June 07, 1966 : Reagan nominated for governor of California Introduction A former actor named Ronald Reagan receives the Republican nomination for governor of California on this day in 1966. He won the election that November and was sworn in on January 2, 1967. Reagan’s tenure as the Golden State’s governor gave him credibility as a political leader, paving the way for his victory in the 1980 presidential election. Reagan was born in Illinois and worked as a construction worker, lifeguard and radio announcer before becoming an actor. His first stint at political leadership was as president of the Screen Actors’ Guild from 1947 to 1952. Originally a Democrat, Reagan had grown dissatisfied with New Deal policies and in 1960 switched to the Republican Party. He then started putting his Hollywood fame to work campaigning for Republican candidates. Eventually, Reagan’s charisma and popularity as an actor and a rousing speech he delivered in support of presidential candidate Barry Goldwater in 1964 convinced the California Republican Party to back him for governor in 1966.

Reagan served two terms as governor of California from 1967 to 1975, presiding over the tumultuous Vietnam War protest era of the late 1960s and early 1970s. In 1969, he called on National Guard troops to quell a protest on the University of California at Berkeley campus, saying, “If it takes a bloodbath, let’s get it over with, no more appeasement.” His first two presidential campaigns, in 1968 and 1976, failed, but his stature as a national player in politics rose with both attempts. In 1980, he successfully challenged embattled Democratic incumbent Jimmy Carter for the presidency, and ushered in an era of New Conservatism in American politics. Reagan was the first actor to be elected president after two centuries dominated by lawyers and soldiers. He was also the only California governor to hold the office. He served as the 40th president for two terms between 1981 and 1989.

Article Details: June 07, 1966 : Reagan nominated for governor of California Author June 07, 1966 : Reagan nominated for governor of California URL Governors of California - Ronald Reagan Ronald Reagan Born: February 6, 1911 in Tampico, Illinois Died: June 5, 2004 in Los Angeles, California Married: Nancy Davis on March 4, 1952 Political Party: Republican Wife: Jane Wyman, Nancy Davis Children: Maureen and Michael (with Jane Wyman), Patricia and Ronald (with Nancy Davis) Find out more about the time period and interests of Ronald Reagan Did You Know? Reagan holds the distinction of being the only California governor to become President of the United States On February 6, 1998, Washington National Airport was renamed Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport by a bill signed into law by President Bill Clinton Biography Ronald Wilson Reagan was born February 6, 1911, in Tampico, Illinois. Most of his childhood was spent in Dixon, Illinois, a small town about 100 miles west of Chicago.

Reagan won a scholarship to study at Eureka College near Peoria, Illinois and majored in economics. He was also drawn toward acting, but upon graduation in 1932 the only job available related to show business was as a local radio sportscaster. In 1933 he became a sportscaster for station WHO in Des Moines, Iowa. In 1937 Reagan went to Hollywood and began an acting career that spanned more than 25 years. He played in more than 50 films and his first political activities were associated with his responsibilities as a union leader; Reagan was active in the Screen Actors Guild (the union for film actors), and was elected six times as its president. During 1942 to 1945, Reagan served in the United States Army Air Force. Reagan emerged on the national political scene in 1964 when he made an impassioned television speech supporting the Republican presidential candidate, U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater from Arizona. Although Goldwater lost the election, Reagan's speech brought recognition from Republicans around the country. He ran for governor of California in 1966, defeating Edmund G.

(Pat) Brown, Sr., the incumbent Democrat, by almost a million votes. Reagan became the 33rd Governor of California. During his first term Reagan temporarily stopped government hiring to slow the growth of the state workforce, but he also approved tax increases to balance the state budget. Reagan was elected to a second term in 1970. Governor Reagan worked with the Democratic majority in the state legislature to enact a major reform of the welfare system in 1971. The reform reduced the number of people receiving state aid while increasing the benefits for those who remained eligible. During his tenure as governor, Reagan chaired the Republican Governors Association from 1968 to 1969. Reagan ran for President in 1980, successfully beating the incumbent, President Jimmy Carter to become the nationâs 40th president. Reelected in 1984, Reagan presided over broad changes in U.S. government economic and social policy. After retiring to California, Reagan remained politically visible and active, becoming a national and international spokesman.

He published his autobiography, An American Life, in 1990 and opened the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California in 1991. In 1993 he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In November 1994 Reagan announced that he had Alzheimer's disease, and he subsequently died of the illness in 2004. Budgets Ronald Reagan | whitehouse.gov Air Force One Ronald Reagan Ronald Reagan, originally an American actor and politician, 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. 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. The Presidential biographies on WhiteHouse.gov are from “The Presidents of the United States of America,” by Frank Freidel and Hugh Sidey. Copyright 2006 by the White House Historical Association.

For more information about President Reagan, please visit How Ronald Reagan won his first election How Ronald Reagan won his first election June 7, 2013 It was on a June night more than 40 years ago that Ronald Reagan started his elected career with a party nomination to face an incumbent governor. And his surprising landslide win was a sign of future victories. Reagan announces his 1966 campaign. Reagan had some experience with campaigns in 1966. He had been a union leader as an actor, and he was elected six times to head the Screen Actors Guild. The former Hollywood actor became active in the Republican Party in California after leaving the Democratic Party in the early 1960s. Reagan also became a viable political candidate after making a landmark political campaign speech in 1964 on national television supporting the GOP presidential candidate, Barry Goldwater. But Reagan’s first campaign was a big one: tackling the two-time governor, Edmund “Pat” Brown, in what was expected to be a close race in November.

