Gerald Rudolph FORD

Born

14 July 1913 , Omaha, Nebraska, USA

Died

29 December 2006 , Rancho Mirage, Riverside County, California, USA

Parents & Family of Gerald Rudolph FORD

Parents

2 recorded View parent relationships

Grandparents

4 recorded View grandparents

Spouses, Marriages & Children

1 recorded relationshipView family relationships

Family Tree

Open family tree View pedigree chart

Born: 14 July 1913 in Omaha, Nebraska, USA

Parents of Gerald Rudolph FORD

Father

Leslie Lynch KING

Mother

Dorothy Ayer GARDNER

Grandparents of Gerald Rudolph FORD

Paternal grandparents

Charles Henry KING Martha Alice PORTER

Maternal grandparents

Levi Addison GARDNER Adele Augusta AYER

Spouse(s)/Partner(s) and Child(ren):

Gerald Rudolph married Elizabeth Anne "Betty" BLOOMER 15 October 1948 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA . Elizabeth Anne "Betty" BLOOMER was born 8 April 1918 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Elizabeth Anne "Betty" died 8 July 2011 in Rancho Mirage, Riverside, California, USA. Elizabeth Anne "Betty" was the child of William Stephenson BLOOMER and Hortense NEAHR.

Gerald Rudolph FORD died 29 December 2006 in Rancho Mirage, Riverside County, California, USA.

Leslie Lynch King Sr. (July 25, 1884 – February 18, 1941) was the biological father of U.S. President Gerald Ford. Because of his alcoholism and abusive behavior, his wife, Dorothy Gardner, left him sixteen days after Ford's birth. wikipedia

"Gerald Ford, Sr., married Dorothy King nee Gardner, the President's mother, after her divorce from Leslie L King, the President's biological father. Gerald Ford, Sr., never formally adopted the future President, although some media refer to him as the President's adoptive father. Gerald Ford, Jr., was born Leslie Lynch King, Jr. on 14 July 1913. His parents separated when he was just two weeks old. In 1916, Gerald Ford's mother Dorothy remarried to Gerald R. Ford, a Grand Rapids, Michigan paint salesman. The Fords began calling Dorothy's son Gerald R. Ford, Jr., although his name was not legally changed until 1935, Gerald Ford, Jr. formally changed his name in 1935, in honor of his stepfather, the only father he really had. " wikitree.com

Details of the family tree of Gerald appear below.

WORK & OCCUPATION

Occupation

Recorded occupation: President of the United States

Spouses, Marriages & Children of Gerald Rudolph FORD

Gerald Rudolph FORD married

Elizabeth Anne "Betty" BLOOMER
Marriage date: 15 October 1948
Marriage place: Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
Elizabeth Anne "Betty" BLOOMER was the child of William Stephenson BLOOMER and Hortense NEAHR

Children of Gerald Rudolph FORD and Elizabeth Anne "Betty" BLOOMER

No children are currently listed for this couple.

Add Life Event

Have another record or photo?
Add a life event, census record, military record, obituary, achievement, or photograph for Gerald Rudolph FORD.

Life & Records

Photos, life events, and historical records for Gerald Rudolph FORD.

How to read this timeline
Records about Gerald Rudolph FORD and family appear alongside historical events from the same years. Each item is labeled so you can quickly tell family records from historical context.

Show:

Use these buttons to focus on the ancestor's own records or the wider historical context.

Biography

Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. served as the 38th President of the United States from August 1974 to January 1977. Here's a glimpse into his life:

Early Life:
Birth: Gerald Ford was born on July 14, 1913, in Omaha, Nebraska.

Family: His parents were Dorothy Gardner and Leslie Lynch King Sr. His biological father, Leslie Lynch King Sr., was abusive, and his mother later remarried to Gerald R. Ford Sr., who adopted the young Gerald and gave him his name.

Education and Early Career:
Education: Ford attended the University of Michigan, where he excelled in football. He later received a law degree from Yale Law School.
Naval Service: During World War II, Ford served in the U.S. Navy as an officer aboard the USS Monterey.

Political Career:
Congressional Career: Ford entered politics and was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1948, representing Michigan. He served in the House for 25 years, becoming the Minority Leader in 1965.

Vice Presidency: In 1973, Vice

Read full story

Birth — 1913
14 July 1913
Omaha, Nebraska, USA

1915 - January 25 - First United States coast-to-coast long-distance telephone call

1917 - March 2 – The enactment of the Jones Act grants Puerto Ricans United States citizenship.

