With the White House mired in controversy, comparisons to Washington’s most famous scandal have been common, if not always accurate. Forty-five years after the events leading to Nixon’s resignation, The Onion presents a detailed timeline of the Watergate scandal.


Hundreds of miniature shampoo bottles and towels stolen from the Watergate Hotel

February 2, 1971

A secret voice-activated taping system is installed in the Oval Office, programmed to start recording whenever Nixon utters the phrase “and now, for my next dastardly scheme…”


June 17, 1972

Five men break into the Watergate complex wearing Richard Nixon masks

June 20, 1972

Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein assigned story on National Zoo’s new panda and told to follow it wherever it takes them


November 7, 1972

American public reelects Nixon in order to find out how this whole thing ends

July 18, 1973

Nixon orders White House taping system disconnected after hearing how weird his voice sounds


August 10, 1973

Checkers reaches out to Senate committee seeking immunity deal

October 10, 1973

Vice President Spiro Agnew resigns in order to focus on taking bribes in the private sector


October 20, 1973

Three men found jobless in a gruesome scene later dubbed the “Saturday Night Massacre” by investigators


February 16, 1974

Nixon kicked out of Jefferson Starship due to the persistent bad publicity his scandals have brought to the band


August 9, 1974

Nixon becomes the first president to resign, and Vice President Gerald Ford is soon after sworn in with Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis at his side


September 8, 1974

29-year-old Donald Trump watches with rapt attention as President Ford grants Nixon a full pardon