Pity poor Gerald Ford. Though his presidency came at a crucial time in American history, he is often considered little more than a footnote -- a go-between who bridged the gap between Richard Nixon and Jimmy Carter in the 1970s. Ford found himself stumbling into the job, as he is the only man to ever hold the highest office of government in the United States without being elected as either President or Vice President. And on this day in 1974, Ford took the oath of office a day after Nixon resigned.

In his youth, Ford managed to extract himself from a broken home for a distinguished career in the Navy. He got into public office soon after his military tenure, scoring a seat in the House of Representatives. His career continued to build, and he eventually ascended to the title of House Minority Leader. It was there he ended up moving into the Vice President's office following the resignation of Spiro Agnew (in the event the Vice President is unable to continue his post, a new one is appointed via the 25th Amendment). When Nixon himself had to resign in the wake of the Watergate Scandal several months later, the line of succession fell to Ford. It was a thankless job, as the Cold War was still going strong and the economy was a complete disaster. Ford later beat Ronald Reagan for the Republican nomination in 1976 but lost the presidency to Carter.

Only a few hours after Nixon told the country he was stepping down, Ford took the oath of office. When he addressed the nation for the first time as the President, Ford looked directly at the American people and said sternly, "My fellow Americans, our long national nightmare is over." The Violent Femmes know a thing or two about nightmares, and they're here to teach us.

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