By early August 1974, the combination of the Supreme Court decision, release of additional White House tape evidence and House Judiciary Committee impeachment votes had left President Nixon with little remaining support in Congress.
Nixon announced his intention to resign in a televised address on the evening of 8 August. His resignation became effective on 9 August 1974, making him the first president of the United States to resign from office.
Vice President Gerald Ford then became president. On 8 September 1974 Ford granted Nixon a full pardon for any federal offences Nixon had committed or might have committed while president. Nixon’s resignation remains the culminating political event of the Watergate scandal.
Source and provenance: National Archives: Nixon and Watergate. This page is a concise historical guide linked to the structured Watergate records in the World History Database.