A Brief History
On January 5, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon announced the Space Shuttle program, an American space exploration system that would go on to make 135 trips to space over 3 decades, carrying astronauts from 16 different countries. Today, we list a few of Nixon’s accomplishments often overlooked by his Watergate complicity.
Digging Deeper
He was president during the first Moon Landing in 1969.
He decreased Cold War tension with the USSR, known as “Détente” in 1969.
He worked to racially desegregate the US from 1969 to 1974.
He established the EPA and other environmental initiatives in 1970.
He established OSHA in 1970.
He ended large scale US participation in the Vietnam War in 1972.
He initiated normal relations with China in 1972.
He endorsed the Equal Rights Amendment in 1972.
He helped Israel during the 1973 Arab-Israeli War without direct US involvement.
Question for students (and subscribers): What do you think is the greatest accomplishment or contribution by Richard Nixon as President? Please let us know in the comments section below this article.
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Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Farrell, John. Richard Nixon: The Life. Vintage, 2018.
Nixon, Richard. The Memoirs of Richard Nixon. Grosset & Dunlap, 1978.
The featured image in this article, a photograph by Ollie Atkins, White House photographer of Richard Nixon giving his trademark “victory” sign while in Paoli, PA (Western Philadelphia Suburbs/Main Line) during his successful campaign to become President of the United States, is a work of an employee of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, taken or made as part of that person’s official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, it is in the public domain.
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