Watergate scandal: Here is a timeline of how events unfolded

It all began when a vigilant night watchman noticed a piece of tape on a door of the building where the Democratic National Committee's headquarters was located in Washington in June 1972.

Calling the police, he triggered the&nbsp;Watergate&nbsp;scandal that would topple the presidency of Richard Nixon, the only US leader ever to resign.

The tape, it turned out, was placed during a break-in by five men who had been tasked by officials with ties to the White House with placing microphones and taking pictures of documents to find compromising information on Nixon's opponents.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/us-election-2020-controversies-associated-with-watergate-scandal-reporter-bob-woodward-326637">&nbsp;US election 2020: Controversies associated with Watergate scandal reporter Bob Woodward</a>

Tape on a door

The night of June 16-17, 24-year-old security guard Frank Wills was making the rounds at the&nbsp;Watergate&nbsp;buliding complex when he noticed the tape on a door that prevented it from locking.

At first, he didn't worry, removing it and continuing working.

But when he returned, so had the tape, leading him to suspect a break-in had occurred. Wills -- who plays himself for a few seconds at the beginning of the film "All the President's Men" that chronicles the saga -- immediately called police.

"Found tape on door. Call police to make a inspection," he wrote in a building security officer's log, which has been preserved by the US National Archives.

Police officers arrived on the scene within "a minute, a minute and a half," one of them, John Barrett, told ABC News in 2017.

He and fellow officer Paul Leeper were dressed in plain clothes, and were even a little scruffy.

That worked in their favor, as Alfred Baldwin, the man who was supposed to be keeping watch during the break-in, did not seem to notice them right away. His attention may have been focused on the movie "Attack of the Puppet People," which was being shown on TV.

"He was glued to the TV set," and by the time he warned the others, "it was too late and they had to run and hide like rats," Barrett said.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: US stocks fall into bear market territory

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Come out with your hands up

Once inside the office, the two officers found tape on several doors, realizing that something fishy was going on.

"Our adrenaline is pumped," Leeper told ABC.

They found ransacked offices and suspected that the perpetrators were still present, and started to search for them room by room.

Suddenly, Barrett saw an arm. "It scared the living bejeezus out of me," he said.

"I scream something to the effect, 'Come out with your hands up or I'm gonna blow your head off.'"

"Ten hands went up, and they came out, and that's where the arrest occurred," Barrett said.

Across the street, Baldwin had his ear to a walkie-talkie. "In a very soft whisper, I heard a voice: They've got us," he said.

Not a 'typical burglary'

The 10 hands belonged to James McCord, Virgilio Gonzalez, Frank Sturgis, Eugenio Martinez and Bernard Barker.

The police soon realized that this "was not your normal, typical burglary," Barrett said.

Not only were the burglars dressed in suits and ties, but they had bugging devices, tear gas pens, numerous rolls of film, locksmith tools, and thousands of dollars in hundred dollar bills, he said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/g-gordon-liddy-watergate-break-in-mastermind-dies-at-90-374414">G Gordon Liddy, Watergate break-in mastermind, dies at 90</a>

On June 18, The Washington Post published its first article on the subject. It was bylined Alfred E Lewis, the reporter covering the police. But its list of contributors at the end also included the names Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein.

The two young reporters took over, investigating the details of the case that brought down Nixon's presidency two years later, and winning the prestigious Pulitzer Prize for their work.

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It all began when a vigilant night watchman noticed a piece of tape on a door of the building where the Democratic National Committee's headquarters was located in Washington in June 1972.

