Life and Background

- Richard Nixon was born on January 9, 1913 to Francis A. Nixon and Hannah Milhous Nixon in Yorba Linda, CA.

- He had four brothers, Harold, Donald, Arthur and Ed

- He went through hardships since his early life. Two of his brothers died before getting to 21, and his father’s business kept on failing.

- He graduated high school at Whittier High School with an outstanding grade, second in his class in 1930.

- He earned scholarships from Harvard and Yale, but couldn’t go due to financial problems. Instead he went to Whittier College.

- In his college, he was a well known debater, was involved in drama production, student body president, football, basketball player, and a track runner.

- In 1934, he graduated second from Whittier College, and got full scholarship from
Duke Univ. and graduated third.

- On June 21, 1940, he got married to Thelma Pat Ryan, and had 2 daughters, Patricia and Julie

- He returned to California and practiced law at La Habra, until he went off to fight at the Pacific as a lieutenant commander during the WWII.

- 1946, he was elected as a republican to a house of representatives, and to the Senate in 1950.

- He was selected as a running mate for Dwight D. Eisenhower and in 1952 Presidential Election, he got to be the youngest vice president in history at the age of 39.

- In 1960, he lost presidential election to JFK very closely and a seat as a governor of California in 1962.

- In 1968, he made a dramatic comeback and won the election as a president.