Ronald Reagan

40th President of the United States

### Children

Maureen Reagan (daughter), Christine Reagan (daughter), Michael Reagan (son), Patti Davis (daughter), Ron Reagan (son)

### Parents

Jack Reagan (father)Nelle Wilson (mother)

### Occupation

Politician, trade unionist, actor, author, broadcaster

### Hair Color

Dark brown

**Ronald Reagan**, originally an American actor and union leader, became the 40th President of the United States serving from 1981 to 1989. His term saw a restoration of prosperity at home, with the goal of achieving “peace through strength” abroad.

*The Presidency of Ronald Reagan spanned the period in United States history that encompasses the events of the Cold War Era and the Era of Excess that saw significant developments in foreign policy, including the strengthening of U.S. military power, the Cold War sparked proxy wars and global instability, and three critical turning points: the Reagan Doctrine, the Strategic Defense Initiative, and the Fall of the Berlin Wall. President Ronald Reagan represented the Republican political party which influenced the domestic and foreign policies of his presidency that included Reaganomics, the economic policies introduced during the Reagan administration.*

## Biography

At the end of his two terms in office, Ronald Reagan viewed with satisfaction the achievements of his innovative program known as the Reagan Revolution, which aimed to reinvigorate the American people and reduce their reliance upon Government. He felt he had fulfilled his campaign pledge of 1980 to restore “the great, confident roar of American progress and growth and optimism.”

On February 6, 1911, Ronald Wilson Reagan was born to Nelle and John Reagan in Tampico, Illinois. He attended high school in nearby Dixon and then worked his way through Eureka College. There, he studied economics and sociology, played on the football team, and acted in school plays. Upon graduation, he became a radio sports announcer. A screen test in 1937 won him a contract in Hollywood. During the next two decades he appeared in 53 films.

From his first marriage to actress Jane Wyman, he had two children, Maureen and Michael. Maureen passed away in 2001. In 1952 he married Nancy Davis, who was also an actress, and they had two children, Patricia Ann and Ronald Prescott.

As president of the Screen Actors Guild, Reagan became embroiled in disputes over the issue of Communism in the film industry; his political views shifted from liberal to conservative. He toured the country as a television host, becoming a spokesman for conservatism. In 1966 he was elected Governor of California by a margin of a million votes; he was re-elected in 1970.

Ronald Reagan won the Republican Presidential nomination in 1980 and chose as his running mate former Texas Congressman and United Nations Ambassador George Bush. Voters troubled by inflation and by the year-long confinement of Americans in Iran swept the Republican ticket into office. Reagan won 489 electoral votes to 49 for President Jimmy Carter.

On January 20, 1981, Reagan took office. Only 69 days later he was shot by a would-be assassin, but quickly recovered and returned to duty. His grace and wit during the dangerous incident caused his popularity to soar.

Dealing skillfully with Congress, Reagan obtained legislation to stimulate economic growth, curb inflation, increase employment, and strengthen national defense. He embarked upon a course of cutting taxes and Government expenditures, refusing to deviate from it when the strengthening of defense forces led to a large deficit.

A renewal of national self-confidence by 1984 helped Reagan and Bush win a second term with an unprecedented number of electoral votes. Their victory turned away Democratic challengers Walter F. Mondale and Geraldine Ferraro.

In 1986 Reagan obtained an overhaul of the income tax code, which eliminated many deductions and exempted millions of people with low incomes. At the end of his administration, the Nation was enjoying its longest recorded period of peacetime prosperity without recession or depression.

In foreign policy, Reagan sought to achieve “peace through strength.” During his two terms he increased defense spending 35 percent, but sought to improve relations with the Soviet Union. In dramatic meetings with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, he negotiated a treaty that would eliminate intermediate-range nuclear missiles. Reagan declared war against international terrorism, sending American bombers against Libya after evidence came out that Libya was involved in an attack on American soldiers in a West Berlin nightclub.

By ordering naval escorts in the Persian Gulf, he maintained the free flow of oil during the Iran-Iraq war. In keeping with the Reagan Doctrine, he gave support to anti-Communist insurgencies in Central America, Asia, and Africa.