Brown had defeated the former vice president of the United States, Richard Nixon, in the 1962 race for governor in California and had been a top candidate to run as Lyndon Johnson’s vice presidential nominee in 1964. Reagan announced his intention to run in the Republican primary in January 1966, but he had toured California for the last six months of 1965 trying to determine if voters wanted him, and if he had a chance in the primary and general elections. The Reagan team aired a 30-minute campaign spot months before the primary, outlining much of the conservative philosophy Reagan stated in his Goldwater speech, that the Republican Party was the party of “limited government, individual freedom and adherence to the Constitution.” Related Link: Watch Reagan’s campaign announcement His opponent in the Republican primary was former San Francisco Mayor George Christopher. The Reagan team leveraged their candidate’s ability as a public speaker with a grassroots campaign to win the nomination over Christopher. The team also used polling and other behavioral science techniques that, though familiar to modern political campaigners, were novel then. Reagan easily defeated Christopher in the June 7, 1966, primary, which was apparently what Governor Brown wanted.

For various reasons, the Brown camp saw the inexperienced Reagan as an easier November opponent. But Brown had his problems. The governor won a closer Democratic primary against Los Angeles Mayor Sam Yorty, and his popularity in a state with a considerable Republican presence had diminished since he defeated Nixon in 1962. The fall election pitted Reagan, as the law-and-order candidate, against Brown, a proud liberal who cast Reagan as an extremist. Reagan received an early boost from an endorsement from former President Dwight D. Eisenhower as the general campaign started. Nixon also actively campaigned for Reagan. Reagan biographer Matthew Dallek wrote about the campaign and why it was a watershed event for Republicans. “Brown was only the second Democrat to win statewide office in California in the 20th century, and he was the leading voice of liberalism in the state. Reagan made the conservative movement legitimate for the first time, both in California and later in the nation,” Dallek said. Brown also had problems with voter unrest about riots and student protests, along with a conservative surge for Reagan.

Although pollsters expected a close election, with Reagan having an advantage, the future president won 57 percent on the vote in November 1966, and defeated Brown by almost 1 million votes. After Reagan died in 2004, former political consultant Stuart Spencer wrote in the Los Angeles Times about one of Reagan’s keys to success in 1966: He didn’t rely entirely on consultants. “His best speeches were the ones he penned himself—he wrote every one of his speeches back in the first 1966 campaign,” Spencer said . “That November, when Reagan toppled Brown in the general election, a startled Democratic party awoke in disbelief. Though most thought the Reagan win a fluke, I had believed all along that he had that special something.” Recent Presidential Facts Stories Film History Milestones - 1966 Event and Significance 1966 Sweeping revisions were made in the Hays Code regarding the standards of decency for films, suggesting restraint in questionable themes, rather than forbidding them completely. In the new code of the Motion Picture Association of America, virtue and the condemnation of sin were still encouraged.

However, it eliminated previous prohibitions of "lustful kissing" and "passion that stimulates the base emotions," and permitted certain films to be labeled "recommended for mature audiences." 1966 Originally considered bold and ground-breaking (but now only self-conscious, tame, and dated), the UK Swinging 60s comedy film Georgy Girl (1966, UK) starring Lynn Redgrave as the title character, was one of the first films to carry the label "suggested for mature audiences" - or M rating, only a month after the Production Code was revised. 1966 The first Matt Helm film, the comic secret agent film The Silencers (1966), starring Dean Martin as the light-hearted super-spy (loosely based on Donald Hamilton's 1960 novel), opened. It was the first of four James Bond spoof films from 1966-1969, including Murderers' Row (1966), The Ambushers (1967), and The Wrecking Crew (1969). 1966 Mike Nichols' directorial debut film was the dramatic Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

(1966) adapted from Edward Albee's 1962 play - with only four major characters. Nichols received an Oscar nomination as Best Director, although the ultimate winner was Fred Zinnemann for A Man For all Seasons (1966, UK). 1966 Director Otto Preminger's controversial courtroom drama Anatomy of a Murder (1959) was involved in a court case in 1966 involving whether it should be edited for television and broadcast with commercials. Preminger brought an injunction against Columbia Pictures Corp. and Screen Gems Inc. to prevent them from interrupting the film with commercials when it was televised. Preminger charged that if the film was cut and interrupted by commercials, his reputation would be damaged and its "commercial value challenged." The court ruled that the producer's right to final cutting and editing was limited to a film's theatrical release and not its televised showing. 1966 After an appeal by Warner Bros., Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

(1966) became the first film containing profane expletives and frank sexual content (ie., "Hump the Hostess") to receive the MPAA's Production Code seal of approval, although the most extreme profanity was removed (i.e., "Screw you" became "God damn you!"). It was the first American film to use the expletive 'goddamn' and 'bugger'. It was also the first film to be released with an M-rating ("Suggested for Mature Audiences") warning. [Note: The film was noted for its four acting nominations (one for every member of the four-person cast).] The second film to receive an MPAA exemption (and seal of approval) shortly afterwards was Alfie (1966, UK) despite the use of the forbidden word "abortion." These exemptions marked the beginning of the breakdown of the existing system of industry self-regulation and censorship, and the relaxing of code standards. 1966 MGM distributed Michelangelo Antonioni's Blow Up (1966, UK) , the director's first non-Italian feature, in defiance of demands that it make cuts to its nude scenes.