1917 - April 6 – WWI: The United States declares war on Germany

1918 - March 19 – The United States Congress establishes time zones and approves daylight saving time

1919 - June 4 – Women's rights: The United States Congress approves the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which would guarantee suffrage to women, and sends it to the U.S. states for ratification

1920 - January 17 - Prohibition goes into effect on January 17, 1920, under the provisions of the 18th Amendment to the United States Constitution

1921 - Warren G. Harding becomes President of the United States

1921 - Charles Strite of Minnesota patents the pop-up toaster.

1923 to 1927 - Television is invented (Vladimir Kosma Zworykin (Russia), Philo Taylor Farnsworth (United States))

1923 - Calvin Coolidge becomes President of the United States

1927 - The aerosol can is invented (Erik Rotheim, Norway)

1927 - April 7 – Bell Telephone Co. transmits an image of Herbert Hoover (then the Secretary of Commerce), which becomes the first successful long distance demonstration of television

1928 - Sliced bread (bread slicing machine) is invented by Otto Frederick Rohwedder (United States)

1929 - Herbert Hoover becomes President of the United States

1929 - October 29 - Black Tuesday - Stock market crash - The Great Depression Begins - It lasted until 1941 (WW2)

1930 - Scotch tape is invented (Richard Drew (3M), United States)

In 1930, on February 18, Pluto was discovered by astronomer Clyde Tombaugh at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, marking a significant milestone in the study of our solar system.

1931 - The paper towel is invented (Arthur Scott, United States)

1931 - March 3 – The Star-Spangled Banner is adopted as the United States National anthem.

1933 - Franklin D. Roosevelt becomes President of the United States

1933 - December 5 – The 21st Amendment to the United States Constitution is passed, repealing Prohibition

1934 - The metal beverage can is invented (American Can Co., United States)

1935 - The snowmobile was invented by Joseph Bombardier (Quebec, Canada)

1935 - August 14 – United States President Franklin Roosevelt signs the Social Security Act into law

1938 - The ballpoint pen is invented (Lazlo Biro, Hungary)

1938-1944 - Sunscreen is invented (Franz Greiter, Switzerland and Benjamin Green, United States)

1938 - October 27 - Du Pont announces a name for its new synthetic yarn: nylon.

1940 - April - 1st electron microscope demonstrated (RCA), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

1941 - December 8 - (the day after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor) United States declares war on Japan (WW2)

1944 - D-Day, which occurred on June 6, 1944, was a pivotal World War II operation where Allied forces launched a massive invasion on the beaches of Normandy, France. Known as Operation Overlord, it involved over 156,000 troops from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and other Allied nations. The operation aimed to liberate Western Europe from Nazi German control. The landings marked the beginning of the end for Nazi Germany, leading to the eventual Allied victory in Europe.

1945 - The atomic bomb is invented (J. Robert Oppenheimer, et al., United States)

The microwave oven was invented accidentally in 1945 by Percy Spencer, a Raytheon engineer. While testing a magnetron, he noticed microwaves melted a candy bar in his pocket. Experimenting further, he discovered microwaves could cook food quickly. Raytheon patented the process, and by 1947, they built the first commercial microwave oven, called the 'Radarange.' Initially used in commercial settings, microwaves becomes affordable for home use by the 1960s and 1970s, revolutionizing cooking.

1945 - Harry S. Truman becomes President of the United States

1945 - On September 2, 1945, World War II officially ended with the formal surrender of Japan. The surrender ceremony took place aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, where Japanese officials signed the Instrument of Surrender in the presence of Allied representatives, including General Douglas MacArthur and Admiral Chester Nimitz.

1948 Marriage / Partner
Gerald Rudolph FORD and Elizabeth Anne "Betty" BLOOMER 15 October 1948, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA

He was 35 years old.

1948 - Velcro is invented (George de Mestral, Switzerland)

1950 - June 25 - Korean War begins when North Korean forces invade South Korea.

1953 - Dwight D. Eisenhower becomes President of the United States

1953 - On July 27, 1953, the Korean War ended with the signing of an armistice agreement at Panmunjom. This ceasefire halted the conflict between North Korea, supported by China and the Soviet Union, and South Korea, backed by United Nations forces primarily from the United States. The agreement established the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) near the 38th parallel, effectively maintaining the pre-war boundary and creating a buffer zone between the two Koreas.

1961 - John F. Kennedy becomes President of the United States

1961 - Vietnam War officially begins with 900 military advisors landing in Saigon.

1962 - The Cuban Missile Crisis was a tense 13-day standoff in October 1962 between the United States and the Soviet Union over the installation of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba, just 90 miles from the U.S. coast. The crisis is considered the closest the Cold War came to escalating into a full-scale nuclear war. It began when American spy planes discovered the missiles, leading to a U.S. naval blockade of Cuba and intense negotiations. The crisis ended when Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev agreed to remove the missiles in exchange for the U.S. promising not to invade Cuba and secretly agreeing to remove American missiles from Turkey.