Overall, the Reagan years saw a restoration of prosperity, and the goal of peace through strength seemed to be within grasp.

He died on June 5, 2004.

## Personality

The character traits of President Ronald Reagan can be described as outgoing, friendly, confident, charming, cheerful and superstitious. It has been speculated that the Myers-Briggs personality type for Ronald Reagan is an ESFP (Extraversion, Sensing, Thinking, Judgment) with the temperament of an idealist. An outgoing, fun, unconventional and attentive character who excels in interpersonal interactions. Ronald Reagan Personality type: Resourceful, enthusiastic, optimistic, gregarious and persuasive.

## Nicknames

* "Dutch"
* "Ronnie"
* "The Great Communicator"
* "The Gipper"
* "The Teflon President"

*Meaning: The nickname of President Ronald Reagan provides an insight into how the man was viewed by the American public during his presidency. The meaning of the nickname "Gipper" refers to a character called "George the Gipper" as a movie star starring in a movie called Knute Rockne, All American. Reagan's effectiveness as a public speaker earned him the moniker, "Great Communicator."*

## Inaugurations

### First Inauguration

The first inauguration of Ronald Reagan as the 40th president of the United States was held on Tuesday, January 20, 1981, at the West Front of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. This was the first inauguration to be held on the building's west side. This was the 49th inauguration and marked the commencement of Ronald Reagan's and George H. W. Bush's first term as president and vice president. Chief Justice Warren E. Burger administered the presidential oath of office to Reagan, who placed his hand upon a family Bible given to him by his mother, open to 2 Chronicles 7:14. Associate Justice Potter Stewart administered the vice presidential oath to Bush. At 69 years, 349 days of age on Inauguration Day, Reagan was the oldest person to assume the presidency until Donald Trump (who was later replaced with his successor Joe Biden in 2021). While the inauguration was taking place, the 52 Americans being held hostage in Iran were released.

### Second Inauguration

The second inauguration of Ronald Reagan as president of the United States was held in a televised ceremony on January 20, 1985, at the White House, and was repeated the following day, January 21, 1985, at the Capitol's rotunda. This was the 50th presidential inauguration and marked the commencement of the second and final four-year term of both Ronald Reagan as president and of George H. W. Bush as vice president.As the weather outside was harsh, with daytime temperatures of 7 °F (−14 °C) and wind chills of −25 °F (−32 °C), the event organizers were forced to move the public inaugural ceremony, which had been planned for the open air, inside to the Capitol Rotunda. There, as they had the day before officially, Chief Justice Warren E. Burger administered the presidential oath of office to Reagan, and former Associate Justice Potter Stewart administered the vice-presidential oath to Bush. Jessye Norman sang *Simple Gifts* from Aaron Copland's *Old American Songs* at the ceremony.

Due to the inclement weather, the parade was canceled and a replacement event was put on in the Capital Centre; 96 people attended the first ceremony and thousands attended the second. Coverage of the event was provided by NBC, CBS, ABC, and CNN and the ceremony was televised throughout the United States.

## Famous Films

* **E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial**
* Raiders of the Lost Ark
* Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
* Back to the Future
* Ghostbusters
* Aliens
* Rocky III
* Blade Runner
* First Blood
* The Terminator
* The Evil Dead
* Top Gun
* Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
* Rocky IV
* Coming to America
* Howard the Duck
* Die Hard
* Predator
* Rambo: First Blood Part II
* Scarface
* Evil Dead II
* Poltergeist
* Spaceballs
* Who Framed Roger Rabbit
* Gremlins (1984)
* The Fox and the Hound
* Beetlejuice
* The Color Purple (1985)
* The Karate Kid
* A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
* Rambo III
* Big (1988)
* Ferris Bueller's Day Off
* The Goonies
* Superman III
* The Breakfast Club
* Escape from New York
* The Thing (1982)
* Tron
* Beverly Hills
* Labyrinth

