Gerald Ford (born Leslie Lynch King, Jr.) was the 38th President of the United States (1974-1977). Prior to this, was the 40th Vice President of the United States (1973-1974). Ford was the first person appointed to the Vice Presidency under the terms of the 25th Amendment, after Spiro Agnew resigned. When he became president when Richard Nixon resigned on August 9, 1974, he became the first and only person to have served as both vice president and president without being elected by the Electoral College. As President, Ford signed the Helsinki Accords, marking a move toward détente in the Cold War. With the conquest of South Vietnam by North Vietnam nine months into his presidency, U.S. involvement in Vietnam essentially ended. In 1976, Ford defeated Ronald Reagan for the Republican nomination, but narrowly lost the presidential election to Democrat Jimmy Carter. Ford died on this day in 2006 at the age of 93.
Note: This is 8-bit U.S. president #21 of 43.