The film was released without an MPAA seal of approval. Jane Birkin and Gillian Hills, acting as teenaged groupies in the film, displayed glimpses of full-frontal female nudity, introducing American film audiences to their first view of pubic hair. 1966 Paramount's purchase by Gulf & Western marked the beginning of a trend toward studio ownership by diversified, multi-national conglomerates. It was the first instance of a Hollywood studio being acquired by a corporate conglomerate. 1966 The Legion of Decency changed its official name to the National Catholic Office for Motion Pictures and, in respect to Pope John XXIII's policy of modernizing Catholic thought, announced a more progressive attitude. 1966 The 'Oscars' or Academy Awards ceremony (honoring films of 1965) was the first broadcast of the ceremony in color. 1966 Former actor Ronald Reagan, who had retired two years earlier with his last screen appearance in the post-noir crime thriller The Killers (1964) - his first villainous role - was elected governor of California. He served two four year terms from 1967 - 1975 as the state's 33rd governor.

1966 American comic actor and director Buster Keaton died at the age of 70, due to lung cancer. During his film career stretching from the silents to the talkies, Keaton's trademarks included a porkpie hat, a stoic manner (he was known as "The Great Stone Face") and adept physical comedy. His most notable films included Sherlock, Jr. (1924), The Navigator (1924), The General (1927) , and Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928) . 1966 The first indigenous African (Senegalese) feature film was writer/director Ousmane Sembene's debut feature-length film Black Girl (1966). It was also regarded as the first sub-Saharan African film from an African filmmaker to receive international attention and acclaim. 1966 The ABC-TV network paid a record $2 million for airing rights to The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) - the screening attracted over 60 million viewers, and set a precedent for higher fees for hit theatrical films sold to television.

1966 The Star Trek TV series had its debut on NBC network television on September 8, 1966 -- this popular and most successful science-fiction series of its kind was extremely influential in future years for various other versions, including the release of a Saturday morning animated version from 1973-74, and the first of many big-budget theatrical feature films in 1979 (there were a total of eleven Star Trek -related feature films by 2009). 1966 The character of Batman made his first appearance in film since two Batman serials in 1943 and 1949, in the feature film Batman (1966). It was a campy, zany, silly, and comical film, spun-off from the 1966-68 TV show, with cheap special effects and tongue-in-cheek humor, starring Adam West as Gotham City's caped crusader Bruce Wayne and Burt Ward as the Boy Wonder Robin (aka Dick Grayson), along with a host of villains.

It featured trademark exclamations displayed on the screen, such as "Splat!", "POW!", and "Ouch!" 1966 Famed animator, theme-park originator, multi-Oscar winner, and producer/studio head Walt Disney died at the age of 65 on December 15, 1966, from lung cancer. He was in the process of producing the studio's next animated feature film The Jungle Book (1967). During his career, he had received 59 Academy Award nominations and had received 29 awards, with a record of 4 in one year (1954). One of the persistent untrue urban legends about him was that his body was cryogenically-frozen. 1966 Troubled actor Montgomery Clift died at the age of 45, the result of a heart attack. Ever since a major car accident in 1956, he had suffered from substance abuse, and his self-destructive and unhealthy lifestyle led to his early death.

He never won an Oscar, but was nominated three times as Best Actor for The Search (1949), A Place in the Sun (1951) , and From Here to Eternity (1953) , and once as Best Supporting Actor for Judgment at Nuremberg (1961). In Memory of Fallen Giants : NPR In Memory of Fallen Giants December 22, 200412:00 AM ET Ken Rudin An unlikely path from B-movie actor to beloved president. hide caption toggle caption Briefly a U.S. senator, most remembered for his service to the Kennedys. hide caption toggle caption A former congressman, senator and Cabinet member whose career ended in disgrace. hide caption toggle caption The only Republican to ever represent Hawaii in the Senate. hide caption toggle caption The legendary New York political boss. hide caption toggle caption Note: If you wish to be notified when a new "Political Junkie" is published, drop me a line at politicaljunkie@npr.org . Also, when sending in a question, please be sure to include your city and state.

It was an election that didn't produce the drama or the controversy of 2000, but not everyone came away satisfied with the process — or the results. One thing everyone should agree on is that the political world lost some true giants in 2004, people who influenced our lives and who will be missed. We lost people — such as Archibald Cox, Sam Dash and Fred LaRue — from the Watergate era. We lost former governors, such as the fiery Louie Nunn from Kentucky and Kirk Fordice from Mississippi. The conciliatory John West of South Carolina. Hiram Fong, the only Republican ever elected to the Senate from Hawaii. Carmine De Sapio, who made and broke politicians in New York during his long tenure as head of Tammany Hall, in an era when people still wielded such power. And we lost Ronald Reagan, one of the most revered presidents of the 20th century. Presented here is a chronological list of those from the political world who died this year. It doesn't claim to be complete, but it includes many of those who made our lives more interesting and the world a better place.

