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| {{Infobox_President | |||
| | name=Ronald Wilson Reagan | |||
| | nationality=American | |||
| | image=Official Portrait of President Reagan 1981.jpg | |||
| | imagesize = 185px | |||
| | order=40th ] | |||
| | vicepresident=] | |||
| | term_start=] ] | |||
| | term_end=] ] | |||
| | predecessor=] | |||
| | successor=] | |||
| | order2=33rd ] | |||
| | lieutenant2=] <br>(1967–1969) <br> ] <br>(1969–1974) <br> ] <br>(1974–1975) | |||
| | term_start2=] ] | |||
| | term_end2=] ] | |||
| | predecessor2=] | |||
| | successor2=] | |||
| | birth_date=], ] | |||
| | birth_place={{flagicon|Illinois}} ], ] | |||
| | death_date={{death date and age|2004|06|5|1911|02|06}} | |||
| | death_place={{flagicon|California}} ] | |||
| | spouse=(1) ] (married 1940, divorced 1948)<br/>(2) ] (married 1952) | |||
| | alma_mater=] | |||
| | occupation=] | |||
| | religion=] | |||
| | signature=Reagan signature 2.jpg | |||
| | party=] | |||
| }} | |||
| hey well roandkndnew trewfdhfr yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrufeajciodgzxcvbnmm,./'';;;poiuytrewqqaasdfghjjkk11234`2871748 | |||
| '''Ronald Wilson Reagan''' (], ] – ], ]) was the 40th ] (1981 – 1989) and the 33rd ] (1967 – 1975). Born and raised in ], Reagan moved to ] in the 1930s, where he became a Hollywood actor, President of the ], a spokesman for ], and later met his second wife, ]. Previously a ] ], Reagan became a ] in 1962. During his work for ''General Electric Theatre'', he began to articulate the political themes that would carry him into the California Governorship, which he won in 1966. He later made two presidential bids: the first, unsuccessful, in ], and the second, which he won, in ]. | |||
| Reagan stated that his two proudest achievements as President were expanding the economy and restoring American morale following a time of political setbacks and economic ].<ref name= "Ronald Reagan Farewell Address">{{cite web |url=http://www.ronaldreagan.com/sp_21.html|title= Ronald Reagan Farewell Address |accessdate= 2007-04-24|publisher= ronaldreagan.com}}</ref> Derived from ], "]" consisted of large tax cuts, moderate ], and increases in defense spending,<ref> Walsh, Kenneth (1997) p. 95</ref> contributing to about 16 million new jobs and significantly lower ] rates, but also record budget deficits.<ref name="AndersonM">{{cite news | last =Anderson | first = Martin | publisher =New York Times | date = ] ] |title= The Reagan Boom - Greatest Ever | accessdate= 2007-03-28 |url= http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE1DC153BF934A25752C0A966958260&sec=health&spon=&pagewanted=1}}</ref><ref name= "Cato Institute">{{cite web | author = Niskanen, William A. and Stephen Moore | url= http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa-261.html |title= Supply Tax Cuts and the Truth About the Reagan Economic Record | publisher = Cato Institute | date = ] ] | accessdate=2007-03-31}}</ref> After surviving an ] in his first term, Reagan was ] in 1984. His administration also saw a number of ], most notably the ]. | |||
| Reagan instituted his policy of "]" in an ] with the ]. He rejected ] and confronted ], famously portraying the USSR as an "]" and ].<ref name="Carpenter"> {{cite web| author = Carpenter, Ted Galen | url= http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa074.html | title= U.S. Aid to Anti-Communist Rebels: The 'Reagan Doctrine' and Its Pitfalls | accessdate= 2007-03-29 | publisher = ] | date = ] ]}}</ref> Reagan negotiated with ] ] to shrink both countries' nuclear arsenals and help bring a peaceful end to the ].<ref>{{cite book|last=Appleby|first=Joyce|coauthors=Alan Brinkley, James M. McPherson|title=The American Journey|publisher=Glencoe/McGraw-Hill|date=2003|location=Woodland Hills, California|pages=924-926|ISBN=0078241294 }}</ref> | |||
| In 1994, five years after leaving office, Reagan disclosed that he had been afflicted with ], and ] at the age of ninety-three. | |||
| ==Early life== | |||
| ].]] | |||
| Reagan was born in a flat above the local bank building in ] on ], ] to John "Jack" Reagan and Nelle Wilson Reagan. As a boy, Reagan's father nicknamed his son "Dutch" due to his "fat little Dutchman" like appearance, and his "Dutch boy" haircut.<ref name= "Ronald Reagan Facts">{{cite web |url=http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/reference/facts.html|title=Ronald Reagan Facts|accessdate= 2007-06-09|publisher=Reagan Foundation}}</ref> The nickname stuck with him throughout his youth. Dutch's family briefly lived in several Illinois towns, including ], until 1920, when his family settled in the small town of ].<ref>Cannon (2001), p. 2</ref> The Midwestern "small universe" made a lasting impression on Reagan: "I learned standards and values that would guide me the rest of my life ... I learned that hard work is an essential part of life – that by and large, you don't get something for nothing – and that America was a place that offered unlimited opportunity to those who did work hard."<ref>Reagan, Ronald (1990), p. 27</ref> | |||
| Reagan attended ], where he developed a passion for storytelling and acting. In 1926, his first job was that of a lifeguard at the Rock River in Lowell Park, near Dixon. He was credited with saving 77 lives during the seven summers that he worked there.<ref name="LA Times Obituary 2"/> After high school, Reagan attended ], where he majored in ] and ]. He was a member of the ] fraternity, and was very active in sports.<ref>Cannon (2001), p. 9 </ref> | |||
| ==Entertainment career== | |||
| ===Radio and film=== | |||
| ] | |||
