Gerald Rudolf Ford Jr. was born on July 14, 1913, in Omaha, Nebraska, but his birth name was not Gerald Ford at all.
He was born Leslie Lynch King Jr., the son of Dorothy Ayer Gardner and wool trader Leslie Lynch King Sr.
His parents separated just sixteen days after his birth, with his mother taking the infant to live with relatives before settling in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
His parents divorced in December 1913, and his mother eventually remarried a salesman named Gerald Rudolff Ford on February 1, 1917.
From that point on, the young boy was referred to as Gerald Rudolff Ford Jr., though he was never formally adopted by his stepfather.
The name change, including the anglicized spelling of "Rudolph," was not legally formalized until December 3, 1935, meaning Ford lived under his assumed name for 22 years before it was official.
He did not learn about his biological father until the age of 17, when his parents revealed the circumstances of his birth.
That same year, his biological father unexpectedly approached him while he was waiting tables at a Grand Rapids restaurant.
Ford would go on to become the 38th President of the United States, the only person to hold that office without winning a national election.
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