54 moments
Childhood in Grand Rapids
· Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States
Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · file Ford moved with his mother to her parents' home and was raised in the Grand Rapids area. The source establishes the move in 1913 but not a specific date.
Infancy in Oak Park
· Oak Park, Illinois, United States
Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · file Following his parents' separation, Ford's mother took him to relatives' home in Oak Park. The source supports 1913 but not a more precise arrival date.
Birth in Omaha
· 3202 Woolworth Avenue, Omaha, Nebraska, United States
Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · file Ford was born Leslie Lynch King Jr. at his paternal grandparents' home in Omaha. Coordinates are a defensible approximate point for the documented street address.
University of Michigan student-athlete
· University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · file Ford attended the University of Michigan, played center and linebacker, and helped its football team to undefeated national-title seasons. 1932 is the first explicitly dated season in the cited attendance period.
College All-Star Game
· Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois, United States
Ford played against the Chicago Bears as part of the 1935 Collegiate All-Star football team. The source provides the year but not the game's exact date.
East–West Shrine Game
· San Francisco, California, United States
Ford played for the Eastern Team in the East–West Shrine Game in San Francisco. The source names San Francisco but not the specific stadium.
Yale coaching appointment
· Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States
After graduating from Michigan, Ford went to Yale to coach boxing and varsity football while pursuing law-school admission.
Yellowstone park-ranger season
· Canyon Village, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, United States
Ford worked seasonally as a ranger at Yellowstone's Canyon Station. The source supports the year, not a specific season date.
Michigan Law summer study
· University of Michigan Law School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
Ford spent the summer as a student at the University of Michigan Law School. The source supports summer 1937 but no exact month.
Yale Law School admission
· Yale Law School, New Haven, Connecticut, United States
Ford returned to New Haven after admission to Yale Law School and coached Yale's junior-varsity football team. The source specifies spring 1938 but not a particular date.
Grand Rapids law practice
· Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States
After Yale, Ford opened a law practice with Philip W. Buchen in Grand Rapids. Coordinates represent Grand Rapids because the source does not identify the office address.
Navy Preflight School instructor
· Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States
Ford taught navigation, ordnance, gunnery, first aid, and drill at Navy Preflight School. The source establishes his arrival after April 1942 but does not give an exact date.
Naval instructor training
· Annapolis, Maryland, United States
Ford reported for active duty at the Navy's V-5 instructor school after receiving his reserve commission.
USS Monterey combat deployment near Makin
· Makin Atoll, Gilbert Islands, Kiribati
Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · file While serving aboard USS Monterey, Ford was present during the carrier's Pacific operations associated with securing Makin Island. Coordinates represent Makin Atoll; Ford was aboard USS Monterey in surrounding operational waters, not documented ashore.
USS Monterey pre-commissioning detachment
· New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden, New Jersey, United States
Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · file Ford was assigned to the pre-commissioning detachment for the aircraft carrier USS Monterey at the New York Shipbuilding Corporation.
Saint Mary's Navy Pre-Flight School assignment
· Saint Mary's College of California, Moraga, California, United States
After USS Monterey was damaged during Typhoon Cobra, Ford was assigned to the Athletic Department at Saint Mary's College of California. The source establishes the assignment ended in April 1945 but does not specify its start date.
Naval Reserve Training Command staff
· Naval Air Station Glenview, Glenview, Illinois, United States
Ford served on the Naval Reserve Training Command staff at Naval Air Station Glenview through January 1946.
Return to Grand Rapids after naval service
· Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States
After his naval discharge, Ford returned to Grand Rapids and entered local Republican politics. The source gives only the year of return.
Vice-presidential oath
· United States Capitol, Washington, D.C., United States
Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · file After confirmation by the House, Ford took the oath of office as vice president. The cited text establishes presence at the House confirmation and oath but does not identify a room; coordinates represent the U.S. Capitol.
Presidential inauguration
· East Room, White House, Washington, D.C., United States
Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · file Ford took the presidential oath following Richard Nixon's resignation, beginning his presidency.
Veterans of Foreign Wars address
· Chicago, Illinois, United States
Ford delivered a major address supporting earned clemency for Vietnam War draft evaders. The source does not identify the convention venue.
First presidential foreign trip
· Magdalena de Kino, Sonora, Mexico
Ford traveled to Nogales and Magdalena de Kino, meeting President Luis Echeverría and laying a wreath at Eusebio Kino's tomb. This card uses Magdalena de Kino, the more specific ceremonial location named in the source.
Japan state visit
· Tokyo, Japan
Ford made a state visit to Tokyo and Kyoto and met Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka. The source documents two cities; this card represents Tokyo, with Kyoto omitted to avoid overlapping travel cards.
Meeting with Park Chung Hee
· Seoul, South Korea
Ford traveled to Seoul during his second international trip and met South Korean President Park Chung Hee.
Vladivostok summit with Brezhnev
· Vladivostok, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · file Ford traveled to Vladivostok and met Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev in negotiations on strategic arms limits. Place name follows its historical political setting at the time of the visit.