| In 1932, after graduating from Eureka, Reagan worked at radio stations ] in ], and then ] in ] as an announcer for ] ] games.<ref name= "Innocents at Home">{{cite book |last= Wills |first= Garry |title= Reagan's America: Innocents at Home |origyear= 1987 | publisher= Doubleday |location= Garden City, NY |pages= 109-110}}</ref> As an announcer, Reagan took a screen test that led to a seven-year contract with the ] studio. Initially, Reagan secured roles in ] and later in more significant "A" pictures. | |||
| His first screen credit was the starring role in the 1937 movie '']''. By the end of 1939, he had appeared in nineteen films.<ref name="Reagan Films">{{cite web |url= http://www.reaganfoundation.org/reagan/biography/hollywood_years.asp |title= Ronald Reagan Hollywood Years | publisher = The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation | accessdate=2007-03-28}}</ref> Before '']'' in 1940, he played the role of ] in the film '']''. From this role he acquired the nickname ''the Gipper'', which he retained the rest of his life.<ref name="Cannon15">Cannon, Lou (2001), p. 15 </ref> Reagan's favorite acting role was in '']'' in 1942,<ref name= "Rest of Me">{{cite book |last= Reagan |first= Ronald |title= Where's the Rest of Me? |year= 1965 |publisher= Duell, Sloan, and Pearce |location= New York |isbn=}}</ref> but his performance did not meet with universal approval – one reviewer felt that Reagan had made "only casual acquaintance with the ".<ref>{{cite news | last = Crowther | first = Bosley | publisher = The New York Times | date = ] ] | url= http://movies2.nytimes.com/mem/movies/review.html?res=9903E2DE143BE33BBC4B53DFB4668389659EDE | title= THE SCREEN; 'Kings Row,' With Ann Sheridan and Claude Rains, a Heavy, Rambling Film, Has Its First Showing Here at the Astor | accessdate=2007-03-29}}</ref> Reagan also played in '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', ''Cattle Queen of Montana'', and '']'' in a 1964 remake. | |||
| ===World War II=== | |||
| On ], ], Reagan was appointed a ] in the Officers' Reserve Corps of the ], serving with Troop B, 322nd Cavalry.<ref name= "ACR Homepage">{{cite web |url= http://www.irwin.army.mil/Units/11TH+Armored+Cavalry+Regiment/11thACR/ | publisher= 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment | title = History of the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment |accessdate= 2007-03-07}}</ref> Reagan was prevented from serving overseas due to nearsightedness,<ref name="USSRR">{{cite web |url= http://www.reagan.navy.mil/about_reagan/ball_cap/ball_cap.htm |title= USS Ronald Reagan: Significance of Horse and Rider | publisher = U.S. Navy | accessdate=2007-03-07}} </ref> and remained in Hollywood for the duration of the war. In June 1942, he was assigned to the ], which made training and education films for the war effort.<ref name="USSRR" /> | |||
| ===Television and SAG President=== | |||
| ].]] | |||
| Reagan landed fewer film roles in the late 1950s, and moved to television as the host and a frequent performer for '']''. At one point in the late 1950s, Reagan was earning approximately $125,000 per year ($800,000 in 2006 dollars). His final work as a professional actor was as host and performer from 1964 to 1965 on the television series '']''. | |||
| Reagan was first elected to the Board of Directors of the ] in 1941, serving as an alternate. Following World War II, he resumed service and became 3rd Vice President in 1946.<ref name="SAG"> {{cite web| url= http://www.sag.org/history/presidents/reagan.html | title= Screen Actors Guild Presidents: Ronald Reagan | publisher = Screen Actors Guild | accessdate=2007-04-04}}</ref> The adoption of conflict-of-interest bylaws in 1947 led the SAG president and six Board members to resign; Reagan was nominated in a special election for the position of SAG President by fellow Board member ] and was elected. Reagan would subsequently be elected by the membership to seven additional one-year terms, from 1947–1952 and in 1959. Reagan led SAG through eventful years that were marked by labor-management disputes, the ], the ] (HUAC) hearings and the ] era.<ref name="SAG"/> | |||
| In 1947, as SAG President, Reagan testified before HUAC regarding the influence of Communists in the motion picture industry. Strongly opposed to ], Reagan reaffirmed his commitment to democratic principles, stating, "As a citizen, I would hesitate to see any political party outlawed on the basis of its political ideology. However, if it is proven that an organization is an agent of foreign power, or in any way not a legitimate political party – and I think the government is capable of proving that – then that is another matter."<ref name="HUAC"> Tennessee Wesleyan College, (] ]) Retrieved on ]</ref> | |||
| ==Marriages and children== | |||
| ] aboard a boat in California in 1964.]] | |||
| In 1938, Reagan co-starred in the film ''Brother Rat'' with actress ]. They were engaged at the ],<ref name="NYT">{{cite news |url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=travel&res=9407E6DA1138F93BA35756C0A962948260 |title=Dispute Over Theatre Splits Chicago City Council |accessdate=May 17|accessyear=2007 |date=], ]|work=New York Times}}</ref> and they married on ], ], at the Week Kirk O'Heather Church in Forest Lawn, California.<ref name= "RR & NR Marriage"/> Together they had two children, ] (1941 – 2001) and Christine Reagan (born and died ], ]), and ] a third, ] (born 1945). Reagan and Wyman ] on ], ] following arguments about Reagan's political ambitions.<ref name="Cannon15"/> Reagan is the only American President to have been divorced.<ref>{{cite web | author = Borgna Brunner | url = http://www.infoplease.com/spot/prestrivia1.html | title = Presidential Trivia | publisher = Information Please Database, Pearson Education | accessdate = 2007-05-02}}</ref> | |||