## Accomplishments and major events

*The major accomplishments and the famous, main events that occurred during the time that Ronald Reagan was president included the assassination attempt on his life, perpetrated by John Hinckley Jr., the Iran-Contra Scandal aka Irangate and the establishment of the Strategic Defense Initiative (Star Wars). In events abroad the policy of Glasnost introduced by Mikhail Gorbachev brought reforms to the Soviet Union that would ultimatly lead to its collapse.*

**The Cold War (1945 - 1991)**

Summary: The Cold War (1945 - 1991) was a 'war of words'  involving the Cold War Space Race and the Cold War Arms Race involving the nuclear build-up between the USA and the West and the Communist countries dominated by the USSR and China in the East. Ronald Reagan was one of the nine US Presidents who were in office during the dangerous period in history known as the Cold War in which the US adopted the policy of Containment to restrict the spread of communism abroad.

**Stagflation (1970's)**

Summary: Stagflation was the term used to describe the state of the nation's economy during the 1970's. Stagflation was a combination of economic stagnation, rising prices and inflation. Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter all failed to curb stagflation and President Reagan faced the worst recession since the Great Depression. The economic policies failed to work and stagflation continued into the presidency of Ronald Reagan when the economy finally began to recover due to his economic policy known as Reaganomics.

**Reaganomics**

Summary: Reaganomics was the name given to the economic policies introduced during the Reagan administration which ended the Stagflation recession. Reaganomics encompassed actions taken to decrease the growth in government spending, reduce taxes, ease economic regulation and promote unrestricted free-market activity.

**The Reagan Assassination Attempt (1981)**

Summary: The Reagan Assassination Attempt on March 30, 1981 was perpetrated by John Hinckley Jr. as President Ronald Reagan was leaving the Hilton hotel in Washington D.C. John Hinckley, Jr. shot President Reagan in a misguided attempt to impress Hollywood movie actress Jodie Foster. The Reagan assassination attempt was played down by the president remarked to his wife Nancy "Honey I forgot to Duck".

**Irangate - the Iran-Contra Scandal (1981)**

Summary: The foreign policies of President Ronald Reagan led to the scandal known as Irangate or the Iran-Contra Scandal. The scandal arose due to a secret arrangement to provide financial aid to the Nicaraguan contra rebels from profits gained by selling arms to Iran. President Ronald Reagan had approved the sale of arms to Iran but had not been informed about the diversion of the money to the Contra rebel groups in Nicaragua. President Reagan insisted he had done nothing wrong, but the Iran Contra scandal seriously tainted his second term in office.

**Sandra Day O’Connor, first woman on Supreme Court (1981)**

Summary: Reagan nominates Sandra Day O'Connor to fill the seat of retiring Supreme Court justice Potter Stewart, making O'Connor the first woman to sit on the Supreme Court.

**E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)**

Summary: ***E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial*** (or simply ***E.T.***) is a 1982 American science fiction film produced and directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Melissa Mathison. It tells the story of Elliott, a boy who befriends an extraterrestrial, dubbed E.T., who is left behind on Earth. Along with his friends and family, Elliott must find a way to help E.T. find his way home.

*E.T.* premiered as the closing film of the Cannes Film Festival on May 26, 1982, and was released in the United States on June 11, 1982. The film was an immediate blockbuster, surpassing *Star Wars* to become the highest-grossing film of all time, a record it held for eleven years until Spielberg's own *Jurassic Park* surpassed it in 1993. *E.T.* was near–universally acclaimed by critics, and is regarded as one of the greatest films of all time. It received nine nominations at the 55th Academy Awards, winning Best Original Score, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound, and Best Sound Editing in addition to being nominated for Best Picture and Best Director. It also won five Saturn Awards and two Golden Globe Awards. The film was re-released in 1985 and again in 2002 to celebrate its 20th anniversary, with altered shots, visual effects, and additional scenes. It was also re-released in IMAX on August 12, 2022, to celebrate its 40th anniversary. In 1994, the film was added to the United States National Film Registry of the Library of Congress, who deemed it "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

**Strategic Defense Initiative (Star Wars)**

Summary: The Strategic Defense Initiative (Star Wars) was introduced on March 23, 1983 as the US response to possible nuclear attacks. The goal of Star Wars was to set up a large number of space satellites that would detect the launch, and then shoot down, any enemy missiles.