Article continues after sponsorship Tex Lezar, 56, a Justice Department official in the Reagan administration who was the GOP candidate for lieutenant governor of Texas in 1994 against incumbent Democrat Bob Bullock. (Jan. 5) Thomas Kindness, 74, a six-term Republican member of Congress from Ohio (1975-86) who challenged Sen. John Glenn (D) in 1986. He tried to regain his House seat in 1990 but lost the GOP primary. (Jan. 8) Perry Duryea, 82, the former speaker of the New York State Assembly who was the Republican nominee for governor in 1978 against incumbent Democrat Hugh Carey. (Jan. 11) David Henderson, 82, a Democratic congressman from North Carolina (1961-76) who chaired the Post Office and Civil Service Committee. (Jan. 13) Carlton Sickles, 82, a Maryland Democrat whose four-year tenure in Congress ended in 1966 when he ran and lost in the gubernatorial primary. Earlier, as a state legislator, Sickles championed the D.C.

area's transit system and was known as the "father of the Metro." (Jan. 17) Harry Claiborne, 86, who lost to Nevada Sen. Howard Cannon in the 1964 Democratic primary, but who is best known as a federal judge who was convicted of filing false income tax returns, impeached by the U.S. Senate in 1986, and sent to prison. (Jan. 19) Lloyd Bucher, 76, whose spy ship the Pueblo was captured by North Korea in 1968, an incident that became an issue in that year's presidential campaign. (Jan. 28) Louie Nunn, 79, whose election as governor of Kentucky in 1967 made him the last Republican to win the post until Ernie Fletcher won it last year. As governor, Nunn worked to outlaw housing discrimination. He lost a bid for governor in 1963 and again in 1979, and in 1972 was the unsuccessful GOP candidate for the Senate against Dee Huddleston. (Jan.

29) James Jordan, 73, a Madison Avenue ad executive who worked on President Gerald Ford's 1976 campaign. Jordan was responsible for memorable slogans used on behalf of Schaefer beer ("when you're having more than one"), Tareyton cigarettes ("would rather fight than switch"), and Wisk detergent ("ring around the collar"). (Feb. 4) Richard Brown, 85, a leading figure in New York's Democratic "reform" movement in the 1950s and '60s who helped topple the Tammany Hall machine in Manhattan led by Carmine De Sapio. (Feb. 13) Waggoner Carr, 85, the 1966 Democratic nominee for the Senate against Texas incumbent Republican John Tower. A former state attorney general, he also sought the Democratic nomination for governor in the 1968 primary. (Feb. 25) Mike O'Callaghan, 74, a Korean War hero who served two terms as the Democratic governor of Nevada (1971-78).

(March 5) Robert Orr, 86, a two-term Republican governor of Indiana (1981-88) whose tenure was marked by a sweeping change in the state's educational system. He previously served eight years as lieutenant governor and later was ambassador to Singapore. (March 10) John West, 81, a Democrat whose election as governor of South Carolina in 1970 marked the first major step in the state's shift away from segregation. He later served as President Carter's ambassador to Saudi Arabia. (March 21) Mary Goodhue, 82, a veteran Republican state senator from Westchester County in New York who lost her seat in the 1992 GOP primary to a little-known assemblyman and one-time protégé by the name of George Pataki. (March 24) Paul Theis, 84, a former journalist who worked as a senior speechwriter for President Gerald Ford. (March 24) J.

Edward Roush, 83, an Indiana Democrat whose 16-year tenure in the House (1959-68, 1971-76) ended with his defeat in 1976 to Republican Dan Quayle. (March 26) Janet Steiger, 64, the head of the Federal Trade Commission under the first President Bush; she was the wife of the late Rep. Bill Steiger (R-Wisc. 1967-78). (April 3) Alphonzo Bell, 89, an eight-term Republican congressman from California (1961-76) who gave up his seat in 1976 to seek, unsuccessfully, the GOP nomination for the Senate. He also ran for mayor of Los Angeles in 1969, part of a field that was topped by incumbent Sam Yorty.

(April 7) Frank Morrison, 98, a two-term Democratic governor in Nebraska (1961-66) and strong opponent of the Vietnam War who twice lost Senate bids to incumbent Republicans, in 1966 to Carl Curtis and in 1970 to Roman Hruska. (April 19) Mary McGrory, 85, whose long career at the Washington Star and then the Washington Post, starting with the Army-McCarthy hearings in 1954, made her one of the most influential political journalists of all time. (April 20) William "Pete" Knight, 74, a Republican state senator from California who wrote the legislation banning gay marriage in the state. (May 7) Jack Eckerd, 91, the multi-millionaire Florida-based drugstore chain owner who three times lost in Republican bids for elective office: in 1970 to incumbent Gov. Claude Kirk in the GOP primary; in 1974 as the Republican nominee for the Senate against Richard Stone (D); and in 1978 as the party nominee for governor against Democrat Bob Graham.

(May 19) David Dellinger, 88, a lifelong pacifist and anti-Vietnam war activist who was one of the Chicago Seven charged with conspiracy and inciting to riot following the 1968 Democratic national convention. (May 25) Catherine May Bedell, 90, a Republican who in 1958 became the first woman elected to Congress from Washington state, and who after her defeat in 1970 was appointed to positions by presidents Nixon and Reagan. (May 28) Archibald Cox, 92, the special Watergate prosecutor who was fired in 1973 by the Nixon White House in what was called the "Saturday Night Massacre," a dismissal that was seen as the beginning of the end for Nixon. (May 29) Sam Dash, 79, the legal counsel for the majority Democrats during the 1973-74 Senate Watergate hearings and who later served, briefly, as Kenneth Starr's ethics adviser during Whitewater.