| Reagan met actress ] in 1949, after Davis contacted then-President of the ] Reagan to help her with issues regarding her name appearing on a communist blacklist in Hollywood (Davis was mistaken for another Nancy Davis). Nancy described their meeting by saying, "I don't know if it was exactly love at first sight, but it was pretty close."<ref name= "RR & NR Marriage">{{cite web |url=http://marriage.about.com/od/celebritymarriages/p/reaganronald.htm|title=Ronald Reagan and Nancy Davis Reagan Marriage Profile|accessdate=2007-06-09|publisher=About, Inc.}}</ref> They were engaged at ] restaurant in ], and were married on ], ] at the Little Brown Church in the ].<ref name= "Little Brown Church">{{cite web |url= http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/golf/sns-ap-reagan-places,0,1844441.story?page=2|title= Noteworthy places in Reagan's life|accessdate=2007-04-11|date= ] ]|publisher= The Baltimore Sun}}</ref> Ronald and Nancy Reagan had two children: ] (b.1952) and ] (b.1958). | |||
| Observers described Ronald and Nancy Reagan's relationship as close, real, and intimate.<ref>Beschloss, Michael (2007), p. 296</ref> While President and First Lady, the Reagans were reported to frequently display their affection for each other, with one press secretary noting, "They never took each other for granted. They never stopped courting."<ref name= "RR & NR Marriage"/><ref name= "By Reagan's Side, but her own person"/> He often called her "Mommy"; she called him "Ronnie." <ref name= "By Reagan's Side, but her own person"> {{cite web |url= http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/ny-usnanc063835985jun06,0,3872519.story?coll=ny-nationalnews-headlines "By Reagan's side, but her own person."|title= "By Reagan's Side, but her own person" |accessdate=2007-03-07 |format= |work= }}</ref> When the President was recuperating in the hospital after the assassination attempt in 1981, Nancy Reagan slept with one of his shirts to be comforted by the scent;<ref>Beschloss, Michael (2007), p. 284</ref> in a letter to Mrs. Reagan, President Reagan wrote, "whatever I treasure and enjoy...all would be without meaning if I didn’t have you."<ref name= "Reagan Love Story">{{cite web|url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4201869/|title= "Reagan Love Story"|publisher=NBC News|date=], ]|accessdate=2007-05-25}}</ref> In 1994, President Reagan wrote "I have recently been told that I am one of the millions of Americans who will be afflicted with ]...I only wish there was some way I could spare Nancy from this painful experience,"<ref name= "RR & NR Marriage"/> and in 1998, while her husband was severely affected by Alzheimer's, Nancy told ], "Our relationship is very special. We were very much in love and still are. When I say my life began with Ronnie, well, it's true. It did. I can't imagine life without him."<ref name= "Love Story">{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/265714.stm|title=End of a Love Story|publisher=BBC News|date=], ]|accessdate=2007-03-21}}</ref> | |||
| ==Early political career== | |||
| Reagan was originally a ], a supporter of the ], and an admirer of ]. In the late 1940s, Reagan was a visible speaker defending President ], but his political loyalties soon shifted to the ].<ref>Reagan, Ronald (1990), p. 132</ref> | |||
| His first major political role was as President of the ] (SAG), the labor union that represented most Hollywood actors. In this position, he testified before the ] (HUAC) on suspected communist influence in the motion picture industry. The Screen Actors Guild, he claimed, was being infiltrated by communists.<ref>Cannon, Lou (2001), p. 29 </ref> | |||
| A committed anti-Communist, Reagan supported the presidential candidacies of ] in 1952 and 1956, as well as that of ] in 1960, while remaining a registered Democrat. Following the election of ], Reagan formally ], becoming a Republican in 1962. "I didn't leave the Democratic Party," he claimed, "the party left me."<ref name="LA Times Obituary 2"/> He also implied that ], ], and ] would have also disapproved of the change in the ]. <ref>Reagan, Ronald (1990), pp. 134-135</ref> | |||
| Two years after switching parties, Reagan joined the campaign of conservative Presidential contender ]. Speaking on Goldwater's behalf, Reagan revealed his ideological motivation in a famed speech given on ], ]: "The Founding Fathers knew a government can't control the economy without controlling people. And they knew when a government set out to do that, it must use force and coercion to achieve its purpose. So we have come to a time for choosing."<ref name= "A Time for Choosing">{{cite press release |url= http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/presidents/40_reagan/psources/ps_choose64.html | title= A Time for Choosing | publisher = PBS | accessdate=2007-04-17}}</ref> The address soon became known as the "]" speech, and is considered the speech that launched Reagan's poitical career.<ref>Cannon, Lou (2001), p. 36</ref> | |||
| ==Governor of California, 1967–1975== | |||
| ] | |||
| After Reagan's "Time for Choosing" speech, California Republicans became impressed with his political views and charisma.<ref name= "Governor of California">{{cite web |url= http://www.californiagovernors.ca.gov/h/biography/governor_33.html |title= Governor Ronald Reagan | | publisher = Governors of California | accessdate=2007-03-21}}</ref> They nominated him for ] in 1966, and he was elected, defeating two-term governor ]. In Reagan's campaign, he emphasized two main themes, "to send 'the welfare bums' back to work," and in reference to burgeoning anti-war and anti-establishement student protests at the ], "to clean up the mess at Berkeley."<ref name="kahn">{{cite web | author = Kahn, Jeffery | publisher = UC Berkeley News | date = ] ] | title= Ronald Reagan launched political career using the Berkeley campus as a target | accessdate=2007-03-30 | url= http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2004/06/08_reagan.shtml}}</ref> Reagan was sworn in as Governor on ], ]. In his first term, he froze government hiring and approved tax hikes to balance the budget.<ref>Cannon, Lou (2001), p. 47 </ref> | |||
