Franklin D. Roosevelt
Roosevelt entered the Oval Office at the age of 51, during one of the most tumultuous periods in American history. He was remembered for building the New Deal Coalition, winning a record four presidential elections, and leading the country during World War II, as well as his triumphant spirit in the face of a debilitating polio diagnosis in 1921.
ADVERTISEMENT
Gerald R. Ford
After Nixon resigned, then Vice President Gerald R. Ford stepped up on August 9, 1974 to take his place, announcing, “I assume the Presidency under extraordinary circumstances … This is an hour of history that troubles our minds and hurts our hearts.” He was not re-elected for a second term, although he won the Republican nomination in 1976 to run up against future President Jimmy Carter.