(May 29) Ronald Reagan, 93, the nation's 40th president (1981-89), a two-term Republican who is credited with the collapse of communism and the victory of free-market economics. A former Hollywood actor, Reagan was elected twice as governor of California (1966 and '70). He was a favorite-son candidate for the GOP presidential nomination in 1968, and unsuccessfully challenged President Ford for re-nomination in 1976, before winning the presidency in 1980 over incumbent Democrat Jimmy Carter. Four years later, he captured 49 of 50 states in a landslide re-election victory over ex-Vice President Walter Mondale. His tenure in office was marred by huge deficits and the administration's involvement in trading arms for hostages (Iran-Contra). But he remained popular throughout most of his presidency, extremely so among conservatives, who saw him seen as an unflinching optimist who stood up for his principles. Two months into his first term, he was the object of a would-be assassin's bullet.

(June 5) Robert Teeter, 65, a longtime Republican pollster and strategist, who was President George H.W. Bush's campaign chair in 1992. (June 13) Tony Hope, 63, the son of the late comedian Bob Hope, who sought the Republican nomination in California's open 21st CD in 1986 but lost in an upset to Elton Gallegly, who still serves. (June 28) George Busbee, 76, a Democrat who was the first Georgia governor allowed to serve two consecutive terms (1975-82). (July 16) Robert Smylie, 89, whose three consecutive terms as governor of Idaho remain a record, but whose bid for a fourth term ended in a Republican primary defeat in 1966, due in part to his support for a sales tax. Smylie also sought a Senate seat in 1972, but finished fourth in the GOP primary won by Jim McClure.

(July 17) Anne Gorsuch Burford, 62, the controversial head of the Environmental Protection Agency under President Bush; she resigned under pressure after she refused to hand over documents to Congress relating to toxic waste. (July 18) Fred LaRue, 75, an architect of Richard Nixon's successful 1968 presidential campaign who later went to prison on obstruction-of-justice charges stemming from the Watergate scandal. (July 24) Carmine De Sapio, 95, a legendary Democratic kingmaker and the last boss of New York's Tammany Hall, who is credited with the elections of, among others, Averell Harriman as governor and Robert Wagner Jr. as mayor in the 1950s, but who ultimately went to prison on bribery and extortion charges. (July 27) Lamar Gudger, 85, a two-term Democratic member of the House from North Carolina, who was defeated for re-election in 1980. (Aug.

2) William Ford, 77, who spent three decades in the House (1965-94) as a Michigan Democrat close to organized labor — he chaired the Education and Labor Committee — and who was instrumental in the passage of the Family Medical Leave Act in 1993. (Aug. 14) Hiram Fong, 97, the only Republican to serve as U.S. senator from Hawaii, who won three terms before deciding not to run again in 1976. A strong supporter of civil rights as well as the Vietnam War, he was one of Hawaii's first two senators when it became a state in 1959 and the first Asian-American ever elected to the Senate. He was also Hawaii's favorite son candidate for president at the 1964 and 1968 Republican national conventions. (Aug. 18) E. Brooke Lee Jr., 86, scion of a powerful Maryland political family who nonetheless was the Republican nominee for mayor of Washington, D.C., against incumbent Marion Barry in 1982. (Aug.

20) Frank Horton, 84, a New York Republican who served 30 years in the House (1963-92), becoming the dean of the state's congressional delegation, representing the Rochester area. (Aug. 30) Kirk Fordice, 70, whose election in 1991 — ousting Democratic incumbent Ray Mabus — made him the first Republican governor of Mississippi since Reconstruction. (Sept. 7) Brock Adams, 77, whose long political career — he came to the House in the Lyndon Johnson landslide of 1964, left to become President Carter's Secretary of Transportation in 1977, and defeated Sen. Slade Gorton (R) in 1986 — ended amid allegations by eight women of sexual misconduct, including the daughter of a family friend. He did not seek a second term in 1992. (Sept. 10) James David Barber, 74, a Duke University political science professor and presidential expert. (Sept. 12) Edward McAteer, 78, a major figure in the Christian conservative movement and founder of the Religious Roundtable.

He ran as an independent in the 1984 Tennessee Senate race won by Albert Gore Jr. (Oct. 6) Pierre Salinger, 79, the press secretary to both President John Kennedy and his successor, Lyndon Johnson; he resigned in March 1964 to seek the Democratic nomination for an open Senate seat in California. He won the primary, defeating Alan Cranston. But when retiring incumbent Clair Engle died, Gov. Pat Brown appointed Salinger to fill the seat. In the November general election, he was defeated in an upset by Republican George Murphy, the former song and dance man. He worked on the presidential campaigns of Robert Kennedy in 1968 and George McGovern in '72. He later was a European correspondent for ABC News. (Oct. 16) Edwin Hall, 95, a Republican member of the House from upstate New York who served from 1939 until he was defeated for re-nomination in the 1952 GOP primary, when he was placed in the same district as that of Rep. W. Sterling Cole. (Oct.

18) Vaughn Meader, 68, a satirist whose 1962 album, The First Family, spoofing the Kennedys, made him famous, but whose career came to a screeching end following the shots in Dallas in November 1963. (Oct. 29) Thomas Foglietta, 75, whose long career in Philadelphia politics started in the Republican Party — he was elected to the city council in 1955 and was the GOP nominee for mayor 20 years later against incumbent Democrat Frank Rizzo. After his election to Congress in 1980 as an independent, he switched to the Democratic Party and served until President Clinton named him ambassador to Italy. (Nov. 13) Elmer Andersen, 95, a Republican who was elected governor of Minnesota in 1960 and defeated for re-election two years later by Democrat Karl Rolvaag by 91 votes — the closest gubernatorial election in Minnesota history. (Nov. 15) John Burns, 83, the former Democratic state chair of New York who helped ease Robert Kennedy into the New York political scene when he ran for the Senate in 1964.

