The 70's

On June 17, 1972, five men employed by the Committee to Re-elect the President (later known as CREEP) were arrested while breaking into the Democratic National Headquarters at the Watergate Hotel to plant listening devices in the phones and steal campaign strategy documents. Two former White House aides working for CREEP, G. Gordon Liddy and E. Howard Hunt, were also arrested. Liddy was a former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent, and Hunt was the Central Intelligence Agency agent responsible for planning the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961. The seven Watergate burglars were indicted on September 15, 1972. In November 1972, President Richard Nixon defeated George McGovern in a landslide.

In February 1973, the U.S. Senate established the Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities to investigate the Watergate break-in and rumors of other campaign irregularities. Over the next few months, the conspiracy to cover-up White House involvement in the break-in began to unravel. The acting Director of the FBI resigned after admitting he destroyed evidence on the advice of White House aides. White House Chief of Staff H.R. Haldeman, White House Domestic Affairs Assistant John Ehrlichman, and presidential counsel John Dean, resigned on April 30, 1973. Haldeman, Ehrlichman, and two others were later convicted of obstructing the investigation of the break-in. During a televised speech, President Nixon denied any knowledge of the cover-up. However, John Dean testified before the Senate committee that Nixon authorized "hush money" to the burglars. White House aide Alexander Butterfield also testified that Nixon taped every conversation in the Oval Office.

This revelation touched a battle of wills between the Senate Committee and the President over releasing the tapes. In October 1973, Nixon ordered the Attorney General to fire Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox because Cox refused to accept Nixon's offer to release a "synopsis" of the tapes. The Attorney General and his assistant refused to follow the order and resigned. The House of Representatives began to consider impeaching the President on October 23. Nixon turned over the tapes, but two proved to be missing and one had a 18 1/2 minute gap in it. In January 1974, Nixon refused to surrender over 500 tapes and documents subpoenaed by the Senate. On July 24, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that Nixon must turn over the tapes, which he did eight hours later. By the end of July, the House Judiciary Committee approved articles of impeachment against President Nixon, charging him with obstructing justice, repeatedly violating his oath of office, and unconstitutionally defying Senate subpoenas. On August 5, Nixon revealed the "smoking gun" that tied him to the Watergate cover-up. He released transcripts of a conversation with Haldemon that showed President Nixon ordered the FBI to stop investigating the break-in six days after it occurred. President Nixon resigned on August 8, 1974. President Ford pardoned Nixon a month later.

In addition to breaking and entering and obstruction of justice, the investigation of the Watergate break-in revealed an impressive list of offenses. Illegal campaign contributions to CREEP financed "dirty tricks" to discredit key Democratic leaders. It was also revealed President Nixon had taken illegal tax deductions and used $10 million in government funds to improve his houses in Florida and California. The illegal, secret war against Cambodia was also revealed.

• January 1970

  The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 is signed, requiring the Federal government to review the environmental impact of any action--such as construction of a building--that might significantly affect the environment.

• December 1970

  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is formed.

• 1972

  Computer axial tomography, commonly known as CAT scanning, is introduced. A CAT scan combines many high-definition, cross-sectional x-rays to produce a two-dimensional image of a patient's anatomy.

• January 1973

  The peace treaty ending the Vietnam War is signed. South Vietnam collapses in 1975 after U.S. troops are withdrawn.

• March 1974

  The Atomic Energy Commission establishes the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP) to identify former Manhattan Project and AEC sites that are privately owned but need remedial action.

• October 1974

  The Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 abolishes the Atomic Energy Commission and creates the Energy Research and Development Administration and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

• October 1976

  The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) is passed to protect human health and the environment from the potential hazards of waste disposal.

• April 1977

  President Carter bans the recycling of used nuclear fuel from commercial reactors.

• August 1977

  The Voyager 2 spacecraft is launched carrying a 12-inch copper phonograph record containing greetings in every language. The spacecraft's electricity is generated by the decay of plutonium pellets.

• October 1977

  The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) replaces the Energy Research and Development Administration and consolidates Federal energy programs and activities.

  The United States cancels development of the neutron bomb, which would theoretically destroy life but leave buildings intact.

• November 1978

  The Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act of 1978 directs DOE to stabilize and control uranium mill tailings at inactive milling sites and vicinity properties. DOE forms the Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Program as a result.

• March 1979

  Three Mile Island Nuclear Powerplant near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania suffers a partial core meltdown. Minimal radioactive material is released.

• June 1979

  The United States and Soviet Union sign the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT) II, which limits each side's arsenals and restricts weapons development and modernization.

• November 1979

  American hostages are taken in Iran.

• December 1979

  The Soviet Union invades Afghanistan.