Ronald Reagan
| Famous as | Former President of the United States |
| Born on | 06 February 1911 |
| Born in | Illinois, US |
| Died on | 05 June 2004 |
| Nationality | United States |
| Works & Achievements | Contributed towards ending of the Cold War |
Childhood
Ronald Reagan was born on 6 February 1911 in Illinois. His family
lived in several towns and cities in Illinois, including Monmouth,
Chicago and Galesburg until 1919, when they returned to Tampico. Reagan
moved to Dixon in late 1920, where he attended Dixon High School and
while studying there he developed interest in sports, acting and
storytelling. His first job was as a lifeguard at the Rock River, near
Dixon, in 1926. After High School, Reagan attended Eureka College, where
he was a member of the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity, majored in
economics and performed excellently in sports, particularly in Football.
After graduating from Eureka in 1932, Reagan worked at various
radio stations as an announcer. In 1937, he appeared on the large screen
for the first time in the movie, Love is on the air. By the end of the
1939, he had already appeared in 19 films. Reagan was first elected to
the board of Directors of the Screen Actors Guild in 1941. Reagan led
SAG through eventful years that were marked by labor-management
disputes, the Taft-Hartley Act, House Committee on UN-American
Activities (HUAC) hearings and the Hollywood blacklist era.
Marriages and Children
Ronald Regan had two marriages. He married his first wife Jane
Wyman, an actress, on 26 January, 1940, at the Wee Kirk o’ the Heather
Church in Glendale, California. The couple had two children, namely
Maureen and Christine and adopted a third, Michael. However, the
marriage proved to be unhappy and following regular bouts of arguments
and conflicts, Wyman filed for divorce in 1948 which was finalized in
1949. Ronald was the only U.S. President to have been divorced.
Nancy Davis, an actress met Reagan in 1949 and the two got married
on 4 March 1952. The couple had two children, Patti and Roni. Their
affection for each other was known to everyone and observers described
their relationship as real, intimate and close. Nancy Davis remained his
last love until his death in 2004.
Governor of California (1967-1975)
Initially a Democrat, Reagan formally switched to the Republican
Party in 1962. California Republicans were impressed with his political
views and charisma, and eventually he was nominated for Governor of
California in 1966. He was elected and was sworn in on 3 January 1967.
Shortly after the beginning of his term, he froze all government hiring
and tax hikes to balance the budget. Ronald Regan became a controversial
figure after the People’s Park Protest, held on 15 May 1969. Reagan
sent the California Highway patrol
to quell the protest, and the incident became known as ‘Bloody
Thursday’. During his tenure as Governor, he strongly advocated the
Republican ideal of less government regulation of economy.
Presidency (1981- 1989)
Ronald Regan had failed in his run for presidency 1976 before he
finally became President in 1981. During his campaign for presidency,
his speech emphasized on the dangers of nuclear war and the threat posed
by the Soviet Union. Though he lost the nomination in 1976, he received
appreciation and support from across the country. The 1980 presidential
campaign was conducted during the ongoing Iran Hostage Crisis. His
campaign stressed some of his fundamental principles: lower taxes to
stimulate the economy, less government interference in people’s lives
and a strong national defense. Reagan won the election and Republicans
captured the senate for the first time since 1952, while the Democrats
remained a majority.
First Term (1981-1985)
Reagan served two terms as President beginning From1981 till 1989.
Till date, he is the oldest man elected to the office of presidency. His
first inaugural address was held on 20 January 1981 that began in a
dramatic manner. As Reagan was giving his inaugural address, 52 U.S.
hostages held by Iran for 444 days, were set free. During his first
term, Reagan expanded military to insure national defense. Reagan, as
President, believed in individual freedom and pursued the policies that
revitalized the U.S. economy, brought domestic changes and contributed
to the end of the Cold War. On March 30, 1981, Reagan, along with his
press secretary James Brady and two others were shot by John Hinckley,
Jr. The bullet passed his left lung, missing his heart by less than one
inch. The bullet was removed after an emergency operation and he was
released from the hospital on 11 April. The assassination attempt had a
great influence on Reagan’s popularity, which rose to 73% after the
incident.
Reaganomics
Reagan entered office with the mandate to revitalize the stagnating
economy of U.S. He implemented the supply-side policy seeking to
stimulate the economy with large tax cuts and promoted the proposed tax cuts
as potentially stimulating the economy enough to expand with tax base.