He was also his party's nominee for lieutenant governor in 1962, and worked on the presidential campaigns of RFK in 1968 and NYC Mayor John Lindsay in 1972. (Nov. 16) Reed Irvine, 82, the founder of Accuracy in Media, a conservative watchdog group that sought to expose what he saw as liberal control of the media. (Nov. 16) Joseph Canzeri, 74, a political advance man who worked for Republicans such as Nelson Rockefeller and Ronald Reagan, and briefly for Ross Perot in 1992. (Nov. 19) Billy James Hargis, 79, an evangelist and key leader in the anti-communist movement in the 1950s and '60s; he founded the Christian Crusade out of Tulsa, Okla. (Nov. 27) Matthew Troy, 75, the longtime member of the New York City Council and Democratic boss of Queens County, whose political career ended following his 1976 conviction and imprisonment on tax evasion charges. (Dec.

3) Tom Reddin, 88, the former chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, who later ran for mayor of L.A. in 1973 but finished with just 13 percent of the vote. (Dec. 4) Pauline Gore, 92, whose late husband Albert served more than three decades in Congress, and whose son, Albert Jr., was elected congressman, senator, vice president, and — almost — president. (Dec. 15) "Political Junkie" returns next month, taking your questions about campaign history, trivia and lore. Happy holidays to all! — Ken Rudin California: History California History European Exploration and Colonization The first voyage (1542) to Alta California (Upper California), as the region north of Baja California (Lower California) came to be known, was commanded by the Spanish explorer Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo , who explored San Diego Bay and the area farther north along the coast. In 1579 an English expedition headed by Sir Francis Drake landed near Point Reyes, N of San Francisco, and claimed the region for Queen Elizabeth I.

In 1602, Sebastián Vizcaíno , another Spaniard, explored the coast and Monterey Bay. Colonization was slow, but finally in 1769 Gaspar de Portolá , governor of the Californias, led an expedition up the Pacific coast and established a colony on San Diego Bay. The following year he explored the area around Monterey Bay and later returned to establish a presidio there. Soon afterward Monterey became the capital of Alta California. Accompanying Portolá's expedition was Father Junipero Serra , a Franciscan missionary who founded a mission at San Diego. Franciscans later founded several missions that extended as far N as Sonoma, N of San Francisco. The missionaries sought to Christianize the Native Americans but also forced them to work as manual laborers, helping to build the missions into vital agricultural communities (see Mission Indians ). Cattle raising was of primary importance, and hides and tallow were exported. The missions have been preserved and are now open to visitors. In 1776, Juan Bautista de Anza founded San Francisco, where he established a military outpost.

The early colonists, called the Californios, lived a pastoral life and for the most part were not interfered with by the central government of New Spain (as the Spanish empire in the Americas was called) or later (1820s) by that of Mexico. The Californios did, however, become involved in local politics, as when Juan Bautista Alvarado led a revolt (1836) and made himself governor of Alta California, a position he later persuaded the Mexicans to let him keep. Under Mexican rule the missions were secularized (1833–34) and the Native Americans released from their servitude. The degradation of Native American peoples, which continued under Mexican rule and after U.S. settlers came to the area, was described by Helen Hunt Jackson in her novel Ramona (1884). Many mission lands were subsequently given to Californios, who established the great ranchos, vast cattle-raising estates. Colonization of California remained largely Mexican until the 1840s. Russian and U.S. Settlement Russian fur traders had penetrated south to the California coast and established Fort Ross, north of San Francisco, in 1812.

Jedediah Strong Smith and other trappers made the first U.S. overland trip to the area in 1826, but U.S. settlement did not become significant until the 1840s. In 1839, Swiss-born John Augustus Sutter arrived and established his "kingdom" of New Helvetia on a vast tract in the Sacramento valley. He did much for the overland American immigrants, who began to arrive in large numbers in 1841. Some newcomers met with tragedy, including the Donner Party , which was stranded in the Sierra Nevada after a heavy snowstorm. Political events in the territory moved swiftly in the next few years. After having briefly asserted the independence of California in 1836, the Californios drove out the last Mexican governor in 1845. Under the influence of the American explorer John C. Frémont , U.S. settlers set up (1846) a republic at Sonoma under their unique Bear Flag. The news of war between the United States and Mexico (1846–48) reached California soon afterward. On July 7, 1846, Commodore John D.

Sloat captured Monterey, the capital, and claimed California for the United States. The Californios in the north worked with U.S. soldiers, but those in the south resisted U.S. martial law. In 1847, however, U.S. Gen. Stephen W. Kearny defeated the southern Californios. By the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848), Mexico formally ceded the territory to the United States. The Gold Rush In 1848, the year that California became a part of the United States, another major event in the state's history occurred: While establishing a sawmill for John Sutter near Coloma, James W. Marshall discovered gold and touched off the California gold rush. The forty-niners, as the gold-rush miners were called, came in droves, spurred by the promise of fabulous riches from the Mother Lode . San Francisco rapidly became a boom city, and its bawdy, lawless coastal area, which became known as the Barbary Coast, gave rise to the vigilantes, extralegal community groups formed to suppress civil disorder.

