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Period: to
Nixon, Ford, Carter
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The U.S. achieves the first moon landing
Armstrong descended from the Eagle lunar landing craft and set foot on the moon’s surface. Armstrong radioed back the famous message: “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” -
Nixon becomes the first U.S. President to travel to China
In July 1971, after extensive secret diplomacy by Kissinger, Nixon made the dramatic announcement that he planned to visit China the following year. He would be the first United States President ever to travel to that country. -
Televised Senate hearings on Watergate begin
The Senate Watergate Committee begins its nationally televised hearings. These showed the country what actually happened. They also showed the videos the Nixon hid. -
Richard Nixon becomes the first U.S. President to resign
Nixon appeared on television and painfully announced that he would leave the office of President the next day. On August 9, 1974, Nixon resigned, the first President ever to do so. That same day, in a smooth constitutional transition, Vice President Gerald Ford was sworn in. -
Gerald Ford signs the Helsinki Accords on European security
President Ford signed the Helsinki Accords, a series of agreements on European security made at a 1975 summit meeting in Finland. The United States, Canada, the Soviet Union, and about 30 European countries pledged to cooperate economically, respect existing national boundaries, and promote human rights. -
U.S. celebrates the bicentennial of the signing of the Declaration of Independence
Americans held a nationwide birthday party to mark July 4, 1976, the bicentennial, the 200th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Throughout the summer, people in small towns and big cities across the country celebrated with parades, concerts, air shows, political speeches, and fireworks. -
Jimmy Carter negotiates the Camp David Accords to promote peace in the Middle East
At Camp David in September 1978, Carter assumed the role of peacemaker. He practiced highly effective personal diplomacy to bridge the gap between Sadat and Begin. Under the resulting peace treaty, Israel would withdraw from the Sinai peninsula, which it had occupied since 1967. -
U.S. boycotts the Moscow summer Olympics
Carter also imposed a boycott on the 1980 summer Olympic Games to be held in Moscow. Eventually, some 60 other nations joined the Olympic boycott. Détente was effectively dead. -
American hostages held in Iran are set free
It began when revolution broke out in Iran. It was led by Muslim fundamentalists, who wanted to bring back traditional ways, and by liberal critics of the shah, who wanted more political and economic reforms. Six more Americans escaped and of the 66 who were taken hostage, 13 were released on November 19 and 20, 1979; one was released on July 11, 1980. The remaining 52 were released on January 20, 1981, at the very moment that Ronald Reagan
