January 9, 1913- Birthdate of Richard Nixon

"A man is not finished when he's defeated; he's finished when he quits."

37th President, 1969-1974-Remarks attributed to Nixon upon conceding the Presidential election of 1960 to John F. Kennedy.Nixon had spent eight years as Dwight Eisenhower's Vice-President and had gained much political experience.in that office. He was defeated by Kennedy in one of the closest and controversial elections since 1916. One highlight of the election was a series of the first ever televised Presidential debates, ushering in the great age of televised politics. Those who listened to the debates on radio indicated they believed Nixon had prevailed, while those who viewed the debates on television believed Kennedy had won, based on his appearance and demeanor. Nixon stayed in political life and was defeated again in the California gubernatorial election of 1962. In fitting application to his quote, however, he ran again for President and was elected in 1968. He was President when the United States first landed a man on the moon in 1969, fulfilling Kennedy's quest to do so by the end of the decade. As the Apollo space program wound down, Nixon signed a bill authoring $5.5 million authorizing the development of the space shuttle program. Nixon presided over the end of the Vietnam War and the student protests over foreign policy. He negotiated Nuclear Arms treaties with Russia and opened trade and communication with China. In the wake of the Watergate scandal, he became the first President to resign office on August 9, 1974. His Presidential Library and final resting place are located in Yorba Linda, California.