presidency reduced U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, opened diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union and China, saw the Apollo 11 Moon landing, and created the Environmental Protection Agency and Occupational Safety and Health Administration. He resigned after the Watergate scandal, becoming the only U.S. president to leave office early.