The Saturday Night Massacre: What Really Happened on October 20, 1973

The Nixon presidency was extraordinary, noteworthy and forlorn. This presidency contained the essential elements of a true American tragedy — an administration of the most extraordinary triumphs followed by complete and utter despair. In events unlike anything in the American political experience, nearly all of the field offices of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, utilizing the talents of several hundred special agents, were involved in the massive nationwide Watergate investigation — the largest since the death of John F. Kennedy. The nation watched in astonishment as the Watergate scandal dominated media headlines for 26 months, leading ultimately to the only resignation of an American chief executive since the founding of the United States, the world’s oldest Constitutional republic. The culminating climactic events of October 20, 1973 shattered the Nixon administration beyond repair.