On June 17, 1972, five men were arrested breaking into the DNC headquarters at the Watergate complex, igniting the Watergate scandal.

Hotel security guard Frank Wills discovered taped-open door latches at the hotel and alerted authorities, sparking the investigation. The scandal led to President Richard Nixon's resignation on August 9, 1974, following cover-up revelations. The hotel became forever linked to political intrigue – and to every "-gate" scandal since.

The Watergate still stands today; it reopened in 2016 after a major renovation, complete with cheeky touches like room keys that read: "No need to break in," and one of the suites named the Scandal Suite.

American hotels where history was made