The new TV show Gaslit aims to shine a light on the lesser-known stories around the Watergate scandal. It has been adapted by Robbie Pickering from the podcast Slow Burn.
Gaslit’s first episode is now available on StarzPlay. Episodes will drop weekly until June 12, which coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Watergate scandal.
The scandal, which involved wiretapping, recorded White House tapes and hush money resulted in a big crisis in the United States. President Richard Nixon resigned two years later as a result of the scandal.
Read more: Who is in the Gaslit TV series cast alongside Julia Roberts and Sean Penn?
But what was the Watergate scandal and when did it happen? Here’s everything you need to know.
What was the Watergate scandal?
Richard Nixon, the Republican President of the United States, was fighting for re-election against Democrat George McGovern. In order to steal confidential information, Nixon hired former FBI and CIA officers to sneak into the Democratic Party and George McGovern’s headquarters months before the election.
When the men were discovered, Nixon tried his best to hide his involvement but The Washing Post, particularly reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, didn’t let the President get away with his actions and revealed his wrongdoings. As a result, two years later Nixon resigned.
When did it happen?
The events took place during and after the 1972 US presidential election. The name Watergate comes from the Washington hotel of the same name where the first crime and break-in occurred.
Nixon later resigned in order to avoid being impeached. His resignation meant that the US Congress would be unable to impeach him and charge him with his crimes. Nixon’s vice-president, Gerald Ford, became President by default.
