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Former U.S. President Gerald Ford is seen in this June 5, 2000 file photo.
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Gerald Ford, who turned 93 in July, became the longest-living US president on Sunday, edging past Ronald Reagan.
Ford, who was born on July 14, 1913, in Omaha, Nebraska, has been alive for 93 years and 121 days, one day more than Reagan, who was 93 years, 120 days when died June 5, 2004.
Ford, a former Michigan congressman and vice president, became US 38th president on August 9, 1974, after Richard Nixon resigned over the Watergate scandal.
The only US president who was not elected to either the presidency or vice presidency, Ford remained in office until Jimmy Carter replaced him in January 1977 after losing the November 1976 election.
Ford and former first lady Betty Ford, 88, live in Rancho Mirage in the desert of Southern California.
"The length of one's days matters less than the love of one's family and friends," Ford said last week in a statement in the local Desert Sun newspaper.
"I thank God for the gift of every sunrise and, even more, for all the years he has blessed me with Betty and the children, with our extended family and the friends of a lifetime," he added.
Ford has suffered a variety of health problems in recent years.
The other living former presidents are Carter, 82; George H.W. Bush, 82; and Bill Clinton, 60.
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美國前總統杰拉德·福特于今年七月滿93歲，并在上周日這一天刷新已故總統羅納德·里根創下的紀錄，成為美國歷史上壽命最長的總統。
福特總統于1913年7月14日出生在內布拉斯加的奧馬哈市，他在上周日這一天滿93歲零121天，而里根總統2004年6月5日逝世時剛好93歲零120天。
福特曾是密歇根州的眾議員、并擔任過美國副總統。他于1974年8月9日接替因“水門事件”而下臺的理查德·尼克松總統，成為美國歷史上第38任總統。
福特是美國總統中唯一一位未經選舉而當上總統和副總統的人，但他在1976年11月的總統大選中敗給吉米·卡特，并于1977年1月卸任。
福特總統和現年88歲的前第一夫人貝蒂·福特一直居住在南加州沙漠地帶的“幻像園”。
福特總統上周在加州《沙漠太陽報》上發表的一份聲明中說：“家人和朋友的關愛比生命的長短更重要。”
“我感謝上帝的恩賜，讓我每天能看到日出，更要感謝他賜予了我貝蒂、孩子、家人和那些一輩子的朋友。”
福特近幾年來身體狀況一直不好。
目前，其他幾位健在的美國前總統包括，82歲的卡特、82歲的老布什和60歲的比爾·克林頓。
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發布日期：2006-11-17 來源：chinadaily
