Ronald Reagan - A man of our time
Ronald Reagan was born on February 6, 1911 in Tampico, Illinois. He was the 33rd Governor of California during his term from 1967 to 1975 and went on to become the 40th President of the United States during his term from 1981 to 1989. He was 69 years old when he was elected President which made him the oldest person ever to be elected President. Before Ronald Reagan entered the world of politics, he was an actor for motion pictures, head of the Screen Actors Guild, a television actor and a very motivational speaker. Ronald Reagan was always commended for his speaking style for having an excellent delivery and being very persuasive when he would contact people. Because of this, the media gave him the accolade of “The Great Communicator.” Read more about this wonderful man on this site!
Ronald Reagan defeated President Jimmy Carter when he won the election in 1980. At that point, it was 26 years since the United States Senate would be Republican controlled. He had an economic policy that was popularly known as “Reaganomics” which was noted for a 25% cut in the income tax. It was also noted for a reduction in inflation, increased military spending, reduction in interest rates, a brief solution to the Social Security issue at the time, continued regulation of business, and a recession in 1981-1982 which was followed by an economic expansion in the year 1982.
Supporters of Ronald Reagan gave him much credit for restoring optimism to America in 1980 and for his support and advocacy of capitalism over governmental control. In relation to foreign policies, the Ronald Reagan administration is noted for the ideologies of democratic capitalism and anti-communism. He was very instrumental in the 1991 downfall of the Soviet Union. Some historians though have not yet all agreed on this. Some consider him to be the leading figure in orchestrating the collapse of Soviet Communism in 1991 while others believe that the end of the Soviet Union was merely a coincidence.
Ronald Reagan passed his presidency to a member of the same party in 1989. George H.W. Bush was elected President and this was something that hadn’t occurred in 60 years. The presidencies of Johnson, Nixon, Ford and Carter were looked at as failures. Ronald Reagan is looked at influencing the culture of the 1980’s.
He was the only President of the United States who was struck by the bullet of an assassin on March 30, 1981 and actually survive. In 1994, he announced that he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and informed the nation through a handwritten letter. Late in 2003, he began to enter the final stages of the diseases and it claimed his life on June 5, 2004 with the sweet love of his life Nancy at his side. He is buried at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library near his home in Simi Valley, California.