Video: 'From the archives: Nixon's 1974 address to the nation on Watergate tapes'

(Monday, April 29, 1974, 9:01 p.m. EDT; during the Watergate scandal) — In a nationally-televised speech, U.S. President Richard Nixon announced tonight that, instead of releasing tape recordings as subpoenaed by the House Judiciary Committee, of key conversations, he had instead arranged to have some of them, but not all, transcribed by his staff.

Video: 'PBS Nixon (1990)_3of3' (Apr. 29, 1974, at 40:21)

The transcripts began with a recording taken on September 15, 1972, and did not include the June 23, 1972 tape that would ultimately show that Nixon had ordered the halting of further FBI investigation into the burglary.

Video: 'Watergate Episode 5: "Impeachment," Discovery Channel, August 21, 1994'

The edited 1,200 pages of transcripts were known for using the phrase “expletive deleted” in place of profanities used during the conversations by the President and his staff.

Video: 'Watergate Episode 5: "Impeachment," Discovery Channel, August 21, 1994' (Apr. 29, 1974, at 22:51)

In lieu of presenting the tapes, Nixon said that the leaders of the Judiciary panel would be invited to come to the White House to listen to recordings.

In July 1974, the Supreme Court would reject Nixon’s claims of executive privilege and ordered him to turn over tapes that he had withheld tonight.