A Day That Shook The World: President Nixon resigns

(Hulton Archive/Getty)

On 8 August 1974, Richard Nixon became the first US president in history to resign, following the Watergate scandal.

It took two-and-a-half years to get him, but he was finally toppled by the extent of his involvement in the break-in at the Watergate building - then the headquarters of the Democratic Party's election campaign.

When it eventually became clear that Nixon had lied about his involvement, he had to go.

Watch original footage from Nixon's resignation in this British Pathé video, above.