The Watergate scandal was a major political scandal in the United States that occurred during the administration of President Richard Nixon from 1972 to 1974 and led to Nixons resignation. The scandal began with the Nixon administrations attempts to cover up its involvement in the June 17, 1972, break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, D.C., at the Watergate Office Building. The scandal involved an array of clandestine and often illegal activities undertaken by members of the Nixon administration, including bugging the offices of political opponents and people of whom Nixon or his officials were suspicious, ordering investigations of activist groups and political figures, and more.

The scandal was revealed following the arrest of five burglars at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Watergate office-apartment-hotel complex in Washington, D.C. on June 17, 1972. The burglars were caught by a night guard who noticed a suspiciously taped-open exit door and alerted authorities. The scandal led to Nixons resignation on August 9, 1974, after he faced likely impeachment for his role in covering up the scandal.

The Watergate scandal had profound consequences in the United States, including changes in campaign finance reform and a more aggressive attitude by the media. It was an attempt to subvert the American political process itself and was the worst scandal in American history. The scandal resulted in 69 people being indicted and 48 people, many of them top Nixon administration officials, being convicted.