Ronald Reagan from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
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Ronald Reagan From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Ronald Wilson Reagan (/ˈrɒnәld ˈwɪlsәn ˈreɪɡәn/) (February 6, Ronald Reagan 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th President of the United States from 1981 to 1989. Before his presidency, he was the 33rd Governor of California, from 1967 to 1975, after a career as a Hollywood actor and union leader. Raised in a poor family in small towns of northern Illinois, Reagan graduated from Eureka College in 1932 and worked as a sports announcer on several regional radio stations. After moving to 40th President of the United States Hollywood in 1937, he became an actor In office and starred in a few major productions. January 20, 1981 – January 20, 1989 Reagan was twice elected President of the Screen Actors Guild, the labor union Vice President George H. W. Bush for actors, where he worked to root out Preceded by Jimmy Carter Communist influence. In the 1950s, he Succeeded by George H. W. Bush moved into television and was a motivational speaker at General Electric 33rd Governor of California factories. Having been a lifelong In office Democrat, his views changed. He January 2, 1967 – January 6, 1975 became a conservative and in 1962 Lieutenant Robert Finch switched to the Republican Party. In Edwin Reinecke 1964, Reagan's speech, "A Time for John L. Harmer Choosing", in support of Barry Goldwater's foundering presidential Preceded by Pat Brown campaign, earned him national attention Succeeded by Jerry Brown as a new conservative spokesman. President of the Screen Actors Guild Building a network of supporters, he was elected Governor of California in 1966. In office As governor, Reagan raised taxes, turned November 16, 1959 – June 12, 1960 a state budget deficit to a surplus, Preceded by Howard Keel challenged the protesters at the University of California, ordered Succeeded by George Chandler National Guard troops in during a period In office of protest movements in 1969, and was November 17, 1947 – November 9, 1952 reelected in 1970. He twice ran Preceded by Robert Montgomery unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for the U.S. presidency in Succeeded by Walter Pidgeon 1968 and 1976; four years later, he easily Personal details won the nomination outright, becoming Born Ronald Wilson Reagan the oldest elected U.S. president up to February 6, 1911 that time, defeating incumbent Jimmy Tampico, Illinois, U.S. Carter in 1980. Died June 5, 2004 (aged 93) Entering the presidency in 1981, Reagan Los Angeles, California, U.S. implemented sweeping new political and Cause of death Pneumonia complicated by economic initiatives. His supplyside Alzheimer's disease economic policies, dubbed "Reaganomics", advocated tax rate Resting place Ronald Reagan Presidential reduction to spur economic growth, Library and Center control of the money supply to curb 34.25899°N 118.82043°W inflation, economic deregulation, and Political party Republican reduction in government spending. In his Other political Democratic (before 1962) first term he survived an assassination affiliations attempt, spurred the War on Drugs, and fought public sector labor. Over his two Spouse(s) Jane Wyman (m. 1940–49) terms, the economy saw a reduction of Nancy Davis (m. 1952) inflation from 12.5% to 4.4%, and an Relations Neil Reagan (brother) average annual growth of real GDP of Children 5, see below 3.4; while Reagan did enact cuts in domestic discretionary spending, tax cuts Parents Jack Reagan and increased military spending Nelle Wilson Reagan contributed to increased federal outlays Alma mater Eureka College overall, even after adjustment for Profession Actor · politician · sports inflation. During his reelection bid, commentator Reagan campaigned on the notion that it was "Morning in America", winning a Awards Presidential Medal of landslide in 1984 with the largest Freedom electoral college victory in American Congressional Gold Medal history. Foreign affairs dominated his See more second term, including ending of the Signature Cold War, the bombing of Libya, and the Iran–Contra affair. Publicly describing Military service the Soviet Union as an "evil empire", and Allegiance United States during his famous speech at the Service/branch U.S. Army Air Forces Brandenburg Gate, President Reagan challenged Soviet General Secretary Years of 1937–1945 Mikhail Gorbachev to "tear down this service wall!". He transitioned Cold War policy Rank Captain from détente to rollback, by escalating an Unit 18th AAF Base Unit arms race with the USSR while engaging in talks with Gorbachev, which culminated in the INF Treaty, shrinking both countries' nuclear arsenals.