| Shortly after the beginning of his term, Reagan tested the Presidential waters in 1968 as part of a "Stop Nixon" movement which included those from the party's far right. Reagan managed to win the pledges of some 600 delegates, but ] quickly steamrolled to the nomination. | |||
| ] and First Lady ] in July of 1970.]] | |||
| Reagan was involved in high-profile conflicts with the protest movements of the era. In 1969, during the ] at ], Reagan met with Regent ] to discuss and try to end the unrest, and Reagan sent ] officers onto the campus to quell the riots.<ref name="Cannon50">Cannon, Lou (2001), p. 50 </ref> On ] of that year, the riots increased, and the officers resorted to using firearms, shooting and killing a 25 year old ] man and injuring many others.<ref name="Cannon50"/> Reagan then called out 2,200 ] troops to the university to crack down on the anti-war protesters and rioters.<ref name="Cannon50"/> | |||
| Early in 1967, the national debate on ] was beginning. Democratic California state senator ] introduced the "Therapeutic Abortion Act," in an effort to reduce the number of "back-room abortions" performed in California.<ref name="Cannon50"/> The State Legislature sent the bill to Reagan's desk, and after many days of indecision, he signed the bill.<ref name="Cannon51">Cannon, Lou (2001), p. 51</ref> About two million abortions would be performed as a result, most because of a provision in the bill allowing abortions for the well-being of the mother.<ref name="Cannon51"/> Reagan had been in office for only four months when he signed the bill, and stated that had he been more experienced as governor, it would not have been signed. After he recognized what he called the "consequences" of signing the bill, he announced that he was pro-life.<ref name="Cannon51"/> | |||
| Reagan was re-elected in 1970, defeating "Big Daddy" ], but chose not to seek a third term. One of Reagan's greatest frustrations in office concerned ], which he strongly supported.<ref name= "Rest of Me"/> His efforts to enforce the state's laws in this area were thwarted when the ] issued its '']'' decision, which invalidated all death sentences issued in California prior to 1972, though the decision was later overturned by a ]. The only execution during Reagan's governorship was on ], ], when Aaron Mitchell's sentence was carried out by the state in ] gas chamber. | |||
| ===1976 presidential campaign=== | |||
| ] at the ], after Reagan narrowly lost the Presidential nomination. To Reagan's left are ] and ]; at his right are ], ], and ].]] | |||
| In 1976, Reagan challenged incumbent President ] in a bid to become the Republican Party's candidate for president. Ford was considered a more moderate Republican.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/gf38.html |title= Biography of Gerald R. Ford | publisher = The White House | accessdate= 2007-03-29}} at ].gov. Ford considered himself a "a moderate in domestic affairs, a conservative in fiscal affairs, and a dyed-in-the-wool internationalist in foreign affairs."</ref> | |||
| Reagan soon established himself as the conservative candidate; like-minded organizations such as the ] became the key components of his political base.<ref name="ACU"/>The ACU benefited from early knowledge of the changes in rules permitting ]s to contribute to campaigns, and "undertook one of the first independent, non-party campaigns on behalf of a presidential candidate," sponsoring hundreds of radio and newspaper ads contrasting Reagan's conservative views with Ford's.<ref name= "ACU">{{cite web|url= http://www.conservative.org/about/history01.asp | title= The American Conservative Union: A History | publisher = The American Conservative Union | accessdate= 2007-03-29}}</ref> He relied on a strategy crafted by campaign manager ] of winning a few primaries early to seriously damage the lift-off of Ford's campaign, such as his victories in ], ], and ]: but the strategy disintegrated. Poor management of the campaign, and other financial problems caused Reagan to lose ] and later ].<ref name= "1976 Republican Results">{{cite web |url= http://www.politicallibrary.org/TallState/1976rep.html |title= 1976 New Hampshire Presidential Primary, February 24, 1976 Republican Results | publisher = New Hampshire Political Library |accessdate= 2007-03-30}}</ref> | |||
| As the party's convention in Kansas City neared, Ford appeared close to victory, in thanks partly to New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania delegates ostensibly under the control of Ford's liberal Republican Vice President ]. Acknowledging the strength of his party's moderate wing, Reagan choose moderate Republican Senator ] of ] as his running mate. Nonetheless, Ford narrowly won, with 1,187 delegates to Reagan's 1,070. | |||
| Reagan's concession speech emphasized the dangers of nuclear war and the threat posed by the ]. Although Reagan lost the nomination, in the November election he received 307 write-in votes in New Hampshire, 388 votes as an Independent on ]'s ballot, and a single electoral vote from a Washington State "]."<ref name= "Presidential Elections Results">{{cite web |url=http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/scores.html#1976|title=Electoral College Box Scores 1789-1996|accessdate= 2007-04-30|publisher= U.S. National Archives and Records Admin.}}</ref> Ford went on to lose the 1976 presidential election to the Democratic challenger ]. | |||
