Gerald Ford never wanted to be president. Never ran for it either. He became VP because Nixon's first VP resigned in scandal, then president because Nixon resigned in scandal. His first act? Pardoning Nixon — a decision that tanked his approval from 71% to 49% overnight and likely cost him the 1976 election. But Ford saw the pardon as the only way to move the country past Watergate's paralysis. He left behind something rarer than a presidential library: a model of putting country over career, even when it meant losing everything he'd worked toward.
December 26, 2006
20 years ago
What Else Happened on December 26
A Roman priest nobody expected. Leo III won the papal election while his predecessor wasn't even cold in the ground — chosen by popular acclaim, not the usual p…
Berengar I seized the Iron Crown of Lombardy at Pavia, securing his rule over Italy through a decisive election by Lombard lords. This coronation solidified his…
Stephen seized the throne while his cousin Matilda was still abroad. He rushed to Winchester, grabbed the royal treasury, and convinced the Archbishop of Canter…
Holland’s forces crushed the Utrecht army at the Battle of Westbroek, ending the Bishopric of Utrecht’s military threat to the County of Holland. This victory c…
David of Burgundy's army of 4,000 to 5,000 soldiers crushed the armed mob from Utrecht on December 26, 1481, ending their attempt to avenge the Westbroek massac…
Robert Carr and Frances Howard wed in a lavish court ceremony, finalizing a scandalous union that had required the annulment of Howard’s previous marriage. John…
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