It all began when a vigilant night watchman noticed a piece of tape on a door of the building where the Democratic National Committee's headquarters was located in Washington in June 1972. Calling the police, he triggered the Watergate scandal that would topple the presidency of Richard Nixon, the only US leader ever to resign. The tape, it turned out, was placed during a break-in by five men who had been tasked by officials with ties to the White House with placing microphones and taking pictures of documents to find compromising information on Nixon's opponents. Also read | US election 2020: Controversies associated with Watergate scandal reporter Bob Woodward Tape on a door The night of June 16-17, 24-year-old security guard Frank Wills was making the rounds at the Watergate buliding complex when he noticed the tape on a door that prevented it from locking. At first, he didn't worry, removing it and continuing working. But when he returned, so had the tape, leading him to suspect a break-in had occurred. Wills -- who plays himself for a few seconds at the beginning of the film "All the President's Men" that chronicles the saga -- immediately called police. "Found tape on door. Call police to make a inspection," he wrote in a building security officer's log, which has been preserved by the US National Archives. Police officers arrived on the scene within "a minute, a minute and a half," one of them, John Barrett, told ABC News in 2017. He and fellow officer Paul Leeper were dressed in plain clothes, and were even a little scruffy. That worked in their favor, as Alfred Baldwin, the man who was supposed to be keeping watch during the break-in, did not seem to notice them right away. His attention may have been focused on the movie "Attack of the Puppet People," which was being shown on TV. "He was glued to the TV set," and by the time he warned the others, "it was too late and they had to run and hide like rats," Barrett said. Watch | Gravitas: US stocks fall into bear market territory Come out with your hands up Once inside the office, the two officers found tape on several doors, realizing that something fishy was going on. "Our adrenaline is pumped," Leeper told ABC. They found ransacked offices and suspected that the perpetrators were still present, and started to search for them room by room. Suddenly, Barrett saw an arm. "It scared the living bejeezus out of me," he said. "I scream something to the effect, 'Come out with your hands up or I'm gonna blow your head off.'" "Ten hands went up, and they came out, and that's where the arrest occurred," Barrett said. Across the street, Baldwin had his ear to a walkie-talkie. "In a very soft whisper, I heard a voice: They've got us," he said. Not a 'typical burglary' The 10 hands belonged to James McCord, Virgilio Gonzalez, Frank Sturgis, Eugenio Martinez and Bernard Barker. The police soon realized that this "was not your normal, typical burglary," Barrett said. Not only were the burglars dressed in suits and ties, but they had bugging devices, tear gas pens, numerous rolls of film, locksmith tools, and thousands of dollars in hundred dollar bills, he said. Also read | G Gordon Liddy, Watergate break-in mastermind, dies at 90 On June 18, The Washington Post published its first article on the subject. It was bylined Alfred E Lewis, the reporter covering the police. But its list of contributors at the end also included the names Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. The two young reporters took over, investigating the details of the case that brought down Nixon's presidency two years later, and winning the prestigious Pulitzer Prize for their work. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Watergate: The president-toppling scandal triggered by a piece of tape

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G Gordon Liddy, a key figure in the 1972 break-in at the Democratic Party's offices in the Watergate building -- the scandal that ended Richard Nixon's presidency -- has died at the age of 90, US media reported Tuesday.

Liddy, a former FBI agent, political strategist and lawyer, orchestrated two break-ins at the Watergate offices of the Democratic National Convention during Nixon's campaign for re-election.

The first time, he oversaw an operation to plant bugs in the offices to help the Nixon campaign understand what their Democratic rival George McGovern was planning. When he sent another group of operatives back to the offices several weeks later, they were caught by police and the plot unraveled.

Liddy was charged with burglary, wiretapping and conspiracy.

He was sentenced to six to 20 years for the plot, but served only 52 months when his sentence was commuted by Jimmy Carter, the Democrat who defeated Gerald Ford, Nixon's vice president who took over when Nixon became the first sitting US president to resign.&nbsp;

After his release from prison, Liddy wrote thrillers and non-fiction books, including his own account of the Watergate break-ins and his time in prison, and later became a talk show radio figure and even made an appearance in the cop show "Miami Vice."

Liddy died at the Virginia home of his daughter, his son told the New York Times. The death was not related to Covid-19 and Liddy had been suffering from Parkinson’s disease, the family said.

G Gordon Liddy, a key figure in the 1972 break-in at the Democratic Party's offices in the Watergate building -- the scandal that ended Richard Nixon's presidency -- has died at the age of 90, US media reported Tuesday.

G Gordon Liddy, a key figure in the 1972 break-in at the Democratic Party's offices in the Watergate building -- the scandal that ended Richard Nixon's presidency -- has died at the age of 90, US media reported Tuesday. Liddy, a former FBI agent, political strategist and lawyer, orchestrated two break-ins at the Watergate offices of the Democratic National Convention during Nixon's campaign for re-election. The first time, he oversaw an operation to plant bugs in the offices to help the Nixon campaign understand what their Democratic rival George McGovern was planning. When he sent another group of operatives back to the offices several weeks later, they were caught by police and the plot unraveled. Liddy was charged with burglary, wiretapping and conspiracy. He was sentenced to six to 20 years for the plot, but served only 52 months when his sentence was commuted by Jimmy Carter, the Democrat who defeated Gerald Ford, Nixon's vice president who took over when Nixon became the first sitting US president to resign. After his release from prison, Liddy wrote thrillers and non-fiction books, including his own account of the Watergate break-ins and his time in prison, and later became a talk show radio figure and even made an appearance in the cop show "Miami Vice." Liddy died at the Virginia home of his daughter, his son told the New York Times. The death was not related to Covid-19 and Liddy had been suffering from Parkinson’s disease, the family said.

G Gordon Liddy, Watergate break-in mastermind, dies at 90

US election 2020: Controversies associated with Watergate scandal reporter Bob Woodward