Martinique meeting with Giscard d'Estaing
· Fort-de-France, Martinique, France
Ford traveled to Fort-de-France for a meeting with French President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing.
Tulane Vietnam War address
· Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Ford declared at Tulane that the Vietnam War was finished as far as America was concerned.
Meeting with Francisco Franco
· Madrid, Spain
Ford traveled to Madrid, met Francisco Franco, and received the keys to the city. The visit crossed May and June; date is recorded at month precision using its start month.
NATO summit
· Brussels, Belgium
Ford traveled to Brussels, attended the NATO summit, addressed the North Atlantic Council, and met NATO leaders. The source supports May 28–31 but the output format permits month precision only.
Salzburg meetings
· Salzburg, Austria
Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · file Ford traveled to Salzburg and met Austrian Chancellor Bruno Kreisky and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat.
Audience with Pope Paul VI
· Apostolic Palace, Vatican City
Ford visited the Apostolic Palace and had an audience with Pope Paul VI.
Helsinki Final Act signing
· Helsinki, Finland
Ford attended the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe and joined other leaders in signing its Final Act. The stay crossed July and August; date is recorded at month precision using its start month.
Poland visit
· Warsaw, Poland
Ford traveled to Warsaw and Kraków and met Polish First Secretary Edward Gierek. This card represents Warsaw; the source also documents a visit to Kraków.
West Germany visit
· Bonn, West Germany
Ford traveled to Bonn and Linz am Rhein and met President Walter Scheel and Chancellor Helmut Schmidt. This card represents Bonn; the source also documents a visit to Linz am Rhein.
Sacramento assassination attempt
· Sacramento, California, United States
Ford was present in Sacramento when Lynette Fromme attempted to assassinate him. Coordinates represent central Sacramento because the cited timeline does not identify the exact site.
San Francisco assassination attempt
· Post Street outside St. Francis Hotel, San Francisco, California, United States
Ford had just addressed the World Affairs Council when Sara Jane Moore attempted to assassinate him in San Francisco.
First G6 summit
· Château de Rambouillet, Rambouillet, France
Ford traveled to Rambouillet for the first G6 summit with the leaders of France, West Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom. Coordinates represent Château de Rambouillet, identified by the linked summit article as the meeting site.
China normalization visit
· Beijing, China
Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · file Ford traveled to Beijing and met Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping while pursuing normalization of relations.
Indonesia visit
· Jakarta, Indonesia
Ford traveled to Jakarta and met Indonesian President Suharto.
Philippines visit
· Manila, Philippines
Ford traveled to Manila and met Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos.
Republican nomination
· Kemper Arena, Kansas City, Missouri, United States
Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · file Ford secured the Republican presidential nomination at the party convention in Kansas City. Kemper Arena was later demolished; coordinates identify its former site.
General-election campaign launch
· University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
Ford began his general-election campaign at his alma mater in Ann Arbor.
First Carter–Ford debate
· Walnut Street Theatre, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · file Ford debated Jimmy Carter on domestic policy in the first presidential-candidate debate since 1960.
Second Carter–Ford debate
· San Francisco, California, United States
Ford and Carter held their foreign-policy and defense debate in San Francisco. The cited timeline does not identify the debate venue.
Final Carter–Ford debate
· Williamsburg, Virginia, United States
Ford participated in the third and final presidential-candidate debate. The cited timeline does not identify the debate venue.
Final campaign rally
· Pantlind Hotel, Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States
Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · file Ford made his final 1976 campaign rally appearance in his hometown of Grand Rapids. The historic Pantlind Hotel is now part of the Amway Grand Plaza complex.
Move to Denver
· Denver, Colorado, United States
After leaving the White House, Ford and his family moved to Denver. The source supports the move after January 1977 but gives no specific date or address.
Tennessee midterm campaigning
· Tennessee, United States
Ford traveled to Tennessee to aid Republican candidates in the 1982 midterm elections. Coordinates are a representative point for Tennessee; the source does not identify a city.
Central Connecticut State honorary doctorate
· Central Connecticut State University, New Britain, Connecticut, United States
Ford received an honorary doctorate from Central Connecticut State University. The award language directly supports his presence at the university, though it does not name the ceremony venue.
Knee surgery
· Eisenhower Medical Center, Rancho Mirage, California, United States
Ford was admitted to Eisenhower Medical Center for left-knee replacement surgery.
George H. W. Bush Library dedication
· Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States
Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · file Ford joined President Clinton and former presidents Bush and Carter at the dedication of the George H. W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum.
Palm Springs home interview
· Palm Springs, California, United States
Ford gave an interview at his Palm Springs home about the Republican Party's future direction. Coordinates represent Palm Springs because the home address is not provided.
Hospitalization during Republican convention
· Hahnemann University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Ford suffered two minor strokes at the 2000 Republican National Convention and was admitted to Hahnemann University Hospital. The source gives the year but not the admission date; the hospital has since closed.
Death at Rancho Mirage home
· Rancho Mirage, California, United States
Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · file Ford died at his home in Rancho Mirage after a series of health problems. Coordinates represent Rancho Mirage; the private home address is not provided.