American writers such as Bret Harte and Mark Twain have recorded the local color as well as the violence and human tragedies of the roaring mining camps. Statehood and Immigration With the gold rush came a huge increase in population and a pressing need for civil government. In 1849, Californians sought statehood and, after heated debate in the U.S. Congress arising out of the slavery issue, California entered the Union as a free, nonslavery state by the Compromise of 1850. San Jose became the capital. Monterey, Vallejo, and Benicia each served as the capital before it was moved to Sacramento in 1854. In 1853, Congress authorized the survey of a railroad route to link California with the eastern seaboard, but the transcontinental railroad was not completed until 1869. In the meantime communication and transportation depended upon ships, the stagecoach, the pony express, and the telegraph. Chinese laborers were imported in great numbers to work on railroad construction. The Burlingame Treaty of 1868 (see Burlingame, Anson ) provided, among other things, for unrestricted Chinese immigration.

That was at first enthusiastically endorsed by Californians; but after a slump in the state's shaky economy, the white settlers viewed the influx of the lower-paid Chinese laborers as an economic threat. Ensuing bitterness and friction led to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 (see Chinese exclusion ). A railroad-rate war (1884) and a boom in real estate (1885) fostered a new wave of overland immigration. Cattle raising on the ranchos gave way to increased grain production. Vineyards were planted by 1861, and the first trainload of oranges was shipped from Los Angeles in 1886. Industrialization and Increased Settlement By the turn of the century the discovery of oil, industrialization resulting from the increase of hydroelectric power, and expanding agricultural development attracted more settlers. Los Angeles grew rapidly in this period and, in population, soon surpassed San Francisco, which suffered greatly after the great earthquake and fire of 1906. Improvements in urban transportation stimulated the growth of both Los Angeles and San Francisco; the advent of the cable car and the electric railway made possible the development of previously inaccessible areas.

As industrious Japanese farmers acquired valuable land and a virtual monopoly of California's truck-farming operations, the issue of Asian immigration again arose. The bitter struggle for the exclusion of Asians plagued international relations, and in 1913 the California Alien Land Act was passed despite President Woodrow Wilson's attempts to block it. The act provided that persons ineligible for U.S. citizenship could not own agricultural land in California. Successive waves of settlers arrived in California, attracted by a new real-estate boom in the 1920s and by the promise of work in the 1930s. The influx during the 1930s of displaced farm workers, depicted by John Steinbeck in his novel The Grapes of Wrath, caused profound dislocation in the state's economy. During World War II the Japanese in California were removed from their homes and placed in relocation centers. Industry in California expanded rapidly during the war; the production of ships and aircraft attracted many workers who later settled in the state. Growing Pains and Natural Disasters Prosperity and rapid population growth continued after the war. Many African Americans who came during World War II to work in the war industries settled in California.

By the 1960s they constituted a sizable minority in the state, and racial tensions reached a climax. In 1964, California voters approved an initiative measure, Proposition 14, allowing racial discrimination in the sale or rental of housing in the state, a measure later declared unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court. In 1965 riots broke out in Watts, a predominantly black section of Los Angeles, touching off a wave of riots across the United States. Also in the 1960s migrant farm workers in California formed a union and struck many growers to obtain better pay and working conditions. Unrest also occurred in the state's universities, especially the Univ. of California at Berkeley, where student demonstrations and protests in 1964 provoked disorders. Republicans generally played a more dominant role than Democrats in California politics during the 20th cent., but by the early 21st cent. the state had become more Democratic. From the end of World War II through the mid-1990s, five of the seven governors were Republicans, starting with Earl Warren (1943–53).

Ronald Reagan , a former movie actor and a leading conservative Republican, was elected governor in 1966 and reelected in 1970; he later served two terms as U.S president. The two Democrats were liberals Edmund G. (Pat) Brown (1959–67) and his son Jerry Brown (1975–83). In the late 1970s, Californians staged a "tax revolt" that attracted national attention, passing legislation to cut property taxes. During the 1970s and 80s California continued to grow rapidly, with a major shift of population to the state's interior. The metropolitan areas of Riverside–San Bernardino, Modesto, Stockton, Bakersfield, and Sacramento were among the fastest growing in the nation during the 1980s. Much of the state's population growth was a result of largely illegal immigration from Mexico; there was also a heavy infux of immigrants from China, the Philippines, and SE Asia. Population growth and immigration contributed to growing economic pressures, as did cuts in federal defense spending; meanwhile, social tensions also increased.

In Apr., 1992, four white Los Angeles police officers were acquitted of brutality charges after they had been videotaped beating a black motorist; the verdict touched off riots in South-Central Los Angeles and other neighborhoods, resulting in 58 deaths, thousands of arrests, and approximately $1 billion in property damage. In addition to periodic heavy flooding and brushfires, earthquakes have caused widespread damage in California. In Oct., 1989, a major earthquake killed about 60 people and injured thousands in Santa Cruz and the San Francisco Bay area. In Jan., 1994, an earthquake hit the Northridge area of N Los Angeles, killing some 60 people and causing at least $13 billion in damage. In a backlash against illegal immigration, California voters in 1994 approved Proposition 187, an initiative barring the state from providing most services—including welfare, education, and nonemergency medical care—to illegal immigrants. Federal courts found much of Proposition 187 unconstitutional; the appeal of their rulings was dropped in 1999, at a time when the state's economy had rebounded and a Democratic administration was in Sacramento.

