Richard Nixon was John Carpenter’s final answer when he became the first contestant to win $1 million on the US version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? on November 19, 1999.
What was the million-dollar question about?
The final question concerned the American president who had appeared on the television comedy series Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In. Carpenter identified Richard Nixon. Host Regis Philbin then confirmed the win, completing Carpenter’s run of 15 correct answers.
Why did John Carpenter call his father?
Carpenter reached the final question with all three lifelines still available. He then used Phone-a-Friend to call his father. He already knew the answer: the call was an opportunity to tell his father that he was about to win the million dollars.
That detail matters when retelling the story. Carpenter did use a lifeline, but he did not use it to obtain an answer. The contrast between the pressure of the final question and his calm family announcement helped make the moment memorable.
The Richard Nixon connection
Nixon’s brief Laugh-In appearance aired on September 16, 1968. He was campaigning for the presidency at the time, rather than serving as president. The Richard Nixon Foundation describes a cameo lasting only a few seconds. More than three decades later, recognising that television appearance helped Carpenter secure the top prize.
Explore the million-dollar prize ladder
Use the interactive explorer to move through the original 1999 US prize levels. The slider shows the total prize at each round, its increase over the previous round, and the guaranteed milestones. There are no quiz questions to answer.
Open the interactive Million-Dollar Prize Ladder
The first guaranteed milestone was $1,000 after five correct answers; the next was $32,000 after ten. The final round raised the total prize from $500,000 to $1 million. These figures are prize totals before taxes, not amounts to add together.
Sources
PEOPLE: John Carpenter’s 1999 win and interview
John Carpenter: account of the winning appearance