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Richard Nixon was born on January 9, 1913, in California.

Nixon grew up relatively poor, yet his parents ensured he and his brothers, who died young, never knew how poor they actually were. In school Nixon did very well and was accepted to Harvard, but his parents could not afford the tuition, so he enrolled in a smaller local college. Nixon was then accepted into Duke University Law School on a scholarship and upon graduation he returned to his small hometown to join a local law firm.

Nixon briefly served in the military and when he returned home he was encouraged to run for Congress, where he was voted to a seat in the House of Representatives. Nixon quickly gained popularity and was sent to Europe to monitor the Marshall Plan, a multi-billion dollar loan from America to European nations who were struggling to rebuild economically after World War II. His efforts in Europe earned him high-praise by government officials for how he handled foreign affairs. Nixon made his mark on the House Un-American Activities Committee where he investigated the Alger Hiss espionage case.

Nixon’s big break came when Dwight Eisenhower chose him to be his vice president.

Nixon showed his strong political acumen with the passing of key legislation like the Civil Rights Act of 1957 and the Social Security Act when Eisenhower was sick and out of office. Nixon worked to expand the role of the vice president and was the one of the first vice presidents to take on a major role in foreign affairs.

In 1960, Nixon ran for President against John F. Kennedy. Although Nixon was lauded for the substance of his arguments in the presidential debates, he ultimately failed to overcome the movie-star qualities of his opponent and was defeated. When Lyndon B. Johnson decided against running for reelection in 1968, Nixon was again ready for a run at the White House. This time, Nixon won the presidential election.