| ===1980 presidential campaign=== | |||
| {{main|United States presidential election, 1980}} | |||
| ] in ], 1980.]] | |||
| The 1980 presidential campaign, led by ], was conducted in the shadow of the ]. Every day during the campaign, the networks reported on Jimmy Carter's unavailing efforts to free the hostages. On the domestic front, Reagan attacked Carter's inability to deal with double-digit ], soaring ], and high ]. With respect to the economy, Reagan quipped, "I'm told I can't use the word depression. Well, I'll tell you the definition. A recession is when your neighbor loses his job; depression is when you lose your job. Recovery is when Jimmy Carter loses his."<ref name= "Reagan Quotes">{{cite web |url=http://www.uncoverthenet.com/quotes/dir/559/1.php|title= Famous Ronald Reagan Quotes|accessdate=2007-04-02|year= 2007|publisher= UTN Enterprises Inc.|quote="A recession is when your neighbor loses his job. A depression is when you lose yours. And recovery is when Jimmy Carter loses his!"}}</ref> | |||
| Reagan's showing in the ] boosted his campaign. He seemed more at ease, deflecting President Carter's criticisms with remarks like "there you go again." One of his most influential remarks was a closing question to the audience in which he asked, "Are you better off now than you were four years ago?" (a phrase he would successfully reuse in the 1984 campaign).<ref>Reagan, Ronald (1990), p. 221</ref> During the ], Reagan unsuccessfully attempted to negotiate an unusual power-sharing arrangement that would entice former President ] to be the Vice Presidential nominee. Instead, Reagan selected his opponent in the primaries, ], who had extensive international experience. <ref>Reagan, Ronald (1990), p. 216</ref> | |||
| Reagan won in a landslide, carrying 44 states with 489 electoral votes to 49 for Carter, representing 6 states and the ]. Reagan won 50.7% of the popular vote while Carter took 41% and independent ] (a liberal Republican) received 6.7%.<ref name= "1980 Results">{{cite web |url= http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/national.php?year=1980 |title= 1980 Presidential Election Results | publisher = Dave Liep's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections | accessdate=2007-03-28}}</ref> In the general election, ], allowing the Republicans to capture the Senate for the first time since 1952, with the margin of 54-46. The Republicans ], though the Democrats retained a majority of 242-192. | |||
| ==Presidency, 1981–1989== | |||
| {{main|Presidency of Ronald Reagan}} | |||
| During his Presidency, Ronald Reagan pursued policies that reflected his optimism in individual freedom, expanded the ], and contributed to the end of the ].<ref name="Freidel84">Freidel, Frank (1995), p. 84 </ref> The "Reagan Revolution", as it came to be known, aimed to reinvigorate American morale, and reduce the people's reliance upon government.<ref name="Freidel84"/> As President, Reagan kept a series of leather bound diaries, in which he talked about daily occurrences of his presidency, commented on current issues around the world (expressing his point of view on most of them), and frequently mentioned his wife, ]. The diaries were recently published into the bestselling book, '']''.<ref name="Harper Collins-The Reagan Diaries">{{cite web |url= http://www.harpercollins.com/books/9780060876005/The_Reagan_Diaries/index.aspx |title= The Reagan Diaries | publisher = Harper Collins | accessdate=2007-06-05}}</ref> | |||
| {| cellpadding="1" cellspacing="2" style="float: left; margin:1em 1em 1em 0; border:1px solid #000000;font-size:85%;" align="left" | |||
| !bgcolor="#dcdcdc" colspan="3"|The Reagan Cabinet | |||
| |- | |||
| |align="left"|'''OFFICE'''||align="left"|'''NAME'''||align="left"|'''TERM''' | |||
| |- | |||
| !bgcolor="#000000" colspan="3" | | |||
| |- | |||
| |align="left"|]||align="left" |'''Ronald Reagan'''||align="left"|1981–1989 | |||
| |- | |||
| |align="left"|]||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|1981–1989 | |||
| |- | |||
| !bgcolor="#000000" colspan="3"| | |||
| |- | |||
| |align="left"|]||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|1981–1982 | |||
| |- | |||
| |align="left"| ||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|1982–1989 | |||
| |- | |||
| |align="left"|]||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|1981–1985 | |||
| |- | |||
| |align="left"| ||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|1985–1988 | |||
| |- | |||
| |align="left"| ||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|1988–1989 | |||
| |- | |||
| |align="left"|]||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|1981–1987 | |||
| |- | |||
| |align="left"| ||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|1987–1989 | |||
| |- | |||
| |align="left"|]||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|1981–1985 | |||
| |- | |||
| |align="left"| ||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|1985–1988 | |||
| |- | |||
| |align="left"| ||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|1988–1989 | |||
| |- | |||
| |align="left"|]||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|1981–1983 | |||
| |-he was | |||
| |align="left"| ||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|1983–1985 | |||
| |- | |||
| |align="left"| ||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|1985–1989 | |||
| |- | |||
| |align="left"|]||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|1981–1987 | |||
| |- | |||
| |align="left"| ||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|1987–1989 | |||
| |- | |||
| |align="left"|]||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|1981–1985 | |||