In late 2000, California began experiencing an electricity crisis as insufficient generating capacity and increasing short-term wholesale prices for power squeezed the state's two largest public utilities, who, under the "deregulation" plan they had agreed to in the early 1990s, were not allowed to pass along their increased costs. As the state worked to come up with both short-term and long-time solutions to the situation, consumers experienced sporadic blackouts and faced large rate hikes under the terms of a bailout plan. The crisis was severe enough that it was expected to slow the state's economic growth. Evidence subsequently emerged of both price gouging and market manipulation by a number of energy companies. The economic downturn in the early 2000s resulted in enormous budget shortfalls for California's state government, and made Governor Gray Davis increasingly unpopular. A recall petition financed mainly by a Republican congressman who withdrew from the subsequent election led to a vote (Oct., 2003) that removed Davis from office. The actor Arnold Schwarzenegger , a Republican, was elected to succeed him. The year the state experienced devastating wildfires in the greater San Diego area; the area was again hit with particularly dangerous wildfires in 2007.

The housing bubble that burst in 2007 and the significant recession that followed it had especially severe consequences in California, both for the state's economy (which experienced unemployment levels not seen since the early 1940s) and government (which faced enormous budget shortfalls for several years). Sections in this article: Actor Ronald Reagan elected governor of California... November 8 in History June 5, 2004 - Ronald Reagan, president, governor and actor, dies at 93 July 11, 1989 - President Ronald Reagan sportscasts All Star Game June 14, 1989 - Queen Elizabeth II knights Ronald Reagan August 19, 1984 - Republican convention in Houston nominates Ronald Reagan for president March 23, 1983 - U.S.

president Ronald Reagan introduces "Star Wars" missile defense plan (SDI) April 11, 1981 - Ronald Reagan arrives home from hospital after Hinkley shot him January 20, 1981 - Ronald Reagan inaugurated as president November 4, 1980 - Ronald Reagan (R) defeats President Jimmy Carter (D) by a landslide October 14, 1980 - President nominee Ronald Reagan promises to name a woman to Supreme Court July 17, 1980 - Ronald Reagan formally accepts Republican nomination for president July 16, 1980 - Ronald Reagan nominated for President by Republicans in Detroit November 13, 1979 - Ronald Reagan in New York announces his candidacy for president December 16, 1978 - Ronald Reagan denounces President Jimmy Carter's recognition of China PR November 20, 1975 - Ronald Reagan announced candidacy for Republican nomination for president How Ronald Reagan won his first election How Ronald Reagan won his first election NCC Staff Pin it Share It was on a June night more than 40 years ago that Ronald Reagan started his elected career with a party nomination to face an incumbent governor

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And his surprising landslide win was a sign of future victories. More Reagan announces his 1966 campaign. Reagan had some experience with campaigns in 1966. He had been a union leader as an actor, and he was elected six times to head the Screen Actors Guild. The former Hollywood actor became active in the Republican Party in California after leaving the Democratic Party in the early 1960s. Reagan also became a viable political candidate after making a landmark political campaign speech in 1964 on national television supporting the GOP presidential candidate, Barry Goldwater. But Reagan’s first campaign was a big one: tackling the two-time governor, Edmund “Pat” Brown, in what was expected to be a close race in November. Brown had defeated the former vice president of the United States, Richard Nixon, in the 1962 race for governor in California and had been a top candidate to run as Lyndon Johnson’s vice presidential nominee in 1964.

Reagan announced his intention to run in the Republican primary in January 1966, but he had toured California for the last six months of 1965 trying to determine if voters wanted him, and if he had a chance in the primary and general elections. The Reagan team aired a 30-minute campaign spot months before the primary, outlining much of the conservative philosophy Reagan stated in his Goldwater speech, that the Republican Party was the party of “limited government, individual freedom and adherence to the Constitution.” Related Link: Watch Reagan’s campaign announcement His opponent in the Republican primary was former San Francisco Mayor George Christopher. The Reagan team leveraged their candidate’s ability as a public speaker with a grassroots campaign to win the nomination over Christopher. The team also used polling and other behavioral science techniques that, though familiar to modern political campaigners, were novel then. Reagan easily defeated Christopher in the June 7, 1966, primary, which was apparently what Governor Brown wanted. For various reasons, the Brown camp saw the inexperienced Reagan as an easier November opponent. But Brown had his problems.

The governor won a closer Democratic primary against Los Angeles Mayor Sam Yorty, and his popularity in a state with a considerable Republican presence had diminished since he defeated Nixon in 1962. The fall election pitted Reagan, as the law-and-order candidate, against Brown, a proud liberal who cast Reagan as an extremist. Reagan received an early boost from an endorsement from former President Dwight D. Eisenhower as the general campaign started. Nixon also actively campaigned for Reagan. Reagan biographer Matthew Dallek wrote about the campaign and why it was a watershed event for Republicans. “Brown was only the second Democrat to win statewide office in California in the 20th century, and he was the leading voice of liberalism in the state. Reagan made the conservative movement legitimate for the first time, both in California and later in the nation,” Dallek said. Brown also had problems with voter unrest about riots and student protests, along with a conservative surge for Reagan. Although pollsters expected a close election, with Reagan having an advantage, the future president won 57 percent on the vote in November 1966, and defeated Brown by almost 1 million votes.

After Reagan died in 2004, former political consultant Stuart Spencer wrote in the Los Angeles Times about one of Reagan’s keys to success in 1966: He didn’t rely entirely on consultants. “His best speeches were the ones he penned himself—he wrote every one of his speeches back in the first 1966 campaign,” Spencer said . “That November, when Reagan toppled Brown in the general election, a startled Democratic party awoke in disbelief. Though most thought the Reagan win a fluke, I had believed all along that he had that special something.” Recent Presidential Facts Stories

Question: Which former actor was elected Governor of California in 1966?
Answer: Ronald Reagan