Watergate Burglary Crime Scene All But Forgotton

These days, there’s little marking the Watergate complex where a bungled burglary became the first in a chain of events that ultimately led to President Richard Nixon’s resignation.

Sunday marks the 40th anniversary of the night five Nixon operatives broke into the office of the Democratic National Committee, looking for evidence they could use to incriminate their rivals. Scandals, from Monicagate to Troopergate, haven’t been the same since.

But today, most tourists don’t go to the Watergate complex on the outskirts of Washington, D.C. The hotel where the burglars stayed is now closed. The office building where the caper took place is still in use, though with different tenants.

The hotel across the street, where a lookout had been posted with a walkie-talkie, has been turned into a college dorm.