| |- | |||
| |align="left"| ||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|1985–1987 | |||
| |- | |||
| |align="left"| ||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|1987–1989 | |||
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| |align="left"|]||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|1981–1986 | |||
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| |align="left"| ||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|1986–1989 | |||
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| |align="left"|]||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|1981–1983 | |||
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| |align="left"| ||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|1983–1985 | |||
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| |align="left"| ||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|1985–1989 | |||
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| |align="left"|]||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|1981–1984 | |||
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| |align="left"| ||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|1985–1988 | |||
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| |align="left"|]||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|1981–1989 | |||
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| |align="left"|]||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|1981–1982 | |||
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| |align="left"| ||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|1983–1987 | |||
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| |align="left"| ||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|1987–1989 | |||
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| |align="left"|]||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|1981–1982 | |||
| |-]]''''''''']]</math></nowiki>]]]]]]]]]|align="left"| ||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|1982–1985 | |||
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| |align="left"| ||align="left"|''']'''||align="left"|1985–1989 | |||
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| ===First term, 1981–1985=== | |||
| ] to the ], right after the President's inauguration.]] | |||
| In his inaugural address, Reagan addressed the economic malaise he inherited, arguing: "Government is not the solution to our problems; Government is the problem." The Reagan Presidency began in a historic manner. On ], ] while Reagan was delivering his inaugural address, just 30 minutes into his term, ] were set free.<ref name="Iran Hostage Crisis">{{cite web |url=http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h2021.html|title=Iran Hostage Crisis: November 4, 1979 to January 20, 1981|accessdate= 2007-05-11|year= 2005|publisher= Online Highways}}</ref> | |||
| ====Assassination attempt==== | |||
| {{main|Reagan assassination attempt}} | |||
| On ], ], only 69 days into the new administration, Reagan, his press secretary ], and two others were struck by gunfire from a deranged would-be assassin, ]. Missing Reagan’s heart by less than an inch, the bullet instead pierced his left lung, which likely saved his life. In the operating room, Reagan joked to the surgeons, "I hope you're all Republicans!"<ref name= "March 30, 1981">{{cite web |url= http://www.ronaldreagan.com/march30.html |title= March 30, 1981 |accessdate=2007-03-29 |publisher= Techsure LLC}}</ref> Though they were not, Dr. Joseph Giordano replied, "Today, Mr. President, we're all Republicans." Reagan famously told his wife, "Honey, I forgot to duck" (using defeated boxer ]'s quip). On ], ] and their daughter, ], escorted the President home from the hospital. | |||
| ====Air traffic controllers' strike==== | |||
| {{main|Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization}} | |||
| Only a short time into his administration, ], violating a regulation prohibiting Government unions from striking.<ref name= "PATCO strike">{{cite web |url=http://etext.virginia.edu/journals/EH/EH37/Pels.html|title=The Pressures of PATCO: Strikes and Stress in the 1980s|accessdate= 2007-04-30|author= Rebecca Pels|year= 1995|publisher=Corcoran Department of History at the University of Virginia}}</ref> Declaring the situation an emergency as described in the 1947 ], Reagan held a press conference in the ], where he stated that if the air traffic controllers "do not report for work within 48 hours, they have forfeited their jobs and will be terminated."<ref name= "Reagan's remarks on PATCO strike">{{cite web |url=http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/speeches/1981/80381a.htm|title=Remarks and a Question-and-Answer Session With Reporters on the Air Traffic Controllers Strike|accessdate= 2007-05-13|year= 1981|publisher=Ronald Reagan Foundation}}</ref> On ], ], Reagan fired 11,359 striking air traffic controllers who had ignored his order to return to work. | |||
| ===="Reaganomics" and the economy==== | |||
| {{main|Reaganomics}} | |||
| ] | |||
| When Ronald Reagan entered office, the American economy faced the highest rate of ] since 1947, as well as double-digit ]. Those, along with high ], were considered the nation's principal economic problems. Reagan focused on reviving the economy through his economic policies, partially based on ]. The policies sought to stimulate the economy with large, across-the-board ]<ref name="Cannon99">Cannon, Lou (2001) p. 99</ref><ref name="Appleby923924">Appleby, Joyce (2003), pp. 923–924 </ref> and aimed to reduce the growth of domestic government spending, regulation, and inflation.<ref name= "Reaganomics"/> Reagan's expansionary fiscal policies soon became known as "]",<ref name="Cannon99"/> and were considered by some to be the most serious attempt to change the course of U.S. economic policy of any administration since the ].<ref name= "Reaganomics">{{cite web |url=http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/Reaganomics.html|title=Reaganomics|accessdate= 2007-05-22|author=William A. Niskanen|publisher= The Concise Encyclopedia of Economics}}</ref> | |||