**Social Security Reform Bill**

Summary: The Social Security Reform Bill, signed by Reagan on April 20, 1983 officially made Social Security Reform law.

**Glasnost (1985)**

Summary: During the Reagan presidency the policy of Glasnost, meaning "openness to public scrutiny", was used by Mikhail Gorbachev to bring reforms to the Soviet Union

**Reagan Doctrine**

Summary: The Reagan Doctrine was stated by United States President Ronald Reagan in his State of the Union address on February 6, 1985: "We must not break faith with those who are risking their lives—on every continent from Afghanistan to Nicaragua—to defy Soviet-supported aggression and secure rights which have been ours from birth." It was a strategy implemented by the Reagan Administration to overwhelm the global influence of the Soviet Union in the late Cold War. The doctrine was a centerpiece of United States foreign policy from the early 1980s until the end of the Cold War in 1991.

Under the Reagan Doctrine, the United States provided overt and covert aid to anti-communist guerrillas and resistance movements in an effort to "roll back" Soviet-backed pro-communist governments in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The doctrine was designed to diminish Soviet influence in these regions as part of the administration's overall strategy to win the Cold War.

**The Geneva Summit (1985)**

Summary: Reagan and Soviet premier Mikhail Gorbachev held a summit meeting in Geneva, Switzerland. It was the first such meeting between U.S and Soviet heads of state since 1979.

**Reykjavík Summit**

Summary: The Reykjavík Summit was a summit meeting between U.S. President Ronald Reagan and General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev, held in Reykjavík, Iceland, on 11–12 October 1986. The talks collapsed at the last minute, but the progress that had been achieved eventually resulted in the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union.

## Post Presidency

Upon leaving the presidency on January 20, 1989 at the age of 77, Reagan became the oldest president at the end of their tenure, surpassing Dwight D. Eisenhower who left office in 1961 at age 70. This distinction will eventually pass to incumbent president Joe Biden who is currently 81 years old.

In retirement, Ronald and Nancy Reagan lived at 668 St. Cloud Road in Bel Air, in addition to Rancho del Cielo in Santa Barbara. He received multiple awards and honors, and received generous payments for speaking engagements. In 1991, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library opened. Reagan also addressed the 1992 Republican National Convention "to inspire allegiance to the party regulars"; publicly favored the Brady Bill, drawing criticism from gun control opponents; a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget; and the repeal of the 22nd Amendment. His final public speech occurred on February 3, 1994, during a tribute to him in Washington, D.C.; his last major public appearance was at the funeral of Richard Nixon on April 27, 1994.

### Support for Brady Bill

In 1989, in his first public appearance after leaving office and shortly after a mass shooting at Cleveland Elementary School in Stockton, California, he stated: "I do not believe in taking away the right of the citizen to own guns for sporting, for hunting, and so forth, or for home defense. But I do believe that an AK-47, a machine gun, is not a sporting weapon or needed for the defense of the home".

In March 1991, Reagan wrote an op-ed in the New York Times, titled: "Why I’m for the Brady Bill". In 1994, Reagan, Gerald Ford, and Jimmy Carter sent a letter to House members, urging them to support the controversial Federal Assault Weapons Ban.

### Alzheimer's disease

In August 1994, Reagan was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, which he announced through a handwritten letter in November. There was speculation over how long he had demonstrated symptoms of mental degeneration, but lay observations that he suffered from Alzheimer's while still in office have been widely refuted by medical experts; his doctors said that he first began exhibiting overt symptoms of the illness in late 1992 or 1993. Over time, the disease destroyed Reagan's mental capacity. By 1997, he was reported to recognize few people other than his wife, though he continued to walk through parks and on beaches, play golf, and visit his office in nearby Century City. Eventually, his family decided that he would live in quiet semi-isolation with his wife. By the end of 2003, Reagan had lost his ability to speak and was mostly confined to his bed, no longer able to recognize any family members.

