Richard Nixon Leaves the White House (1974)
Following the Watergate scandal, Nixon’s insistence that he was “not a crook” had convinced everyone that “crook” was the best word to describe him. Nevertheless, when he officially left the White House on Aug. 9, 1974, via helicopter following his resignation, Nixon failed to read his audience correctly and went out waving as if he’d just made the best move of his career. The result is a photo of an oddly jubilant former President.