Gerald Ford is unique in American history for several reasons, but the most notable is that he became president without being elected to the office through a national election. Ford was originally appointed as vice president in 1973 after Spiro Agnew resigned. When President Richard Nixon resigned in 1974 amid the Watergate scandal, Ford ascended to the presidency. This makes him the only U.S. president to have assumed the office without being elected as either president or vice president.
To clarify, here’s a breakdown of the options you provided regarding Ford's uniqueness:
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He also served as a Supreme Court Justice. - This is incorrect. Gerald Ford did not serve as a Supreme Court Justice.
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He was never part of a winning presidential ticket. - This is misleading. Ford was elected to the House of Representatives multiple times and served as vice president, but he was never elected as president.
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He became president because of an assassination. - This statement is not accurate. Ford did not ascend to the presidency through an assassination; he became president due to Nixon's resignation.
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He resigned before being impeached. - This is false; Ford did not resign. He served out his term after replacing Nixon.
Therefore, the most relevant aspect of Ford's uniqueness is his ascension to the presidency without an election, and he is historically significant for being the first president who was never elected to either the presidency or the vice presidency.