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Timeline of the Gerald Ford presidency (1975)

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The following is a timeline of the presidency of Gerald Ford from January 1, 1975, to December 31, 1975.

January

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President Gerald Ford with Vice President Nelson Rockefeller and House Speaker Carl Albert during the 1975 State of the Union address.
  • January 1 – Ford signs the Privacy Act of 1974.
  • January 4 – Ford signs the Federal-Aid Highway Amendments of 1974.[1] Among other changes, the law permanently implements a national 55-mph speed limit (which had already been a temporary limit) for the Interstate Highway System.
  • January 4 – Ford names a Blue Ribbon panel, chaired by Vice President Rockefeller, to review CIA Activities within the United States in response to allegations made in a December New York Times article by Seymour Hersh.
  • January 13 – Ford delivers a "fireside chat" to the nation, outlining his proposals to fight inflation, the economic recession, and energy dependence.
  • January 15 – In his first State of the Union Address, Ford announces bluntly that "the state of the Union is not good. Millions of Americans are out of work. Recession and inflation are eroding the money of millions more. Prices are too high, and sales are too slow." To remedy these problems, Ford proposes tax cuts for American families and businesses, and strongly advocates for the reduction of government spending.

February

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March

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April

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Evacuees from Saigon, South Vietnam are offloaded onto the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Midway, during "Operation Frequent Wind", April 29, 1975.
  • April 28 – With the fall of Saigon to the North Vietnamese Army immanent, President Ford orders the emergency evacuation of all remaining American military personnel and civilians and at-risk South Vietnamese nationals from the city.
  • April 29–30Operation Frequent Wind, the final phase in the American evacuation from South Vietnam, is carried out. More than 1,400 U.S. citizens and 5,500 third country nationals and South Vietnamese are evacuated by helicopter from landing zones in and around the United States Embassy and Tân Sơn Nhứt Airport in Saigon. It is the largest helicopter evacuation in history.[4] By the afternoon of April 30, North Vietnamese troops are in control of the important points of the city (subsequently renamed Hồ Chí Minh City) and have raised their flag over the South Vietnamese presidential palace.

May

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  • May 12–15 – When Cambodia seizes the American container ship SS Mayaguez in international waters, Ford orders U.S. Marines to rescue the ship's crew. The civilians are safely recovered and a long hostage crisis averted, but many Marines die. This was the last official battle of the Vietnam War. The names of the Americans killed, as well as those of three Marines who were left behind on the island of Koh Tang after the battle and were subsequently executed by the Khmer Rouge, are the last names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.[5]
  • May 15 – The construction of an outdoor swimming pool at the White House is announced. Ford swam twice daily before his presidency and regretted being unable to do so at the White House.[6]
Ford swimming in the White House swimming pool in July 1975.
Ford with Egyptian President Anwar Sadat in Salzburg, Austria, June 1975
President Ford speaks to the Soviet and American Apollo–Soyuz Test Project crews, July 18, 1975
  • May 28 – June 3 – Ford makes the fourth international trip of his presidency:[8]
    • May 28–31 – Travels to Brussels, Belgium; attends the NATO Summit Meeting, addresses the North Atlantic Council and meets separately with NATO heads of state and government.
    • May 31 – June 1 – Travels to Madrid, Spain; meets with Generalissimo Francisco Franco, and receives the keys to the city of Madrid from mayor Miguel Angel García-Lomas Mata.

June

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July

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August

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September

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A chaotic scene of motorcade vehicles surrounded by crowd of people including police and press
Reaction immediately after the second assassination attempt

October

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  • October 2–3 – Ford hosts Japanese Emperor Hirohito and Empress Nagako for a state visit. This is the first state visit for an Emperor and Empress of Japan to the United States.
  • October 29 – Ford urges financial restraint and a financial review for New York City during its fiscal crisis. Ford refuses to support Federal help for New York at this time. He proposes bankruptcy legislation to ensure the City undergoes an orderly default process.

November

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December

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See also

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U.S. presidential administration timelines
Preceded by Ford presidency (1975) Succeeded by

References

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  1. ^ "A Chronology of Dates Significant in the Background, History and Development of the Department of Transportation". U.S. Department of Transportation. October 3, 2008. Archived from the original on February 15, 2008. Retrieved 2009-03-09.
  2. ^ Uchitelle, Louis (June 10, 1990). "A Crowbar for Carla Hills". New York Times. Retrieved August 22, 2016.
  3. ^ "Executive Order 11850--Renunciation of certain uses in war of chemical herbicides and riot control agents". National Archives. April 8, 1975. Retrieved May 17, 2016.
  4. ^ Dunham, George R.; Quinlan, David A. (1990). U.S. Marines in Vietnam: The Bitter End, 1973–1975. History and Museums Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps. p. 202.
  5. ^ Wetterhahn, Ralph (2002). The Last Battle: The Mayaguez Incident and the end of the Vietnam War. Plume. ISBN 0-452-28333-7.
  6. ^ "Swimming Pool Ordered by Ford". The New York Times. 15 May 1975. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  7. ^ Haines, David (1996). Refugees in America in the 1990s: a reference handbook. New York: Greenwood Press.
  8. ^ a b c d "Travels of President Gerald R. Ford". U.S. Department of State Office of the Historian.
  9. ^ "First Lady Biography—Betty Ford". National First Ladies' Library. n.d. Retrieved July 10, 2011.
  10. ^ "1975 Year in Review: Ford Assassinations Attempts". Upi.com. Retrieved May 30, 2011.
  11. ^ "Charles Manson follower Lynette 'Squeaky' Fromme released from prison after more than 30 years". Daily News. New York. Associated Press. August 14, 2009. Archived from the original on January 30, 2013. Retrieved September 7, 2011.
  12. ^ "Timeline: Guerrilla: The Taking of Patty Hearst". American Experience. Public Broadcasting Service. 2005-02-16. Retrieved 2007-01-03.
  13. ^ Lee, Vic (January 2, 2007). "Interview: Woman Who Tried To Assassinate Ford". San Francisco: KGO-TV. Archived from the original on September 14, 2007. Retrieved January 3, 2007.
  14. ^ Federal Judicial Center page on John Paul Stevens Archived 2009-01-18 at the Wayback Machine.
  15. ^ U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes - Nomination of John Paul Stevens, senate.gov
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