Gerald Rudolph Ford (July 14, 1913 – December 26, 2006) was the 38th President (1974–1977) and 40th Vice President (1973–1974) of the United States. He was the first person appointed to the vice presidency, under the terms of the 25th Amendment, and upon succession to the presidency, became the only person to hold that office without having been elected either president or vice president. Prior to becoming vice president, he served for over eight years as the Republican Minority Leader of the House of Representatives. Ford was the longest-lived president, dying at the age of 93 years, 5 months, and 13 days, slightly longer than Ronald Reagan who lived 93 years, 3 months, and 12 days.
The Ford administration saw the withdrawal of American forces from the Vietnam War, the execution of the Helsinki Accords, and the continuing specter of inflation and recession. Ford came under intense criticism for granting a pre-emptive pardon to President Richard Nixon for his role in the Watergate scandal, and was subsequently defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter in the 1976 presidential election.
Thursday, December 28, 2006
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