On August 8, 1974, President Richard Nixon announced his resignation from the presidency, becoming the first U.S. president to do so. This decision came in the wake of the Watergate scandal, a political scandal involving a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters and subsequent cover-up efforts by Nixon's administration. Nixon's resignation was prompted by mounting pressure from Congress and the public, as well as the likelihood of impeachment. Following his resignation, Vice President Gerald Ford assumed the presidency and later granted Nixon a pardon for any crimes he may have committed while in office.