Posted on 02/05/2006 6:56:29 PM PST by al baby
Ronald Reagan Fortieth President 1981-1989
Born: February 6, 1911, in Tampico, Illinois
Died: June 5, 2004 in Bel-Air, California
Married to Nancy Davis Reagan
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.
It was 525-13 and very nearly 535-3. Reagan was extremely close to carrying Minnesota.
Sing one for the Gipper.
When I was a kid, I wondered what it would have been like to be alive at a time when the USA was led by a great President, someone like Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Washington, or Jefferson. Someone who knew what they needed to do to improve our country and the world, and had set a higher standard for the rest of all time.
Well, by 1988 my wonder was turned to knowledge.
Thanks for that. I knew it was a BIG win!
"It was 525-13 and very nearly 535-3. Reagan was extremely close to carrying Minnesota."
Just an interesting side note on that.
Mondale spent the last 3 weeks before the election campainging in Minn, and he won that state, his only state, by just 3600 votes. He almost became the first presidential candidate to lose 50 states.
Extraordinary that The Gipper won Massachusetts!
"Extraordinary that The Gipper won Massachusetts!"
Yeah, I still can't figure out what year Massachusetts turned communist.
Clicked it. Sucky "music" and a website that choked my browser.
That's a great quote. Thanks for posting it.
You are welcome. I have it in my Freeper profile.
February 6th is my birthday as well, so I never forget the Gipper's birthday. He was my hero and it was for him in 1980 that I made my first "get out the vote" phone calls. Back then, I didn't know a lot about politics, but I knew I wanted him to defeat the fectless, pacifist Jimmy Carter.
God bless our Nancy.
Everyone was talking about it right after he passed away, but I haven't heard anything new in quite a while.
sorry about the double post...
BTTT
Thanks for the ping.
God Bless Ronald Reagan, a Great American Patriot who served his country in many ways, his Presidency just one of them, but one that will be a shining example of integrity, strength and hope to emulate for all time.
And for me personally, a period of years that reminded me of the sense of fatherly comfort, decency and civility in America that I haven't experienced since a young boy during the 8 years of Eisenhower's Presidency. Ronald Reagan was a living embodiment for the idealism of American life for me and is sorely missed. God keep him in eternal peace.
February 6 should be honored as Ronald Reagan's birthday, the second-greatest president in US history, out-ranked only by the Father of our Country, George Washington. If historians were not asses, they would already be marking him so for defeating Communism without a war. What a great leader! We were so blessed.
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