The infamous Watergate scandal rocked the nation unlike any other. On June 17, 1972, five men broke into the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate hotel in Washington, D.C. This led to an investigation, which exposed as a President Richard Nixon, as a key player, who was essentially forced to resign. This essay will take a deeper look into the who, what, when, and where, as well as the cause and effect of Watergate. Though the actual burglary took place on June 17, 1972, the events that led to the burglary and proceeding investigations are often overlooked. This section will explain the reasons for the burglary, which is essential for understanding the rest of the story. People widely believe that the Watergate began with the publishing of the Pentagon Papers, a series of documents regarding the secrets of the Vietnam War (Washington Post, Timeline). They were initially published by the New York Times on June 13, 1971, and several other news organizations followed. Later, on September 9, 1971, the White House gathered information about the man who leaked the papers, Daniel Ellsberg. Daniel Ellsberg was a veteran with ties to the RAND Corporation, a think tank that “exist[s] to help policymakers make decisions that are based on the best available information (RAND, Vision).” These ties allowed him to make copies of the Pentagon Papers and distribute them. This led to him being sentenced to 115 years in prison, a sentence which was