Richard Nixon, the 37th president of the United States, was born on January 9, 1913 in Yorba Linda, California. First elected to public office in 1946 representing California’s 12th congressional district, Nixon was elected to the US Senate in 1950 and two years later won the first of two terms as vice president of the United States. Winning the presidency in 1968, he was re-elected in 1972 in one of the largest victories in US history. One of America’s most prolific former presidents, Nixon’s bestselling books influenced the conduct of American foreign policy long after he left the White House.