1963 - I Have a Dream Speech - Martin Luther King's Address at March on Washington August 28, 1963.

In 1963, on November 22, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, while riding in a motorcade through Dealey Plaza. The assassination shocked the nation and the world, leading to widespread mourning and a period of intense national introspection. Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as the 36th President of the United States shortly after Kennedy's death. The assassination sparked numerous conspiracy theories and investigations, with the Warren Commission ultimately concluding that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in the assassination. Kennedy's death had a profound impact on American politics and society, marking the end of an era often referred to as 'Camelot.'

1968 - The ATM is invented (Don Wetzel, United States)

1969 - Richard M. Nixon becomes President of the United States

1969 - July 20 - Apollo 11 - Man lands on the moon

June 17, 1972 – August 9, 1974 - Watergate Scandal began with the break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C., in 1972. Members of President Richard Nixon's administration attempted to cover up their involvement. The scandal led to the discovery of multiple abuses of power by the Nixon administration, the resignation of President Nixon in 1974, and the indictment of several administration officials.

1973 - January 22 - Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 and Doe v. Bolton, 410 U.S. 179: The U.S. Supreme Court declares that the Constitution protects women’s right to terminate an early pregnancy, thus making abortion legal in the U.S.

1973 - March 29 - The last United States soldier leaves Vietnam

The cell phone was invented by Martin Cooper of Motorola. On April 3, 1973, he made the first handheld mobile phone call with the Motorola DynaTAC. This device weighed 2.5 pounds and was 10 inches long, offering 30 minutes of talk time and requiring 10 hours to charge. The first commercial cell phone was released in 1983, revolutionizing communication and leading to the modern smartphones we use today.

1974 - August 9 - Gerald R. Ford (1913-2006) becomes 38th President of the United States after the resignation of Richard M. Nixon

Gerald Ford served as the 38th President of the United States from 1974 to 1977. He assumed office following the resignation of Richard Nixon amid the Watergate scandal, making him the first person to become president without being elected as either president or vice president. Ford’s presidency is notable for his controversial decision to pardon Nixon, which he believed was necessary for the nation to move forward. Domestically, he faced significant economic challenges, including inflation and unemployment, leading to his 'Whip Inflation Now' (WIN) campaign. In foreign policy, Ford oversaw the final stages of the Vietnam War, including the evacuation of American personnel and some South Vietnamese from Saigon. His presidency was also marked by efforts to maintain détente with the Soviet Union. Despite his attempts to stabilize the country, Ford lost the 1976 presidential election to Jimmy Carter.

Visit , United States (USA) (American Colonies)

Source / record details

August 9, 1974

1974 - Gerald R. Ford becomes President of the United States after the resignation of Richard Nixon.

1977 - Jimmy Carter becomes President of the United States

The 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens in Washington State occurred on May 18, triggered by a 5.1 magnitude earthquake. It caused the largest landslide in recorded history, followed by a massive lateral blast. The eruption killed 57 people, destroyed 250 homes, and spread ash across the U.S.

1981 - Ronald Reagan becomes President of the United States

1981 - June 5 - First reported case of AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome)

1982 - The camcorder is invented (Sony Corp., Japan)

1983 - The laptop computer is invented (Radio Shack Corp., United States)

1986 - January 28 - Space Shuttle Challenger accident - The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster occurred on January 28, 1986, when the shuttle broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, leading to the deaths of its seven crew members.

1989 - The World Wide Web is invented at CERN (Tim Berners-Lee, UK)

1989 - George H. W. Bush becomes President of the United States

1993 - William J. Clinton becomes President of the United States

2001 - George W. Bush becomes President of the United States

2001 - September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Coordinated terrorist attacks by the extremist group al-Qaeda on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, leading to significant changes in U.S. domestic and foreign policy, including the War on Terror.

Death information

died at Rancho Mirage, California

Name: President Gerald R Ford
Titles and Terms: President Mrs
Event Type: Obituary
Gender: Male
Relationship to Deceased: Deceased
Death Date: 2006
Newspaper: Associated Press Archive

Others on Record
Betty Ford Other Relative Female

'United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014,' Database with images, FamilySearch (https:/ / familysearch.org/ ark:/ 61903/ 1:1:QVTS-4TQT : accessed 28 June 2015), President Gerald R Ford, , ; from 'Recent Newspaper Obituaries (1977 - Today),' database, GenealogyBank.com (http:/ / www.genealogybank.com : 2014); citing Associated Press Archive, born-digital text.

Source / record details