| President Reagan's tenure marked a time of economic prosperity for the majority of Americans. Income tax rates were lowered significantly, with the top personal tax bracket dropping from 70% to 28% in 7 years,<ref name= "The Historical Lessons of Lower Tax Rates">{{cite web | author = Daniel J. Mitchell, Ph.D. | url=http://www.heritage.org/Research/Taxes/BG1086.cfm|title= The Historical Lessons of Lower Tax Rates|publisher = The Heritage Foundation | date = ], ] | accessdate=2007-05-22}}</ref> and ] growth recovered strongly after the 1982 recession.<ref name="Cato Institute"/> Unemployment peaked at over 11 percent in 1982, then dropped steadily,<ref name="Appleby923924"/> and inflation significantly decreased.<ref name="Cato Institute"/> During Reagan's eight years in office, real GDP grew at an annual rate of 3.4% per year.<ref name= "Gross Domestic Product">{{cite web | url= http://www.bea.gov/national/xls/gdpchg.xls |title= Gross Domestic Product | publisher = Bureau of Economic Analysis| date = ] ]}}</ref> Reagan reappointed ] ], as well as the monetarist ] to succeed him. He preserved the core New Deal safeguards, such as the ] (SEC), ] (FDIC), the ] and ], while rolling back what he viewed as the excesses of 1960s and 1970s liberal policies. | |||
| ] | |||
| Reagan's policies became common flashpoints for critics, many of whom charged that Reagan was unconcerned with income inequality and its effects, and derided his economic policies as "]."<ref name= "Historical Record">{{cite book |last= Danziger|first= S.H. |coauthors= D.H. Weinburg |title= "The Historical Record: Trends in Family Income, Inequality, and Poverty" in ''Confronting Poverty: Prescriptions for Change'' |year= 1994 |publisher= |location= |isbn= }}</ref> They also stated that the combination of significant tax cuts and a massive increase in ] related defense spending caused large budget deficits,<ref name= "Trickle-Down Economics">{{cite web|url= http://www.faireconomy.org/research/TrickleDown.html|title=Trickle-Down Economics: Four Reasons why it Just Doesn't Work|author = Etebari, Mehrun|date=] ]|publisher=faireconomy.org|accessdate=2007-03-31}}</ref> the U.S. trade deficit expansion,<ref name= "Trickle-Down Economics"/> contributed to the ],<ref name="The S&L Crisis">{{cite web |url= http://www.fdic.gov/bank/historical/s&l/ |title= The S&L Crisis: A Chrono-Bibliography | accessdate= 2007-04-08 |publisher= Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation}}</ref> and the stock market crash of 1987, known as "]." In order to cover new federal budget deficits, the ] borrowed heavily both domestically and abroad, raising the ] from $700 billion dollars to $3 trillion dollars,<ref name="Cannon128">Cannon, Lou (2001) p. 128</ref> and the United States moved from being the world's largest international creditor to the world's largest debtor nation.<ref name= "U.S. Debt">{{cite web |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A26402-2004Jun8.html|title=Reagan Policies Gave Green Light to Red Ink|accessdate= 2007-05-25|publisher= The Washington Post}}</ref> Reagan described the new debt as the "greatest disappointment" of his presidency.<ref name="Cannon128"/> | |||
| Reagan himself was criticized for his supposed lack of understanding of economics. ], the President's former ], and later ], stated, "In the four years that I served as Secretary of the Treasury, I never saw President Reagan alone and never discussed economic philosophy or fiscal and monetary policy with him one–on–one....The President never told me what he believed or what he wanted to accomplish in the field of economics.”<ref>Regan, Donald T. (1988), p. 142</ref> | |||
| Some scholars agree that Reagan's tax policies invigorated America's economy. There is some speculation, however, about deficits from Reaganomics being a contributory factor to the economic recession of 1990-1991,<ref name= "Recession of the Early 1990s">{{cite web |url=http://www.enterstageright.com/archive/articles/0603/0603taxing.htm|title=Taxing our way to prosperity: The Democrats' strange version of fiscal responsibility|accessdate= 2007-06-02|publisher= www.mormon.org}}</ref> and being the reason that Reagan's successor, ], reneged on a campaign promise and raised taxes. | |||
| ====War on Drugs==== | |||
| Not long after being sworn into office, Reagan declared more militant policies in the "]".<ref name= "War on Drugs">{{cite web |url= http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/jan-june01/drug_war.html |title= The War on Drugs | publisher = pbs.org | date = ] ] | accessdate= 2007-04-04}}</ref><ref name= "Youth Trends">{{cite web |url= http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofacts/HSYouthtrends.html | title= NIDA InfoFacts: High School and Youth Trends | publisher = National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIH | accessdate=2007-04-04}}</ref> He promised a "planned, concerted campaign" against all drugs,<ref name= "The Drug War">{{cite web |url= http://academic.udayton.edu/race/03justice/crime09.htm |title= The Drug War as Race War |accessdate= 2007-04-11 |author= Randall, Vernellia R |date= ] ]|publisher= The University of Dayton School of Law}}</ref>.<ref name= "War on Drugs"/><ref name="Decline of Substance Use">{{cite web |author = Bachman, Gerald G. et al. | url= http://www.monitoringthefuture.org/pubs/jbbook/jbbook02.html |title= The Decline of Substance Use in Young Adulthood | publisher = The Regents of the University of Michigan | accessdate=2007-04-04}}</ref> | |||