## Death

Reagan died of pneumonia, complicated by Alzheimer's, at his home in Los Angeles, on June 5, 2004. President George W. Bush called Reagan's death "a sad hour in the life of America". His public funeral was held in the Washington National Cathedral, where eulogies were given by Margaret Thatcher, Brian Mulroney, George H. W. Bush, and George W. Bush. Other world leaders attended including Mikhail Gorbachev and Lech Wałęsa. Reagan was interred at his presidential library.

## Facts and trivia

* Reagan was the only American President to have been divorced, until Donald Trump, who had been divorced twice, became president in 2017.
* At 69 years, 349 days of age at the time of his first inauguration in January 1981, Reagan was the oldest person to assume the U.S. presidency, until Joe Biden surpassed him at 78 years old in January 2021.
* Reagan's father, Jack Reagan, was a salesman and storyteller whose grandparents were Irish Catholic emigrants from County Tipperary, while his mother, Nelle Reagan, was of English and Scottish descent.
* Ronald's older brother, Neil Reagan, was an advertising executive.
* Reagan's father nicknamed his son "Dutch", due to his "fat little Dutchman" appearance and Dutch-boy haircut; the nickname stuck with him throughout his youth.
* Reagan's family briefly lived in several towns and cities in Illinois, including Monmouth, Galesburg, and Chicago. In 1919, they returned to his hometown of Tampico and lived above the H. C. Pitney Variety Store until finally settling in Dixon, Illinois. After his election as president, Reagan lived in the upstairs White House private quarters, and he would quip that he was "living above the store" again.
* For that period, which was long before the civil rights movement, Reagan's opposition to racial discrimination was unusual. He recalled the time when his college football team was staying at a local hotel that would not allow two black teammates to stay there, and he invited them to his parents' home 15 miles (24 kilometers) away in Dixon. His mother invited them to stay overnight and have breakfast the next morning. Reagan's father was strongly opposed to the Ku Klux Klan due to his Catholic heritage, but also due to the Klan's anti-semitism and anti-black racism. After becoming a prominent actor, Reagan gave speeches in favor of racial equality following World War II. Later, as a politician, Reagan was often accused of appealing to white racial resentment and backlash against the civil-rights movement; one example was during his first campaign for Governor of California, Reagan's platform included a promise to repeal legislation barring housing discrimination. Certain in his own lack of prejudice, Reagan responded resentfully to claims he was racist while defending his position, arguing: "If an individual wants to discriminate against Negroes or others in selling or renting his house, it is his right to do so." He believed that "the right to dispose of and control one's own property is a basic human right".
* Ronald Reagan wrote that his mother "always expected to find the best in people and often did". She attended the Disciples of Christ church regularly and was active, and very influential, within it; she frequently led Sunday school services and gave the Bible readings to the congregation during the services. A firm believer in the power of prayer, she led prayer meetings at church and was in charge of mid-week prayers when the pastor was out of town. She was also an adherent of the Social Gospel movement. Her strong commitment to the church is what induced her son Ronald to become a Protestant Christian rather than a Roman Catholic like his Irish father.
* Reagan attended Dixon High School, where he developed interests in acting, sports, and storytelling. His first job involved working as a lifeguard at the Rock River in Lowell Park in 1927. Over six years, Reagan performed 77 rescues. In 1928, he attended Eureka College. He was an indifferent student, majored in economics and sociology and graduated with a C average. 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 of the swim team. He was elected student body president and participated in student protests against the college president.
* He graduated from Eureka College in 1932 and began to work as a radio sports commentator in Iowa. In 1937, Reagan moved to California, where he found work as an actor, starring in over 50 feature films.
* In 1938, Reagan co-starred in the film *Brother Rat* with actress Jane Wyman (1917–2007). They announced their engagement at the Chicago Theatre and married on January 26, 1940, at the Wee Kirk o' the Heather church in Glendale, California. Together they had two biological daughters, Maureen (1941–2001) and Christine (born prematurely, and died, June 26, 1947); and adopted a son, Michael (b. 1945). After the couple had arguments about Reagan's political ambitions, Wyman filed for divorce in 1948, citing a distraction due to her husband's Screen Actors Guild union duties; the divorce was finalized in 1949. Wyman, who was a registered Republican, also stated that their breakup stemmed from a difference in politics (Reagan was still a Democrat at the time). When Reagan became president 32 years later, he became the first divorced person to assume the nation's highest office.
