http://www.life.com/images/logo.png http://www.life.com/image/first/in-gallery/25331/the-nixon-you-didnt-know http://www.life.com/image/3226600 Four-year-old Richard Nixon poses in a sailor suit in 1917. Nixon was born to a strict Quaker household scarred by tragedy. Two of his brothers died before he was 21, and his father suffered financial failure.]]> 3226600 Mon, 01 Jan 1917 03:00:00 EST Four-year-old Richard Nixon poses in a sailor suit in 1917. Nixon was born to a strict Quaker household scarred by tragedy. Two of his brothers died before he was 21, and his father suffered financial failure.]]> Hulton Archive 2010 gettyImages.com http://www.life.com/image/2716957 A young Nixon holds a violin. In the Nixon household, drinking, dancing, and swearing were strictly forbidden. He'd be famous for indulging in at least two of those vices as president.]]> 2716957 Sat, 01 Jan 1927 03:00:00 EST A young Nixon holds a violin. In the Nixon household, drinking, dancing, and swearing were strictly forbidden. He'd be famous for indulging in at least two of those vices as president.]]> Archive Photos 2010 gettyImages.com http://www.life.com/image/3134429 Nixon wears the No. 12 jersey for the Whittier College football team circa 1930. The Nixon family's poverty forced the bright youth to give up scholarships to Harvard and Yale and attend the local Quaker school instead.]]> 3134429 Wed, 01 Jan 1930 03:00:00 EST Nixon wears the No. 12 jersey for the Whittier College football team circa 1930. The Nixon family's poverty forced the bright youth to give up scholarships to Harvard and Yale and attend the local Quaker school instead.]]> Fox Photos 2010 gettyImages.com http://www.life.com/image/50876082 U.S. Sen. Richard Nixon and wife Pat speak with Tallulah Bankhead and gossip columnist Hedda Hopper in 1950. Nixon adored his wife, though she originally had no interest in him. Before they married, he even drove her on dates with other men.]]> 50876082 Wed, 01 Nov 1950 03:00:00 EST U.S. Sen. Richard Nixon and wife Pat speak with Tallulah Bankhead and gossip columnist Hedda Hopper in 1950. Nixon adored his wife, though she originally had no interest in him. Before they married, he even drove her on dates with other men.]]> Ed Clark. 2010 gettyImages.com http://www.life.com/image/50652198 Vice presidential candidate Richard M. Nixon eats alone in his private room in 1952. "The more you stay in this kind of job, the more you realize that a public figure, a major public figure, is a lonely man," he once said.]]> 50652198 Fri, 01 Aug 1952 03:00:00 EDT Vice presidential candidate Richard M. Nixon eats alone in his private room in 1952. "The more you stay in this kind of job, the more you realize that a public figure, a major public figure, is a lonely man," he once said.]]> Cornell Capa. 2010 gettyImages.com http://www.life.com/image/3134442 Richard Nixon with his wife and their daughters Julie and Tricia take a break from his his first year as vice president in 1953. ]]> 3134442 Thu, 01 Jan 1953 03:00:00 EST Richard Nixon with his wife and their daughters Julie and Tricia take a break from his his first year as vice president in 1953. ]]> Fox Photos 2010 gettyImages.com http://www.life.com/image/50404496 Vice President Richard M. Nixon kisses the bride at his brother Edward C. Nixon's wedding at Pensacola Naval Air Station in 1957. "Dick was always reserved. He was the studious one of the bunch, always doing more reading while the rest of us were out having more fun," brother Donald Nixon said.]]> 50404496 Sat, 01 Jun 1957 03:00:00 EDT Vice President Richard M. Nixon kisses the bride at his brother Edward C. Nixon's wedding at Pensacola Naval Air Station in 1957. "Dick was always reserved. He was the studious one of the bunch, always doing more reading while the rest of us were out having more fun," brother Donald Nixon said.]]> Joseph Scherschel. 