January 9, 1913 – Richard Nixon was Born

January 9

Copy of Richard Nixon Portrait

Richard Milhous Nixon, the second of five sons, was born in Yorba Linda, California, on January 9, 1913. He grew up in a small, hardworking family that operated a modest lemon ranch. Financial struggles, tragedy, and an unrelenting drive for success defined his early life.

Nixon’s upbringing taught him resilience. Two of his brothers died young, and his parents—Frank and Hannah Nixon—instilled in him a deep sense of perseverance and ambition. He attended Whittier College, a small Quaker institution near his hometown, where he excelled academically and showed early signs of political skill. After earning a scholarship to Duke University School of Law, he graduated third in his class in 1937.

In 1940, Nixon married Thelma “Pat” Ryan, a schoolteacher he met during a community theater production. 

Nixon’s political rise began in earnest in 1946 when he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, defeating a five-term Democratic incumbent. In the late 1940s, he gained national attention as a member of the House Un-American Activities Committee, particularly for investigating Alger Hiss, a State Department official accused of being a Soviet spy. This victory catapulted Nixon to the Senate in 1950 and, just two years later, to the vice presidency under Dwight D. Eisenhower.

While he was vice president, Nixon traveled extensively, showcasing his anti-communist stance during the Cold War. His debates with Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, famously dubbed the “Kitchen Debates,” displayed his sharp rhetoric and strategic thinking.

Nixon’s first presidential run in 1960 ended in a narrow defeat to John F. Kennedy. Though devastated, he staged a remarkable comeback eight years later, winning the presidency in 1968 and re-election in 1972. However, his legacy remains overshadowed by the Watergate scandal, which led to his resignation in 1974—the first and only U.S. president to step down from office.