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The Watergate scandal constitutes a 26-month sequence of events that progressed from a specific criminal act to a systemic constitutional crisis. This chronology documents the key actions, investigations, and revelations that led from the arrest of five burglars at the Democratic National Committee headquarters to the resignation of President Richard M. Nixon. The narrative is one of escalating legal and political pressure, where initial denials were systematically dismantled by journalistic investigation, congressional hearings, judicial rulings, and ultimately, the evidence contained within the White House’s own recording system. Phase I: The Foundation of Covert Operations (1971 – May 1972) The June…