2010 gettyImages.com http://www.life.com/image/50395817 Vice President Richard M. Nixon reads the Washington Post at the table while his two daughters clean up spilled cream in 1953.]]> 50395817 Wed, 01 Jul 1953 03:00:00 EDT Vice President Richard M. Nixon reads the Washington Post at the table while his two daughters clean up spilled cream in 1953.]]> Hank Walker. 2010 gettyImages.com http://www.life.com/image/50401588 Vice President Richard M. Nixon balances a bottle on his head during the Paraguayan bottle dance in 1958. Nixon won praise for his calm handling of his many, sometimes contentious, goodwill trips overseas as veep. ]]> 50401588 Thu, 01 May 1958 03:00:00 EDT Vice President Richard M. Nixon balances a bottle on his head during the Paraguayan bottle dance in 1958. Nixon won praise for his calm handling of his many, sometimes contentious, goodwill trips overseas as veep. ]]> Paul Schutzer. 2010 gettyImages.com http://www.life.com/image/50388325 Nixon greets Hungarian children in refugee camp in 1956. "While he is likely to maintain a serious, almost brooding countenance in the company of three or four persons, he lights up like a Christmas tree when confronted with a crowd," his secretary of state William Rogers said. "He genuinely likes people."]]> 50388325 Sun, 01 Jan 1956 03:00:00 EST Nixon greets Hungarian children in refugee camp in 1956. "While he is likely to maintain a serious, almost brooding countenance in the company of three or four persons, he lights up like a Christmas tree when confronted with a crowd," his secretary of state William Rogers said. "He genuinely likes people."]]> Loomis Dean. 2010 gettyImages.com http://www.life.com/image/81927598 Former vice president Nixon wets the wood-shingled roof of his rental house during a Los Angeles fire in 1961. "Never let your head hang down," he said. "Never give up and sit down and grieve. Find another way. And don't pray when it rains if you don't pray when the sun shines."]]> 81927598 Wed, 01 Nov 1961 03:00:00 EST Former vice president Nixon wets the wood-shingled roof of his rental house during a Los Angeles fire in 1961. "Never let your head hang down," he said. "Never give up and sit down and grieve. Find another way. And don't pray when it rains if you don't pray when the sun shines."]]> Allan Grant. 2010 gettyImages.com http://www.life.com/image/72385408 Richard Nixon climbs up a ladder to check on his daughter Tricia and her friend Carol Crain in their treehouse in 1958.]]> 72385408 Wed, 01 Jan 1958 03:00:00 EST Richard Nixon climbs up a ladder to check on his daughter Tricia and her friend Carol Crain in their treehouse in 1958.]]> Hank Walker 2010 gettyImages.com http://www.life.com/image/50401668 Vice President Richard M. Nixon inspects wool at a textile factory in 1958. "I think basically he is shy, and like a lot of shy people he appears not to be warm," secretary Rose Mary Woods said.]]> 50401668 Thu, 01 May 1958 03:00:00 EDT Vice President Richard M. Nixon inspects wool at a textile factory in 1958. "I think basically he is shy, and like a lot of shy people he appears not to be warm," secretary Rose Mary Woods said.]]> Paul Schutzer. 2010 gettyImages.com http://www.life.com/image/50401662 Vice President Richard M. Nixon picks out a juicy sausage at a barbecue given by former Uruguayan president Luis Berres Batlle in 1958.]]> 50401662 Thu, 01 May 1958 03:00:00 EDT Vice President Richard M. Nixon picks out a juicy sausage at a barbecue given by former Uruguayan president Luis Berres Batlle in 1958.]]> Paul Schutzer. 2010 gettyImages.com http://www.life.com/image/3069556 Vice President Nixon and Pat watch a dancer during a visit to the Gold Coast in 1957. "Being first lady is the hardest unpaid job in the world," she would say later.]]