Richard Nixon’s sterling law career and distinguished service in the Navy during  WW II provided the fuel for a rocketing ride to the top of political circles. It may have all happened a little too fast for Nixon to quite internalize the limits to his power. The president who would eventually resign in disgrace first had to fight off a taint of corruption about him as the vice presidential candidate on the Republican ticket. The NY Post broke the story, of campaign donors contributing to Nixon’s personal expense account, in exchange for influence. Outrage followed, and Nixon took to the airwaves to answer the allegations and possibly save himself from being thrown off the ticket.

On this day, September 23, in 1952, Richard Nixon sat down to face NBC cameras (and CBS radio microphones) in a deserted showroom at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles, to give his “Checkers” speec. “My fellow Americans,” he began, “I come before you tonight as a candidate for the Vice Presidency and as a man whose honesty and integrity have been questioned.”

Nixon continued, with the occasional studder: “The usual political thing to do when charges are made against you is to either ignore them or to deny them without giving details. I believe we’ve had enough of that in the United States, particularly with the present Administration in Washington, D.C.” He said the fund in question was for campaign expenses, and never used for personal favors — and released the results of a thorough financial audit on himself, challenging the Democrats to do the same. Regardless of what anyone said, Nixon concluded, there would be one donation that he would keep no matter what: a black and white spotted American Cocker Spaniel named Checkers.