Introduction - Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan became the 40th president of the United States on January 20th of 1981 after defeating incumbent President Jimmy Carter in the 1980 Presidential race. Upon entering the White House he implemented both economic and political changes. The accomplishments this famous Republican President is best known for include his economic plan, which the media referred to as Reaganomics, his War on Drugs, and putting an end to the Cold War with Russia. Ronald Reagan is also the first serving U.S. President to survive being shot during an assassination attempt. In the list of facts about his presidency below, you'll find out who tried to assassinate him. On this page you will also find interesting information covering everything from where Regan was born and raised, why he ordered the U.S. Armed Forces to invade Granada in 1983, and what one of his most famous quotes is. This information is written in a list format so both kids and adults can easily gather information.Click here for a great selection of Amazon.com books about Ronald Reagan.
Ronald Reagan Quick Facts
- He was born in Tampico, Illinois on February 6, 1911.
- Ronald Reagan was the 40th president of the United States of America.
- He served two full terms as U.S. President; from January 20th, 1981 through January 20th of 1989.
- Reagan's Vice President was George H. W. Bush who would go on to be the 41st U.S. President.
- He was a member of the Republican Political Party having switched from the Democratic Party in 1962.
- Reagan died on June 5, 2004 at the age of 93.
Ronald Reagan Interesting Facts
- Born in Tampico, Illinois on February 6, 1911, Reagan was nicknamed "Dutch" by his father for his resemblance to "a fat little Dutchman".
- Reagan graduated from Eureka College in 1932 where he excelled in both school and extracurricular activities, particularly sports.
- Soon after graduating college he began a career as a radio broadcaster and then moved on to become a movie actor where he had mostly supporting roles in 53 movies.
- In April of 1942, during World War 2, Reagan was called to active duty in the U.S. Army. He never served overseas due to poor eyesight.
- Reagan's first marriage was to Jane Wyman, an actress whom he married in 1940 and divorced in 1948. They had one child together and adopted one together as well.
- Ronald Reagan married Nancy Davis in 1952 after meeting her in Hollywood while he was working as an actor. Together they had a son and daughter.
- He served two-terms as Governor of California after working his way into politics a few years earlier. He served as governor for eight years from 1967-1975.
- Reagan made a bid to be the Republican Presidential candidate in 1976 challenging President Gerald Ford. Ford would win the Republican nomination but lost the Presidential election to Democrat Jimmy Carter.
- In 1980 Reagan did win the Republican presidential nomination and went on to win the presidential election against incumbent U.S. President Jimmy Carter.
- At 69 years old, Ronald Reagan was the oldest person to be elected president of the United States.
- After suffering with Alzheimer's disease for about ten years President Ronald Reagan died at his home in Bel Air, California from pneumonia on June 5th of 2004.
Ronald Reagan Presidency Facts
- Reagan implemented supply-side economic policies referred to as Reaganomics. These policies aimed at jump starting the U.S. economy through economic growth, tax reductions, increased military spending, a slowdown of government spending and reduced government regulations to create a more free market economy.
- Reagan had only been president for 69 days when John Hinckley Jr. attempted to assassinate him by shooting him as he left the Hilton Hotel in Washington D.C. He succeeded in shooting Reagan and three others who all survived. Hinckley was found to be insane and confined to a psychiatric hospital.
- In 1981 President Reagan fired over 11,000 federal air traffic controllers who were striking and disobeyed his order to go back to work.
- On October 25th of 1983 U.S. armed forces invaded Grenada under orders from Ronald Reagan. The mission removed the communist government which had recently staged a coup.
- As President Ronald Reagan set out to rid the world of Communism. He put in place policies to put pressure on the Soviet Union including supporting anti-communist leaders, giving aid to anti-communist movements, and a huge buildup of the U.S. Armed Forces.
- Reagan sought "a world free of nuclear weapons" and between 1985 and 1988 arranged four summits with Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev resulting in the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty and the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.
- One of Reagan's most popular quotes during one of the greatest speeches of his presidency, was when he urged Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to "tear down this wall", referring to the Berlin Wall, which represented communism.
- In 1984, Reagan won re-election against former Vice President Walter Mondale by a landslide in both popular and electoral votes. In fact his victory was the largest electoral college victory in U.S. history.
- The biggest scandal of his administration was the 1986 Iran-Contra affair where, during the Iran-Iraq War, funds from covert arms sales to Iran were given to rebels fighting the communist government in Nicaragua. This funding was illegal based on an act of Congress. Reagan claimed no knowledge of this activity but regardless his popularity plummeted.
- Upon leaving the presidency in 1989 Reagan had a remarkable approval rating of sixty-eight percent.