Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagan
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Name	Ronald Reagan
Caption	Official portrait, 1981
Order	40th
Office	President of the United States
Term start	January 20, 1981
Term end	January 20, 1989
Vicepresident	George H. W. Bush
Predecessor	Jimmy Carter
Successor	George H. W. Bush
Order2	33rd
Office2	Governor of California
Term start2	January 2, 1967
Term end2	January 6, 1975
Lieutenant2	Robert Finch, Ed Reinecke, John L. Harmer
Predecessor2	Pat Brown
Successor2	Jerry Brown
Birth name	Ronald Wilson Reagan
Birth date	6 February 1911
Birth place	Tampico, Illinois
Death date	5 June 2004
Death place	Los Angeles, California
Party	Republican (1962–2004)
Otherparty	Democratic (until 1962)
Spouse	Jane Wyman (m. 1940; div. 1949), Nancy Reagan (m. 1952)
Children	5, including Maureen, Michael, Patti, and Ron Reagan
Education	Eureka College (BA)
Occupation	Actor, politician, union leader, author
Allegiance	United States
Branch	United States Army Air Forces
Serviceyears	1937–1945
Rank	Captain
Unit	First Motion Picture Unit

Ronald Reagan was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th President of the United States from 1981 to 1989. A member of the Republican Party, his presidency was defined by a conservative domestic agenda known as Reaganomics and a confrontational foreign policy toward the Soviet Union that contributed to the end of the Cold War. Previously, he was the 33rd Governor of California from 1967 to 1975 and a prominent figure in the Hollywood film industry.

Early life and career

Ronald Wilson Reagan was born in Tampico, Illinois, and graduated from Eureka College. He began his career as a radio broadcaster in Iowa before moving to Los Angeles in 1937 to work as a film actor for Warner Bros.. He appeared in numerous films, such as Knute Rockne, All American and Kings Row, and served as president of the Screen Actors Guild during a period of labor disputes and anti-communist investigations. His political views shifted from New Deal Democrat to conservative Republican, a transition solidified by his nationally televised speech in support of Barry Goldwater during the 1964 United States presidential election.

Governor of California

Capitalizing on his national profile, Reagan was elected Governor of California in 1966, defeating incumbent Pat Brown. His tenure was marked by clashes with student protesters at the University of California, Berkeley, a major tax increase to address a budget deficit, and the signing of the California Environmental Quality Act. He was re-elected in 1970, defeating Jesse Unruh, and chose not to seek a third term. During this period, he established himself as a leading voice of the New Right within the Republican Party.

1980 presidential election

After a failed primary challenge to incumbent President Gerald Ford in 1976, Reagan secured the Republican nomination in 1980. He selected George H. W. Bush as his running mate and campaigned on promises to restore economic prosperity, strengthen national defense, and limit the power of the federal government. In a decisive victory, he defeated incumbent Jimmy Carter, carrying 44 states in the Electoral College and benefiting from the concurrent Republican Revolution that gave his party control of the United States Senate.

Presidency

Reagan's domestic policy, dubbed "Reaganomics," centered on significant tax cuts passed via the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981, deregulation, and reduced growth in government spending. He confronted the air traffic controllers' union during the 1981 PATCO strike and appointed key figures like Sandra Day O'Connor to the Supreme Court of the United States. In foreign policy, he escalated the Cold War through a massive military buildup, including the proposed Strategic Defense Initiative, and denounced the Soviet Union as an "evil empire." His administration supported anti-communist movements worldwide, including the Contras in Nicaragua and the Mujahideen in Afghanistan, and engaged in diplomacy with Mikhail Gorbachev, leading to the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. He survived an assassination attempt in 1981. Controversies during his tenure included the Iran–Contra affair.

Post-presidency and death

After leaving the White House, Reagan returned to his estate in Bel Air, Los Angeles. In November 1994, he revealed in a public letter that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. He largely retreated from public life thereafter. Reagan died of complications from the disease on June 5, 2004, at his home in Los Angeles. His state funeral in Washington, D.C., was a major national event, with eulogies delivered by President George W. Bush and former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and he was interred at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.

Legacy

Reagan remains a defining icon of modern American conservatism, credited by supporters with revitalizing the U.S. economy and hastening the collapse of the Soviet Union. His presidency is associated with the Reagan Doctrine in foreign policy and a lasting realignment of the Republican Party. Critics point to increased national debt, widening income inequality, and the Iran–Contra affair as negative aspects of his legacy. Numerous institutions bear his name, including Reagan National Airport and the USS *Ronald Reagan*.

Category:Presidents of the United States Category:Governors of California Category:American film actors