Nixon makes historic visit to China, warming ties with a state seen as a counterbalance to the Soviet Union. Diplomatic immunities and privileges were granted to the Chinese Liaison Office the following year.
Richard Nixon won the presidency in a landslide, taking every state but Massachusetts, which voted for challenger George McGovern.
The Endangered Species Act passed, granting key protections endorsed by rising environmentalist movement.
Following the Watergate scandal, Nixon became the only US president to have resigned the office.
Carter mediated negotiations for a peace treaty between Egypt and Israel, marking a highlight of his administration.
Spurred by popular discontent, the Pahlavi monarchy fell, resulting in conservative clerical rule of a new Islamic Republic of Iran.
Energy shortages in the 1970s increased after the OPEC embargo of 1973, with American frustration at its peak as drivers were forced to wait in gas lines for hours in 1979. Carter responded to this crisis with his "Crisis of Confidence" speech, a defining event of his presidency.
The Three Mile Island accident was the worst of its kind in American history. Congress proposed increased regulation but ultimately did not halt construction of new reactors.