Gerald Ford
The accidental president who steadied a nation reeling from scandal, pardoning his predecessor to try and move the country forward.
1913–2006 (age 93)·President of the United States from 1974 to 1977·Birthday: July 14·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Gerald Ford arrived at the White House without a single electoral vote for the office, a testament to the unprecedented constitutional crisis that delivered him there. A star football player at the University of Michigan and a Navy veteran, he built a reputation in Congress as a decent, pragmatic, and well-liked Republican. His appointment as Vice President following Spiro Agnew's resignation placed him next in line when Richard Nixon himself stepped down. Ford's 895-day presidency was defined by the act of healing. His controversial pardon of Nixon, intended to end 'our long national nightmare,' likely cost him the 1976 election but was consistent with his goal of national reconciliation. He faced severe economic stagflation and the final collapse of South Vietnam, governing with a calm Midwestern demeanor that contrasted sharply with the paranoia of the previous administration. He was, in his own words, 'a Ford, not a Lincoln,' but he provided the steady hand the moment required.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Gerald was born in 1913, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Gerald Was Born
The biggest hits of 1913
Gerald's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1913Born
The Federal Reserve is established
President: Woodrow Wilson
1918Started school
World War I ends; Spanish flu pandemic kills millions
President: Woodrow Wilson
1926Became a teenager
Robert Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket
President: Calvin Coolidge"Baby Face" — Jan Garber
1929Could drive
Wall Street crashes, triggering the Great Depression
Gas: $0.21/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Singin' in the Rain" — Cliff EdwardsBest Picture: The Broadway Melody
1931Could vote
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1934Turned 21
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stars Fell on Alabama" — Jack TeagardenBest Picture: It Happened One Night
1943Turned 30
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1953Turned 40
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1963Turned 50
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1973Turned 60
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1983Turned 70
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1993Turned 80
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2006Died at 93
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
Key Achievements
- Became the 38th President of the United States following the resignation of Richard Nixon, the only person to hold the office without being elected President or Vice President.
- Served 25 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, eventually becoming House Minority Leader.
- Signed the Helsinki Accords, which aimed to reduce Cold War tensions and improve human rights in Eastern Europe.
- Nominated John Paul Stevens to the Supreme Court, who became one of its longest-serving and most influential justices.
Did You Know?
He turned down offers to play professional football for the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears.
He survived two assassination attempts within three weeks in September 1975.
His birth name was Leslie Lynch King Jr.; he was renamed after his mother remarried.
He served as President longer than any other person who was never elected to the executive branch.
“Our Constitution works. Our great Republic is a government of laws and not of men. Here, the people rule.”