His economic policy became a subject of debate with a mixed view of
supporters and critics. During his presidency, federal income tax rates
were lowered and GDP recovered strongly after 1982 recession. Sixteen
million new jobs were created while inflation significantly decreased.
However critics argue that his policy made wealthy become wealthier and
he was indifferent to the struggle of the poor. Some economists, such as
Nobel Prize winner Milton
Friedman and Robert A. Mundell argue that Reagan’s tax policies
invigorated America’s economy and contributed to the economic boom of
1990s.
Second Term (1985- 1989)
Reagan was sworn in for the second term on 20 January 1985, at the
White House. During his second term, Reagan declared more militant
policies in the War on Drugs and promised to fight for drug free schools
and workplaces using stronger law enforcement and creating public
awareness. On 27 October 1986, he signed a drug enforcement bill to fund
the War on drugs and specified a mandatory minimum penalty for drug
offenses. First Lady Nancy Reagan made War on Drugs his main priority by
founding Just Say No awareness campaign. In 1986; Reagan signed the Immigration
reform and Control Act. The act made it illegal to knowingly hire or
recruit illegal immigrants, making it mandate for employers to attest to
their employees’ immigration status. He granted amnesty to
approximately 3 million illegal immigrants who entered the United States
prior to January 1982.
In 1986, Iran- Contra war became the largest political scandal
during the 1980s. The International Court of Justice ruled that the U.S.
had violated the international law, ‘not to intervene in the affair of
other states’. Though the investigating Committee failed to give
evidence that the President was aware of the mismanagement of the funds,
Ronald’s popularity declined rapidly in less than a week. He was
criticized for his disengagement from managing his staff and making the
diversion of funds possible. The scandal resulted in fourteen
indictments within Reagan’s staff and eleven convictions.
End of the Cold War
Till 1980s, Regan supported anti-Communist movements worldwide and
describing the USSR as an ‘Evil Empire’. He recognized the change in the
direction of the Soviet leadership with Mikhail Gorbachev and shifted
to diplomacy, with a view to encourage the Soviet Leader to pursue
substantial arms agreements. Reagan believed that allowing freedom to
speech and more democracy in the Soviet Union would lead to reform and
the end of Communism. Ronald Regan and Mikhail Gorbachev signed the
Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF Treaty) at the White House in
1987.
Alzheimer Disease and Death
In August 1994, at the age of 83, Ronald Reagan was diagnosed with
Alzheimer’s disease, an incurable neurological disorder which ultimately
results into total memory loss, callusing brain cells to die. The
disease destroyed Reagan’s mental capacity, while he remained active. He
was only able to recognize a few people other than his wife, Nancy.
Reagan died at his home in Bel Air, California on 5 June, 2004. The then
President George W. Bush declared 11 June a National Day of Mourning
and international tributes came in from around the world. On 9 June,
Reagan’s body was flown to Washington, where he became the tenth U.S.
President to lie in State. On June 11, 2004 a state funeral was
conducted in the Washington National Cathedral, and presided over by
President George W. Bush.
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Ronald Reagan Timeline: | ||||
1911- Ronald Reagan was born on 6 February.
1920- Moved to Dixon for study.
1926- His first job as a life guard.
1932- He graduated from Eureka College.
1937- He appeared on the large screen for the first time.
1941- Reagan was first elected to the board of Directors of the Screen Actors Guild.
1940- He married Jane Wyman on 26 January.
1949- Jane Wyman divorced Reagan.
1952- He married Nancy Davis on 4 March 1952.
1962 - Reagan switched to the Republican Party.
1967- He was elected Governor of California and was sworn in on 3 January.
1969- People’s Park Protest was held on 15 May.
1981- He became the President of United States.
1981- His first inaugural address was held on 20 January and U.S. hostages were freed by Iran.
1981- He was shot by John Hinckley, Jr. on March 30.
1985- Reagan was sworn in for the second term on 20 January 1985.
1985- Reagan was sworn in for the second term on 20 January 1985.
1986- Reagan signed the Immigration reform and Control Act.
1986- On 27 October 1986, Reagan signed a drug enforcement bill.
1986- Iran- Contra war became the largest political scandal.
1987- Ronald Regan and Mikhail Gorbachev signed the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF Treaty) at the White House.
1994- Ronald Reagan was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
2004- Reagan died at his home in Bel Air, California on 5 June.
2004- 11 June was declared a ‘National Day of Mourning’ and a state funeral was conducted in the Washington National Cathedral.
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