Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. was an American politician who served as the 38th president of the United States from August 1974 to January 1977. Before his rise to the presidency, Ford served as the 40th vice president of the United States from 1973 to 1974. Ford is the only person to have served as both vice president and president without being elected to either office by the Electoral College.
Ford was born in Omaha, Nebraska, and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He attended the University of Michigan and Yale Law School. In December 1973, two months after the resignation of Spiro Agnew, Ford became the first person appointed to the vice presidency by President Richard Nixon. After the subsequent resignation of President Nixon in August 1974, Ford immediately became president. His presidency is the shortest in U.S. history, not counting ones who died in office.
Ford presided over the worst economy since the Great Depression, with growing inflation and a recession during his time. One of his most controversial acts is when he granted a pardon to Richard Nixon for his part in the Watergate scandal. He narrowly lost the presidential election to the Democratic challenger, former Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter.
Ford died at his home in 2006 after experiencing serious health problems.
Fun Facts:
- Ford had the opportunity to play in the NFL.
- He nearly lost his life when a typhoon hit his Navy aircraft carrier in WWII.
- He was the target of two assassination attempts, both in 1975.
Gerald Ford:
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please be respectful. Think to yourself, "Would I say this to a child?"