Saturday Night Massacre: Nixon Fires His Prosecutors
President Nixon ordered Attorney General Elliot Richardson to fire Watergate special prosecutor Archibald Cox on the evening of October 20, 1973. Richardson refused and resigned. Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus also refused and was fired. Solicitor General Robert Bork, third in line, carried out the order. The FBI sealed the offices of Richardson, Ruckelshaus, and Cox under White House orders. The public reaction was immediate and furious: Western Union reported the heaviest volume of telegrams in its history, nearly all demanding Nixon's impeachment. Within ten days, the House Judiciary Committee began formal impeachment proceedings. Nixon was forced to appoint a new special prosecutor, Leon Jaworski, who proved even more aggressive than Cox. The 'Saturday Night Massacre' accelerated Nixon's downfall by nine months.
October 20, 1973
53 years ago
Key Figures & Places
Richard Nixon
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Watergate scandal
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United States Attorney General
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Robert Bork
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Archibald Cox
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Elliot Richardson
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Attorney General
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Saturday Night Massacre
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Deputy Attorney General
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William Ruckelshaus
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United States Deputy Attorney General
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Special prosecutor
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Watergate scandal
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Saturday Night Massacre
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Richard Nixon
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Elliot Richardson
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William Ruckelshaus
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Archibald Cox
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Robert Bork
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What Else Happened on October 20
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The Duke of Alba crushed William the Silent’s forces at the Battle of Jodoigne, scattering the Dutch rebel army and forcing William into exile. This victory sec…
Spanish troops waded through fifteen miles of freezing, waist-deep seawater in a single night to reach the besieged city of Goes. This grueling amphibious maneu…
Cristóbal de Mondragón led 3,000 Spanish soldiers through ten miles of freezing, waist-deep seawater to surprise the Dutch rebels besieging Goes. This daring mi…
Royal Navy forces captured the pirate John Rackham, known as Calico Jack, off the coast of Jamaica after his crew failed to mount a defense while intoxicated. H…
Maria Theresa inherited the Austrian throne in 1740 at age 23. Her father had spent years securing promises that Europe would accept a female ruler. France, Pru…
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