> 3069556 Tue, 01 Jan 1957 03:00:00 EST Vice President Nixon and Pat watch a dancer during a visit to the Gold Coast in 1957. "Being first lady is the hardest unpaid job in the world," she would say later.]]> MPI 2010 gettyImages.com http://www.life.com/image/50571964 Vice President gets down and dirty in a Soviet copper mine in 1959. "Scrubbing floors and emptying bedpans has as much dignity as the presidency," he said.]]> 50571964 Wed, 01 Jul 1959 03:00:00 EDT Vice President gets down and dirty in a Soviet copper mine in 1959. "Scrubbing floors and emptying bedpans has as much dignity as the presidency," he said.]]> Howard Sochurek. 2010 gettyImages.com http://www.life.com/image/50567159 Nixon proves he can give as good as he gets playing in snow at Lawrence College in 1959.]]> 50567159 Sun, 01 Nov 1959 03:00:00 EST Nixon proves he can give as good as he gets playing in snow at Lawrence College in 1959.]]> Paul Schutzer. 2010 gettyImages.com http://www.life.com/image/50560626 Vice President Nixon dons the war bonnet of a Native American from the Plains in 1960.]]> 50560626 Wed, 01 Jun 1960 03:00:00 EDT Vice President Nixon dons the war bonnet of a Native American from the Plains in 1960.]]> Paul Schutzer. 2010 gettyImages.com http://www.life.com/image/50560237 Vice President Nixon chows down at a special luau in 1959. "The presidency has many problems, but boredom is the least of them," he would say later.]]> 50560237 Mon, 01 Aug 1960 03:00:00 EDT Vice President Nixon chows down at a special luau in 1959. "The presidency has many problems, but boredom is the least of them," he would say later.]]> Hank Walker. 2010 gettyImages.com http://www.life.com/image/50559123 Nixon returns to his agricultural roots during the Iowa State Plowing Contest in 1960.]]> 50559123 Thu, 01 Sep 1960 03:00:00 EDT Nixon returns to his agricultural roots during the Iowa State Plowing Contest in 1960.]]> Hank Walker. 2010 gettyImages.com http://www.life.com/image/50540285 Presidential candidate Richard M. Nixon plays piano. "If you want to make beautiful music, you must play the black and the white notes together," he said.]]> 50540285 Mon, 01 Jan 1968 03:00:00 EST Presidential candidate Richard M. Nixon plays piano. "If you want to make beautiful music, you must play the black and the white notes together," he said.]]> Arthur Schatz 2010 gettyImages.com http://www.life.com/image/3274333 Temporarily a private citizen, Nixon takes wife Pat for a ride on the bumper cars in the Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, Denmark, in June 1962.]]> 3274333 Tue, 03 Jul 1962 03:00:00 EDT Temporarily a private citizen, Nixon takes wife Pat for a ride on the bumper cars in the Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, Denmark, in June 1962.]]> Keystone 2010 gettyImages.com http://www.life.com/image/50433936 President Richard Nixon chats with daughter Julie and her fiance, David Eisenhower, in an apartment den in 1968.]]> 50433936 Sat, 30 Mar 1968 03:00:00 EST President Richard Nixon chats with daughter Julie and her fiance, David Eisenhower, in an apartment den in 1968.]]> Arthur Schatz 2010 gettyImages.com http://www.life.com/image/50469892 President Nixon puzzles over a morsel at dinner with Chinese Prime Minister Zhou En-lai (to Nixon's right). "The greatest honor history can bestow is that of peacemaker," Nixon said.]]> 50469892 Tue, 22 Feb 1972 03:00:00 EST President Nixon puzzles over a morsel at dinner with Chinese Prime Minister Zhou En-lai (to Nixon's right). "The greatest honor history can bestow is that of peacemaker," Nixon said.]]> Ollie Atkins 2010 gettyImages.com http://www.life.com/image/50422324 On Aug. 7, 1974, Nixon hugs daughter Julie after telling his family that he would resign the presidency the next day.]]> 50422324 Wed, 07 Aug 1974 03:00:00 EDT On Aug. 7, 1974, Nixon hugs daughter Julie after telling his family that he would resign the presidency the next day.]]> Ollie Atkins 2010 gettyImages.com