27+ Fun Facts About Richard Nixon That Every Kid Should Know

The first president to make official visits to the Soviet Union and China, Nixon served as the president of the U.S. for a little over four years.

He had one of the most controversial presidential rules, and for good reason! In spite of the fact that the U.S. defeated the Soviet Union in the space race during his time, it is hard to overlook many other things that took place!

During his early years, Nixon joined the Navy during the Second World War. He practiced law for the majority of his life and also served as vice president for eight years. His election to the presidential chair came as a surprise to many due to the elections that he had lost before this.

After his resignation on account of fraud and corruption, he was pardoned by then-President Gerald Ford. He was the first president to officially visit China and treat them warmly. Keep reading for more facts!

Facts About Richard Nixon

Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th president of the United States of America and was infamous for his corruption and extreme methods for winning elections. He eventually resigned from office at a time when he was already facing the possibility of being impeached. His presidential rule is said to be one of the most controversial in U.S. history.

• Richard Nixon had a rocky political career.
• He lost two potentially fatal elections, which made his appointment as the U.S. President in the year 1968 very surprising.
• He was an excellent student and studied at Duke University Law School with a scholarship.
• One of the lesser-known facts about Nixon is that he was offered a spot at Harvard University as a student.
• However, the future U.S. President had to deny the offer since he was required to be at home in California.
• For the majority of his life, Nixon practiced law and was great in his profession.
• Nixon's administration was known to be brutal as the officials were given direct orders to treat anyone who investigated the White House with a very firm and possibly fatal hand.
• One of the allegations that Nixon faced was that he was behind the Watergate Scandal.
• Later, solid proof was found that the Nixon administration was behind the infiltration of the Watergate Scandal.
• The entire effort was made so that Nixon had the upper hand over the officials of the Democratic Party during the presidential campaign.
• On the lighter side of things, Nixon is also remembered to be a strange man who was formally dressed at even the most informal events. For example, Richard Nixon would be dressed in a suit and dress shoes even on a beach day with his family!
• Before Nixon resigned his office at the White House, he made sure to fulfill his promise of ending the Vietnam War.
• This decision to end the war was good but also came at a great price.
• The implementation of withdrawing the U.S. armies from Vietnam was a lengthy process.
• Furthermore, South Vietnam, which was an ally to the United States, eventually lost the war.
• This created mass discontent amongst the people regarding President Nixon and raised questions as to why the armies were not withdrawn before.
• The cost of war, including the lives lost and money spent, was enormous, and the White House was criticized.

Nixon's Presidency

President Richard Nixon studied at Whittier Elementary School in California and was also the elected president of its student body in the eighth grade. We can thus assume that he had always had a knack for administration!

• Richard Nixon was the 37th U.S. President and was elected in the year 1968.
• He assumed office as the president in the year 1969.
• His presidential rule was not too successful, as he made poor decisions and tried to cover them up by controlling media coverage.
• Before being elected as the president of the United States of America, he was vice president for Dwight D. Eisenhower.
• He joined the office as President Eisenhower's Vice President in the year 1952 and held the office for no less than eight years.
• As a vice president, he was very involved and keen to serve Eisenhower.
• Before this, he won a seat in the House of Representatives in the year 1946.
• He also became a member of the Senate.
• In the year 1960, he ran in the presidential election and lost to John F. Kennedy in one of the closest elections ever to be held in the history of the nation.
• He then ran in the election to become the Governor of California and faced a second defeat.
• This was the point of his life wherein people assumed that his political career would end.
• However, Richard Nixon made a stunning comeback into politics through the 1968 presidential campaign and won.
• He was elected for a second term but had to resign.
• This was because the Supreme Court ordered the release of secret tapes that clearly showed his corruption.
• Before this, even his vice president had to resign based on his own corruption and falsely promising people benefits in exchange for money.
• After his presidency came to an end, Nixon moved to New York City with his entire family and tried to seek pardon for his deeds.
• He later advised future presidents on matters revolving around foreign affairs.
• He died of a stroke in the year 1994.
• Richard Nixon may have been a controversial president, but he was loved enough for his funeral to be attended by many presidents, such as Bill Clinton, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan.

Nixon's Hobbies

Nixon's personality has been described as very complex by many of the people that he held dear. His hobbies mostly unknown, however, we do have some facts to share!

• Nixon was born to a family in California that struggled greatly in terms of finances.
• As a child, Richard Nixon was troubled by the financial struggles and aimed to get past them.
• Nixon was an excellent student and was given a scholarship to study at Duke College.
• He met his wife, Patricia Ryan, at the Whittier College.
• His favorite foods included cottage cheese, meatloaf, ice cream sundaes, and spicy pepperoni salad.
• Nixon was an avid bowler, with bowling being one of his favorite pastimes in the White House.
• As a student, Nixon acted in plays whilst also doing exceptionally well in academics!