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The U.S. achieves the First Moon Landing
Apollo 11 was the spaceflight that landed the first humans on Earth's Moon on July 20, 1969. The mission, carried out by the United States, is considered a major accomplishment in the history of exploration and a milestone in the Cold War Space Race. -
Nixon becomes the first U.S. President to travel to China
President Richard Nixon's 1972 visit to the People's Republic of China was an important step in formally normalizing relations between the United States and the People's Republic of China. It marked the first time a U.S. president had visited the PRC, who at that time considered the U.S. one of its staunchest foes. The visit has become a metaphor for an unexpected or uncharacteristic action by a politician. -
Televised Senate hearings on Watergate begin
The issue of access to the tapes went to the Supreme Court. On July 24, 1974, in United States v. Nixon, the Court, which did not include the recused Justice William Rehnquist, ruled unanimously that claims of executive privilege over the tapes were void, and they ordered the president to give them to the special prosecutor. On July 30, 1974, President Nixon complied with the order and released the subpoenaed tapes. -
Richard Nixon becomes the first U.S. President to Resign
Shortly after this election, Nixon was accused of irregularities and illegalities conducted on his behalf in a scandal that became known as Watergate. An attempted burglary and wire-tapping of the office of the Democratic National Committee in the Watergate complex had been traced back to men hired by some of the President's closest advisors.Rather than face trial, on August 9, 1974, Richard Nixon became the first American President ever to resign from office. -
Gerald Ford signs the Helsinki Accords on European security
Drafted by these 35 nations, the accord, or Final Act, was the result of two years of negotiations.\n\nWhile U.S. participation was heavily criticized at home, from both the left and the right, Ford believed it was his most significant foreign policy achievement. The work done, and agreements reached, at Helsinki are widely credited as the beginning of the end of the Soviet Union and their reach into Eastern Europe. -
U.S. celebrates the bicentennial of the signing of the Declaration of Independence
The United States Bicentennial was a series of celebrations and observances during the mid-1970s that paid tribute to the historical events leading up to the creation of the United States as an independent republic. The Bicentennial culminated on Sunday, July 4, 1976, with the 200th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. -
Jimmy Carter negotiates the Camp David Accords to promote peace in the Middle East
The Camp David Accords were signed by Egyptian President Anwar El Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin on September 17, 1978, following thirteen days of secret negotiations at Camp David.The two framework agreements were signed at the White House, and were witnessed by United States President Jimmy Carter. The second of these frameworks, A Framework for the Conclusion of a Peace Treaty between Egypt and Israel, led directly to the 1979 Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty. -
U.S. boycotts the Moscow summer Olympics
The 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan spurred United States President Jimmy Carter to issue an ultimatum that the United States would boycott the Moscow Olympics if Soviet troops did not withdraw from the country by 12:01 A.M. Eastern Standard Time on February 20, 1980.The official announcement confirming the boycott was made on March 21. -
American hostages held in Iran are Set Free
The Iran hostage crisis was a diplomatic crisis between Iran and the United States. Fifty-two US citizens were held hostage For 444 days from November 4, 1979 to January 20, 1981, after a group of Islamic students and militants took over the Embassy of the United States in support of the Iranian Revolution.