[1] Reagan's presidency came during the decline of the Soviet Union and just ten months after the end of his term, the Berlin Wall fell, and on December 26, 1991, nearly three years after he left office, the Soviet Union collapsed. Leaving office in 1989, Reagan held an approval rating of sixtyeight percent, matching those of Franklin D. Roosevelt, and later Bill Clinton, as the highest ratings for departing presidents in the modern era.[2] He was the first president since Dwight D. Eisenhower to serve two full terms, after a succession of five prior presidents failed to do so. While having planned an active postpresidency, in 1994 Reagan disclosed his diagnosis with Alzheimer's disease earlier that year, appearing publicly for the last time at the funeral of Richard Nixon; he died ten years later in 2004 at the age of 93; Reagan had the secondlongest life out of all the presidents; the current longest lifespan of a president is held by Gerald Ford, who died two years after Reagan. An icon among Republicans, he is viewed favorably in historian rankings of U.S. presidents, and his tenure constituted a realignment toward conservative policies in the U.S. Contents 1 Early life 1.1 Education 2 Entertainment career 2.1 Radio and film 2.2 Military service 2.3 SAG presidency 2.4 Television 3 Marriages and children 4 Early political career 5 Governorship of California: 1967–1975 6 1976 presidential campaign 7 1980 presidential campaign 8 Presidency of the United States: 1981–1989 8.1 First term 8.2 Second term 8.3 Health 8.4 Judiciary 9 Postpresidency: 1989–2004 9.1 Public speaking 9.2 Assault 9.3 Alzheimer's disease 10 Death 11 Legacy 11.1 Cold War 11.2 Domestic and political legacy 11.3 Cultural and political image 11.4 Honors 12 Portraits 13 See also 14 References 15 Sources 16 Further reading 16.1 Primary sources 16.2 Historiography 17 External links 17.1 Official sites 17.2 Media 17.3 News coverage 17.4 Essays and historiographies 17.5 Other Early life Ronald Wilson Reagan was born in an apartment on the second floor of a commercial building in Tampico, Illinois on February 6, 1911. He was the younger son of Nelle Clyde (née Wilson) and John Edward "Jack" Reagan.[3] Jack was a salesman and storyteller whose grandparents were Irish Catholic immigrants from County Tipperary,[4] while Nelle was of halfEnglish and halfScottish descent (her mother was born in Surrey).[5] Reagan's older brother, John Neil Reagan (1908–1996), became an advertising executive.[6] As a boy, Reagan's father nicknamed his son "Dutch", due to his "fat little Dutchman"like appearance and "Dutchboy" haircut;[7] the nickname stuck with him throughout his youth.[7] Reagan's family briefly lived in several towns and cities in Illinois, including Monmouth, Galesburg, and Chicago.[8] In 1919, they returned to Tampico and lived above the H. C. Pitney Variety Store until finally settling in Dixon.[3] After his election as president, residing in the upstairs White House private quarters, Reagan would quip that he was "living above the store again".[9] According to Paul Kengor, author of God and Ronald Reagan, Reagan had a particularly strong faith in the goodness of people, which stemmed from the optimistic faith of his mother[10] and the Disciples of Christ faith,[10] into which he was baptized in 1922.[11] For the time, Reagan was unusual in his opposition to racial discrimination, and recalled a time in Dixon when the local inn would not allow black people to stay there. Reagan brought them back to his house, where his mother invited them to stay the night and have breakfast the next morning.[12] After the closure of the Pitney Store in late 1920 and the family's move to Dixon,[13] the midwestern "small universe" had a lasting impression on Reagan.[14] Education Reagan attended Dixon High School, where he developed interests in acting, sports, and storytelling.[15] His first job was as a lifeguard at the Rock River in Lowell Park in 1927. Over a sixyear period, Reagan reportedly performed 77 rescues as a lifeguard.[16] He attended Eureka College, a Disciplesoriented liberal arts school, where he became a member of the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity, a cheerleader, and studied economics and sociology. While involved, the Miller Center of Public Affairs described him as an "indifferent student". He majored in economics and sociology, and graduated with a C grade.[17] He developed a reputation as a "jack of all trades", excelling in campus politics, sports, and theater. He was a member of the football team and captain of the swim team. He was elected student body president and led a student revolt against the college president after the president tried to cut back the faculty.[18] Entertainment career Radio and film After graduating from Eureka in 1932, Reagan drove himself to Iowa, where he held jobs as an announcer at several stations. He moved to WHO radio in Des Moines as an announcer for Chicago Cubs baseball games.