Forty years ago, President Richard Nixon, backed into a corner by the Supreme Court, surrendered Watergate’s “smoking gun” tape. Recorded six days after the break-in at Democratic National Committee headquarters, it revealed the president scheming to get the CIA to quash the investigation — making it clear that he was in on the cover-up from the start.

Nixon announced he would resign three days later, and on Friday, Aug. 9 — after a cringe-inducing double V-for-Victory salute from the South Lawn — it was: So long, don’t let the helicopter door hit you on the way out.