Ronald Wilson Reagan was born on February 6th, 1911, in Tampico in Illinois. His father had problems with alcohol and maintaining a stable job. Hence, the family moved around Illinois and later finally settled in Dixon. He graduated from a local high school and later from Eureka College. He loved sports and decided to be a sports commentator.
In 1937, on a work trip in California, Reagan auditioned in Werner Bros. The movie studio offered him a contract, and thus his acting career began. He appeared in over 50 films. Due to his bad sight, he did not take part in World War II. Instead, he made army training films. Later, he became the president of the Screen Actors Guild. However, communists seemingly infiltrated this union. Something that Reagan hated.
Reagan’s movie career ended, and he now worked on a television program called General Electric Theater. He traveled around the USA and spoke with employees of GE. As a result, he became a popular and talented public speaker.
✟ June 5, 2004, Los Angeles, USA
Ronald Reagan and politics
When young, Reagan was a fan of Franklin Roosevelt and the Democratic Party. But, in the 1960s, he became a conservative Republican. Reagan shone once again during Barry Goldwater’s presidential campaign in 1964. Two years later, he ran for the office of California governor and held the seat until 1975.
He ran for White House for the first time in 1976. However, he was unsuccessful. His second attempt was luckier, and on January 20th, 1981, Reagan was sworn into office. He became the 40th president of the USA. Only two months later, he survived an assassination attempt.
Concerning domestic politics, he was a conservative. He believed in lower taxes and a smaller government. His presidency boosted the economy. Worldwide, he is most famous for his foreign affairs. He despised the Soviet Union and played a significant part in the fall of the Eastern communistic block. He was a close ally of Margaret Thatcher.
Dubbed the Great Communicator, he was the American head of state between 1981 and 1989. Reagan was married twice. First, with actress Jane Wyman, later he married Nancy Robbins. He had five kids. Ronald Reagan died after a long illness on June 5th, 2004, in Los Angeles, California.
The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things
Ronald Reagan
