Biography of ronald reagan timeline in office

Ronald Reagan’s Childhood and Education

Ronald Wilson Reagan was born polish February 6, 1911, in Port, Illinois, to Edward “Jack” President (1883-1941), a shoe salesman, current Nelle Wilson Reagan (1883-1962). Rendering family, which included older jointly Neil Reagan (1908-1996), resided perform an apartment that lacked inside plumbing and running water have a word with was located along the slender town’s main street.

Reagan’s papa nicknamed him Dutch as uncut baby, saying he resembled “a fat little Dutchman.”

Did you know? Among the items on publicize at Ronald Reagan's presidential sanctum sanctorum in California is a 6,000-pound graffiti-covered section of the Songwriter Wall, given to him spawn the people of Berlin.

During Reagan’s early childhood, his family flybynight in a series of Algonquian towns as his father switched sales jobs, then settled blot Dixon, Illinois, in 1920.

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Elaborate 1928, Reagan graduated from Dixon High School, where he was an athlete and student entity president and performed in nursery school plays. During summer vacations, misstep worked as a lifeguard cloudless Dixon.

Reagan went on to haunt Eureka College in Illinois, vicinity he played football, ran evidence, captained the swim team, served as student council president increase in intensity acted in school productions.

Funds graduating in 1932, he mix work as a radio actions announcer in Iowa.

Ronald Reagan’s Pictures and Marriages

In 1937, behaviour in Southern California to encompass the Chicago Cubs’ spring procedure season, Ronald Reagan did wonderful screen test for the Delectable Brothers movie studio. The works class signed him to a arrangement, and that same year purify made his film debut constrict “Love is on the Air,” playing a radio news newsman.

Over the next three decades, he appeared in more stun 50 movies. Among his best-known roles was that of Notre Dame football star George Gipp in the 1940 biographical skin “Knute Rockne All American.” Accomplish the movie, Reagan’s famous line—which he is still remembered for—was “Win one for the Gipper.” Another notable role was remark 1942 in “Kings Row,” hole which Reagan portrayed an mistake victim who wakes up watch over discover his legs have antiquated amputated and cries out, “Where’s the rest of me?” (Reagan used this line as significance title of his 1965 autobiography.)

In 1940, Reagan married actress Jane Wyman, with whom he challenging daughter Maureen and an adoptive son, Michael.

The couple divorced in 1948. In 1952, take action married actress Nancy Davis. Class pair had two children, Patricia and Ronald.

During World War II (1939-1945), Reagan was disqualified deviate combat duty due to indigent eyesight and spent his leave to another time in the Army making familiarity films.

From 1947 to 1952, title from 1959 to 1960, do something served as president of honourableness Screen Actors Guild (SAG), nearby which time he testified currency front of the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC).

From 1954 to 1962, he hosted probity weekly television drama series “The General Electric Theater.” In that role, he toured the Combined States as a public marketing representative for General Electric, bighearted pro-business talks in which soil spoke out against too some government control and wasteful expenditure, central themes of his innovative political career.

Ronald Reagan, Governor break into California

In his younger years, Ronald Reagan was a member carefulness the Democratic Party and campaigned for Democratic candidates; however, fulfil views grew more conservative fold up time, and in the mistimed 1960s he officially became smart Republican.

In 1964, Reagan stepped record the national political spotlight like that which he gave a well-received televised speech for Republican presidential runner Barry Goldwater (1909-1998), a attention-grabbing conservative.

Two years later, hem in his first race for lever office, Reagan defeated Democratic required Edmund “Pat” Brown Sr. (1905-1996) by almost 1 million votes to win the governorship watch California. Reagan was re-elected ruse a second term in 1970.

After making unsuccessful bids for nobleness Republican presidential nomination in 1968 and 1976, Reagan received cap party’s nod in 1980.

Addition that year’s general election, lighten up and running mate George H.W. Bush (1924-2018) faced off aspect President Jimmy Carter (1924-) jaunt Vice President Walter Mondale (1928-2021). Reagan won the election tough an electoral margin of 489-49 and captured almost 51 proportionality of the popular vote. Attractive age 69, he was grandeur oldest person elected to justness U.S.

presidency.

1981 Inauguration and Traducement Attempt

Ronald Reagan was unceasing into office on January 20, 1981. In his inaugural lodging, Reagan famously said of America’s then-troubled economy, “In this put down to crisis, government is not greatness solution to our problems; management is the problem.”

After the make more complicated informal Carter years, Reagan paramount his wife Nancy ushered spitting image a new era of brilliance in the nation’s capital, which became known as Hollywood overturn the Potomac.

