Basket.

Former American President Gerald Ford dead at 93

America's only unelected president (he succeeded Nixon after the latter's resignation, serving from 1974 and then losing the 1976 election to Democrat Jimmy Carter), Ford became Nixon's Vice-President just eight months Watergate forced the latter's resignation. Nixon's previous Vice-President, Spiro Agnew, had himself been obliged to relinquish his post in a corruption scandal. Not Nixon's first choice, Ford was picked primarily because he would be speedily confirmed by a both hostilely Democratic houses of Congress.

Thrust suddenly into the presidency, Ford had his work cut out for him. Not only had he to face a hostile Congress and a partisan press, he also had to revive the reputation of a scandal-haunted White House. In less than three years in office, he survived two assasination attempts. The forces ranged against him, especially a heavily partisan press, eventually proved too much and, a reluctant candidate anyway, he lost the 1976 general election - the first sitting president to lose since Herbert Hoover in 1932.

Ford is largely remembered as a decent man thrust unexpectedly into a position of heavy responsibility, who did his best in his term - but whose best simply was not good enough.

Rest in peace.