* Reagan met actress Nancy Davis (1921–2016) in 1949 after she contacted him in his capacity as president of the Screen Actors Guild. He helped her with issues regarding her name appearing on a Communist blacklist in Hollywood; she had been mistaken for another Nancy Davis. She described their meeting by saying, "I don't know if it was exactly love at first sight, but it was pretty close." They were engaged at Chasen's restaurant in Los Angeles and were married on March 4, 1952, at the Little Brown Church in the Valley (North Hollywood, now Studio City) San Fernando Valley. Actor William Holden served as best man at the ceremony. They had two children: Patti (b. 1952) and Ronald "Ron" (b. 1958).
* The Reagan's relationship was close, authentic and intimate. During his presidency, they often displayed affection for each other; one press secretary said, "They never took each other for granted. They never stopped courting." He often called her "Mommy", and she called him "Ronnie". He once wrote to her, "Whatever I treasure and enjoy ... all would be without meaning if I didn't have you."
* From 1947 to 1952, Reagan served as president of the Screen Actors Guild, during which time he worked to root out alleged communist influence within it. In the 1950s, he moved to a career in television and became a spokesman for General Electric. From 1959 to 1960, he again served as president of the Screen Actors Guild.
* In 1964, his speech "A Time for Choosing"—a campaign speech on behalf of Republican presidential nominee Barry Goldwater—earned him national attention as a new conservative figure.
* Building a network of supporters, Reagan was elected as governor of California in 1966. During his governorship, he raised taxes, turned the state budget deficit into a surplus, challenged the protesters at UC Berkeley, and ordered in National Guard troops during a period of protest movements.
* In November 1979, Reagan announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination in the 1980 presidential election. He won the nomination and the election, defeating incumbent Democratic president Jimmy Carter.
* Hours after Reagan was sworn in as president, 52 hostages were released from Iran, after being held for nearly a year and half.
* After two months in office, John Hinkley Jr. fired gunshots at Reagan outside the White House Hilton Hotel. While doctors say he nearly died in surgery, Reagan was released from the hospital twelve days later.
* Reagan's presidency focused on Lower Taxes, Less Government, States rights, and National defense.
* Reagan ran for reelection in the 1984 presidential election, in which he was opposed by the Democratic nominee Walter Mondale, who had previously served as vice president under Carter. Reagan defeated him in an electoral landslide, winning the most electoral votes of any U.S. president: 525 (97.6% of the 538 votes in the Electoral College). It was one of the most lopsided presidential elections in U.S. history.
* Over his two terms, the economy saw a reduction of inflation from 12.5% to 4.4% and an average real GDP annual growth of 3.6%.
* Reagan transitioned Cold War policy from détente to rollback by escalating an arms race with the USSR while engaging in talks with Soviet Union Premier Mikhail Gorbachev.
* When Reagan left office in 1989, he held an approval rating of 68%, matching those of Franklin D. Roosevelt and later Bill Clinton as the highest ratings for departing presidents in the modern era.
* After leaving office in 1989, the Reagans purchased a home in Bel Air, Los Angeles, in addition to the Reagan Ranch in Santa Barbara. They regularly attended Bel Air Church and occasionally made appearances on behalf of the Republican Party; Reagan delivered a well-received speech at the 1992 Republican National Convention.
* On November 4, 1991, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library was dedicated and opened to the public. Five presidents and six first ladies attended the dedication ceremonies, marking the first time that five presidents were gathered in the same location.
* Although he had planned an active post-presidency, Reagan disclosed in November 1994 that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease earlier that year. His public appearances became more infrequent as the disease progressed. He died from Alzheimers-related Pneumonia on June 5, 2004 at his home in Los Angeles.
* Reagan's tenure constituted a realignment toward conservative policies in the United States known as the Reagan Era, and he is often considered a conservative icon.
* Evaluations of his presidency among historians and the general public place him among the upper tier of American presidents.