Former U.S. President Gerald Ford dies, aged 93
{{date|December 27, 2006}}

[[Image:Gerald Ford.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Gerald R. Ford]]

Former United States President [[w:Gerald Ford|Gerald Rudolph Ford, Jr.]] (born Leslie Lynch King, Jr.) died yesterday at 6.45 pm PST (0345 UTC Wednesday) at his home in [[w:Rancho Mirage, California|Rancho Mirage, California]] at the age of 93.

Gerald Ford was a prominent politician from [[w:Grand Rapids, Michigan|Grand Rapids, Michigan]] before his appointment to the vice-presidency, having served in the [[w:United States House of Representatives|United States House of Representatives]] for 24 years from 1949 to 1973 and acted as [[w:Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives|Minority Leader]]. He was appointed [[w:Vice President of the United States|Vice President of the United States]] following the resignation of [[w:Spiro Agnew|Spiro Agnew]].

Ford was sworn in as the 38th [[w:President of the United States|President of the United States]] following the resignation of [[w:Richard Nixon|Richard Nixon]] in 1974 following the [[w:Watergate scandal|Watergate scandal]]. He served the appointed term and ran an unsuccessful re-election bid for the office of the presidency in 1976 against [[w:Jimmy Carter|Jimmy Carter]]. Ford is the only president to have held the office of the presidency without ever having been elected to either the presidency or the office of the vice-presidency.

Ford's presidency was marked by his pardon of former President Nixon, a controversial move that many felt cost him the 1976 election. Ford also attempted to tackle inflation (at the time, only a modest 7%) with a public relations campaign to "[[w:Whip inflation now|whip inflation now]]". Ford's presidency also saw the final United States evacuation of [[w:South Vietnam|South Vietnam]].

Once one of the most active former Presidents, in recent years Ford was perceived as becoming increasingly frail, particularly since suffering a small stroke in 2000. For the first time since becoming active in national politics, he did not attend the [[w:Republican National Convention|Republican National Convention]] in 2004. He also did not attend the inauguration of President [[w:George W. Bush|George W. Bush]] in 2005 — former President [[w:Bill Clinton|Bill Clinton]] indicated in an interview with [[w:Larry King|Larry King]] that Ford was increasingly uncomfortable flying.  In 2006, he was hospitalized on four separate occasions by the month of November.

Ford was the [[w:List of United States Presidents by longevity|longest-lived President]] in the history of the United States surpassing [[w:Ronald Reagan|Ronald Reagan]] on November 12, 2006; the oldest-living President is now [[w:George H. W. Bush|George H. W. Bush]]. After a state funeral in [[w:Washington, D.C.|Washington, D.C.]], Ford's body will lie in state in [[w:Grand Rapids, Michigan|Grand Rapids, Michigan]], at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, before a private burial outside the museum.

==Sources==
*{{source|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6211407.stm|title=Ex-US President Gerald Ford dies|author=|pub=BBC NEWS|date=December 27, 2006}}
*{{source|url=http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/12/26/ford.dead.ap/index.html|title=Former President Ford dies at 93|author=|pub=CNN|date=December 27, 2006}}
*{{source|url=http://wfrv.com/topstories/topstories_story_227195601.html|title=Former President Gerald Ford Dies|author=|pub=CBS|date=December 26, 2006}}
*{{source|url=http://www.wben.com/news/fullstory.php?newsid=06520|title=BREAKING NEWS: Gerald Ford Passes Away|author=|pub=WBEN 930|date=December 26, 2006}}
*{{source|url=http://kutv.com/topstories/topstories_story_227195601.html 
|title=Former President Gerald Ford Dies
|author=Associated Press
|pub=kutv.com
|date= December 26, 2006}}

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{{archive}}
[[Category:United States]]
[[Category:North America]]
[[Category:Obituaries]]
[[Category:Gerald Ford]]
[[Category:Politics and conflicts]]
[[Category:Republican Party (United States)]]
[[Category:George H. W. Bush]]

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[[de:Ex-US-Präsident Gerald Ford ist gestorben]]
[[fr:Décès de l'ancien président américain Gerald Ford]]
[[it:Gerald Ford è morto]]
[[he:נשיא ארה"ב לשעבר ג'רלד פורד הלך לעולמו בגיל 93]]
[[ja:訃報 ジェラルド・フォード元米大統領]]
[[pl:Zmarł były prezydent USA Gerald Ford]]
[[pt:Ex-Presidente Gerald Ford morre aos 93 anos]]
[[ru:Умер бывший Президент США Джеральд Форд]]
[[sr:Бивши амерички предсједник Форд умро у 93. години]]
Gerald R. Ford

Former United States President Gerald Rudolph Ford, Jr. (born Leslie Lynch King, Jr.) died yesterday at 6.45 pm PST (0345 UTC Wednesday) at his home in Rancho Mirage, California at the age of 93.

Gerald Ford was a prominent politician from Grand Rapids, Michigan before his appointment to the vice-presidency, having served in the United States House of Representatives for 24 years from 1949 to 1973 and acted as Minority Leader. He was appointed Vice President of the United States following the resignation of Spiro Agnew.

Ford was sworn in as the 38th President of the United States following the resignation of Richard Nixon in 1974 following the Watergate scandal. He served the appointed term and ran an unsuccessful re-election bid for the office of the presidency in 1976 against Jimmy Carter. Ford is the only president to have held the office of the presidency without ever having been elected to either the presidency or the office of the vice-presidency.

Ford's presidency was marked by his pardon of former President Nixon, a controversial move that many felt cost him the 1976 election. Ford also attempted to tackle inflation (at the time, only a modest 7%) with a public relations campaign to "whip inflation now". Ford's presidency also saw the final United States evacuation of South Vietnam.

Once one of the most active former Presidents, in recent years Ford was perceived as becoming increasingly frail, particularly since suffering a small stroke in 2000. For the first time since becoming active in national politics, he did not attend the Republican National Convention in 2004. He also did not attend the inauguration of President George W. Bush in 2005 — former President Bill Clinton indicated in an interview with Larry King that Ford was increasingly uncomfortable flying.  In 2006, he was hospitalized on four separate occasions by the month of November.

Ford was the longest-lived President in the history of the United States surpassing Ronald Reagan on November 12, 2006; the oldest-living President is now George H. W. Bush. After a state funeral in Washington, D.C., Ford's body will lie in state in Grand Rapids, Michigan, at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, before a private burial outside the museum.


bs:Umro bivši Američki predsjednik Gerald Ford
de:Ex-US-Präsident Gerald Ford ist gestorben
fr:Décès de l'ancien président américain Gerald Ford
it:Gerald Ford è morto
he:נשיא ארה"ב לשעבר ג'רלד פורד הלך לעולמו בגיל 93
ja:訃報 ジェラルド・フォード元米大統領
pl:Zmarł były prezydent USA Gerald Ford
Ex-Presidente Gerald Ford morre aos 93 anos
United States North America Obituaries Gerald Ford Politics and conflicts Republican Party (United States) George H. W. Bush