Reconciliation was the first goal set by President Richard M. Nixon. The nation was painfully divided, with turmoil in the cities and wars abroad. During his presidency, Nixon managed to end American fighting in Vietnam and improve relations with the USSR and China. But the Watergate scandal brought new divisions to the country and ultimately led to his resignation. His election in 1968 marked the culmination of an unusual career for two reasons: his early success and his return after defeat to the office of President in 1960 and Governor of California in 1962. Born in California in 1913, Nixon achieved brilliant results at Whittier College and Duke University Law School before beginning the practice of law. In 1940 he married Patricia Ryan; they had two daughters, Patricia (Tricia) and Julie. During World War II, Nixon served as a lieutenant commander of the Navy in the Pacific. After leaving the service, he was elected to Congress from his California district. In 1950 he won a seat in the Senate. Two years later, General Eisenhower chose Nixon, 39, as his running mate. As vice president, Nixon took on important duties in the Eisenhower administration. Nominated president by acclamation in 1960, he narrowly lost to John F. Kennedy. In 1968, he won his party's nomination again and defeated Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey and third-party candidate George C. Wallace. His successes while in office included revenue sharing, ending the draft, new anti-crime laws, and a broad environmental program. As he had promised, he appointed conservative justices to the Supreme Court. One of the most dramatic events of his first term occurred in 1969, when American astronauts made the first moon landing. Some of his most acclaimed successes came from his pursuit of global stability. During visits in 1972 to Beijing and Moscow, he reduced tensions with China and the USSR. His summit meetings with Russian leader Leonid I. Brezhnev produced a treaty to limit strategic nuclear weapons. In January 1973 he announced an agreement with North Vietnam to end American involvement in Indochina. In 1974, his Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, negotiated disengagement agreements between Israel and its opponents, Egypt and Syria. In his 1972 bid for office, Nixon defeated Democratic nominee George McGovern by one of the largest margins on record. Within a few months, his administration was embroiled in the so-called "Watergate" scandal, stemming from a break-in at the offices of the Democratic National Committee during the Democratic National Committee's campaign. 1972.