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 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. Ronald Reagan was President
from 1981 - 1989. | 
