President Bill Clinton is sworn in for his taped grand jury testimony
on Aug. 17, 1998, at the White House.

After nearly 14 hours of debate, the House of Representatives approves two
articles of impeachment against President Bill Clinton, charging him with
lying under oath to a federal grand jury and obstructing justice. Clinton, the
second president in American history to be impeached, vowed to finish his
term.

On February 12, the Senate voted on whether to remove Clinton from office
and the president was acquitted on both articles of impeachment. The
prosecution needed a two-thirds majority to convict but failed to achieve
even a bare majority. Rejecting the first charge of perjury, 45 Democrats
and 10 Republicans voted “not guilty,” and on the charge of obstruction
of justice the Senate was split 50-50. After the trial concluded, President
Clinton said he was “profoundly sorry” for the burden his behavior
imposed on Congress and the American people.     
    
    
    
    
    

President Bill Clinton pauses as he apologizes to the U.S. on Dec. 11, 1998 for his conduct in the Monica Lewinsky affair.

On December 15, 1998, the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on
the Judiciary releases a 265-page report recommending the impeachment
of President Bill Clinton for high crimes and misdemeanors.     

The subsequent impeachment proceedings were the culmination of a slew
of scandals involving the president and first lady Hillary Clinton. 

Added to the mix were stories of Clinton’s extra-marital affairs and a sexual harassment claim filed against him. An independent counsel, Kenneth Starr,
was appointed to investigate the Paula Jones sexual harassment case and
the ensuing investigation led Starr to Monica Lewinsky, a former White
House intern who had been accused of having an affair with Clinton.

    
    
    
   

President Bill Clinton with Monica Lewinsky.     

The 1868 impeachment trial of Andrew Johnson.

Only two U.S. presidents have been formally impeached by Congress—
Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton—and no U.S. president has ever been
removed from office through impeachment.

ED  DANAHUE

On this day in 2000, the U.S. Supreme Court found that the recount ordered
by the Florida Supreme Court in the 2000 U.S. Presidential election was
unconstitutional. U.S. Vice President Al Gore conceded the election to
Texas Gov. George W. Bush  the next day.

Broward County canvassing board member Judge Robert
Rosenberg looks over a questionable ballot, 25 November
2000.

President elect George W. Bush (left) meets with Vice President
Al Gore at the Naval Observatory December 19, 2000 in D.C.

CAMILLE BOHANNON

Roosevelt to a Joint Session of the U.S. Congress on December 8,
1941, one day after the Empire of Japan’s attack on the U.S. naval
base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and the Japanese declaration of war
on the United States and the British Empire.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt signing the Declaration of
War against Japan on December 8, 1941.

John Winston Lennon (October 9, 1940 – December 8, 1980)

DIANE KEPLY

On this day in 1991, Associated Press correspondent Terry
Anderson (center) was released after nearly seven years of
captivity in Lebanon.

Terry A. Anderson turned 72 in October.