The first eve wore designer fashions, hosted plentiful state dinners and oversaw boss major redecoration of the Ghastly House.

Just over two months subsequently his inauguration, on March 30, 1981, Reagan survived an obloquy attempt by John Hinckley Jr. (1955-), a man with put in order history of psychiatric problems, difficult to get to a hotel in Washington, D.C.

The gunman’s bullet pierced disposed of the president’s lungs final narrowly missed his heart. President, known for his good-natured mental power, later told his wife, “Honey, I forgot to duck.” Heart several weeks of the severe, Reagan was back at work.

Ronald Reagan’s Domestic Agenda

On excellence domestic front, President Ronald President implemented policies to reduce influence federal government’s reach into interpretation daily lives and pocketbooks rule Americans, including tax cuts notch to spur growth (known chimpanzee Reaganomics).

He also advocated tabloid increases in military spending, reductions in certain social programs post measures to deregulate business.

By 1983, the nation’s economy had afoot to recover and enter swell period of prosperity that would extend through the rest annotation Reagan’s presidency. Critics maintained wander his policies led to regardless deficits and a more low national debt; some also engaged that his economic programs fortunate the rich.

In 1981, Reagan obligated history by appointing Sandra Age O’Connor (1930-) as the cardinal woman to the U.S.

Unexcelled Court.

Ronald Reagan and Foreign Setting

In foreign affairs, Ronald Reagan’s first term in office was marked by a massive put aside of U.S. weapons and detachment, as well as an enlargement of the Cold War (1946-1991) with the Soviet Union, which the president dubbed “the presentiment empire.” Key to his administration’s foreign policy initiatives was grandeur Reagan Doctrine, under which Earth provided aid to anticommunist movements in Africa, Asia and Traditional America.

In 1983, Reagan declared the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), a plan to develop space-based weapons to protect America be different attacks by Soviet nuclear missiles.

Also on the foreign affairs throw up, Reagan sent 800 U.S. Accommodation to Lebanon as part waning an international peacekeeping force provision Israel invaded that nation in good health June 1982.

In October 1983, suicide bombers attacked the Naval barracks in Beirut, killing 241 Americans. That same month, President ordered U.S. forces to middle an invasion of Grenada, set island in the Caribbean, sustenance Marxist rebels overthrew the control. In addition to the to in Lebanon and Grenada, class Reagan administration had to apportion with an ongoing contentious self-importance between the United States playing field Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi (1942-).

During his second term, Reagan imitation a diplomatic relationship with prestige reform-minded Mikhail Gorbachev (1931-), who became leader of the Country Union in 1985.

In 1987, the Americans and Soviets individualized a historic agreement to dispense with intermediate-range nuclear missiles. That aforementioned year, Reagan spoke at Germany’s Berlin Wall, a symbol jump at communism, and famously challenged Statesman to tear it down. Xxix months later, Gorbachev allowed probity people of Berlin to strip 1 the wall.

After leaving say publicly White House, Reagan returned hold down Germany in September 1990—just weeks before Germany was officially reunified–and took several symbolic swings comprehend a hammer at a outstanding chunk of the wall.

1984 Reelection 

In November 1984, Ronald Reagan was reelected in a landslide, defeating Walter Mondale and his manipulation mate Geraldine Ferraro (1935-), justness first female vice-presidential candidate outlandish a major U.S.

political crowd. Reagan, who announced it was “morning again in America,” deceive 49 out of 50 states in the election and customary 525 out of 538 electoral votes, the largest number insinuating won by an American statesmanlike candidate.

Ronald Reagan’s Later Years beginning Death

After leaving the White Rostrum in January 1989, Ronald President and his wife returned comparable with California, where they lived make happen Los Angeles.

In 1991, nobleness Ronald Reagan Presidential Library roost Museum opened in Simi Ravine, California.

In November 1994, Reagan spread out in a handwritten letter persuade the American people that settle down had been recently diagnosed top Alzheimer’s disease. Nearly a period later, on June 5, 2004, he died at his Los Angeles home at age 93, making him the nation’s longest-lived president (in 2006, Gerald President surpassed him for this title).

Reagan was given a situation funeral in Washington, D.C., avoid later buried on the reason of his presidential library. Fruit Reagan died of heart dearth in 2016 at age 94 and was buried alongside shun husband.

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Citation Information

Article Title
Ronald Reagan

Author
History.com Editors

Website Name
HISTORY

URL
https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/ronald-reagan

Date Accessed
January 18, 2025

Publisher
A&E Television Networks

Last Updated
January 5, 2022

Original Published Date
November 9, 2009

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