| On ], ], President Reagan signed a drug enforcement bill into law, which granted $1.7 billion dollars to fight the crisis, and ensured a mandatory minimum penalty for drug offenses.<ref name="PBS Frontline"/> The Bill was criticized for promoting significant racial disparities in the prison population, because of the differences in sentencing for crack vs. powder cocaine.<ref name="PBS Frontline"/> | |||
| Many critics also charged that the administration's policies did little to actually reduce the availability of drugs or crime on the street, while resulting in a great financial and human cost for American society.<ref name= "Stop the Drug War">{{cite web |url= http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle-old/341/reagan.shtml | publisher = stopthedrugwar.org | title= The Reagan-Era Drug War Legacy | date = ] | accessdate= 2007-04-04}}</ref> Many critics regarded Reagan as indifferent to the needs of poor and minority citizens. | |||
| ], the first female Supreme Court Justice, whom he appointed.]] | |||
| Reagan's ], Nancy, even took on the War on Drugs as her main cause, by founding the "]" anti-drug association. Today, there are still hundreds of "Just Say No" clinics around the country aimed at helping and rehabilitating children and teenagers with drug problems.<ref name="PBS Frontline">{{cite web |url= http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/drugs/cron/ | title= Thirty Years of America's Drug War | publisher = pbs.org | accessdate=2007-04-04}}</ref> | |||
| ====Judiciary==== | |||
| During his 1980 campaign, Reagan pledged that, if given the opportunity, he would appoint the first female Supreme Court Justice. <ref>Reagan, Ronald (1990), p. 280</ref> That opportunity came in his first year in office when he nominated ] to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice ]. In his second term, Reagan elevated ] to succeed ] as ], and named ] to fill the vacant seat. However in 1987 Reagan lost a significant political battle when the Senate rejected the nomination of ]. ] was eventually confirmed in his place. | |||
| ====Lebanon and Grenada, 1983==== | |||
| {{main|Invasion of Grenada}} | |||
| ] of ] in the ] about ongoing events in ].]] | |||
| American peacekeeping forces in ], a part of a multinational force during the ], were attacked on ], ]. The ], in which 241 American servicemen were killed by suicide bombers, was the deadliest single-day death toll for the United States Marine Corps since the ], and the deadliest single-day death toll for the United States military since the first day of the ]. Reagan called the attack "despicable," pledged to keep a military force in Lebanon, and planned to target the Sheik Abdullah barracks in ], Lebanon, which housed Iranian Revolutionary Guards believed to be training ] fighters.<ref>{{cite paper|title=Anne Dammarell et al. v. Islamic Republic of Iran|url=http://www.dcd.uscourts.gov/01-2224.pdf|author= Bates, John D. (Presiding) |date=September 2003|format= PDF|location= District of Columbia, U.S.|publisher= The United States District Court for the District of Columbia|accessdate = 2006-09-21 }}</ref><ref name= "Report of the DoD Commission">{{cite web |url= http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/AMH/XX/MidEast/Lebanon-1982-1984/DOD-Report/Beirut-8.html |title= Report on the DoD Commission on Beirut International Airport Terrorist Act, October 23, 1983 | publisher = ibiblio.org | accessdate=2007-04-02}}</ref> Defense Secretary ] aborted the mission, however, reportedly because of his concerns that it would harm U.S. relations with other Arab nations. Besides a few shellings, there was no serious American retaliation, and the Marines were moved offshore where they could not be targeted. On ], ], President Reagan ordered the Marines to begin withdrawal from Lebanon. This was completed on ]: the rest of the MNF was withdrawn by April. | |||
| Three days later, U.S. forces invaded ], where a 1979 ] had established a ] government aligned with the ] and ]. The Grenadan government began military expansion and construction of an ] with Cuban assistance. On ], ], a faction led by Deputy Prime Minister ] seized power. A formal appeal from the ] (OECS) led to the intervention of U.S. forces; President Reagan also cited the regional threat posed by a Soviet-Cuban military build-up in the ] and concern for the safety of several hundred American medical students at St. George's University as adequate reasons to invade. On ], ], in the first major operation conducted by the U.S. military since the ], several days of fighting commenced, and led to U.S. victory,<ref name= "Invasion of Grenada">{{cite web |publisher = Defense Technical Information Center | url= http://www.dtic.mil/doctrine/jel/history/urgfury.pdf | format = PDF | title= Operation Agent Fury |accessdate=2007-03-09}}</ref> with 19 American fatalities and 116 wounded American soldiers.<ref name= "Urgent Fury">{{cite web |author = Cooper, Tom | url= http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_159.shtml |title= Grenada, 1983: Operation 'Urgent Fury' | date = ] ] | accessdate=2007-04-08 |publisher= Air Combat Information Group }}</ref> In mid-December, after a new government was appointed by the Governor-General, U.S. forces withdrew.<ref name="Invasion of Grenada"/> | |||
| ===1984 presidential campaign=== | |||
| {{main|United States presidential election, 1984}} | |||
| ] and ]]] | |||
| Reagan accepted the Republican nomination in ], on a wave of positive feeling bolstered by the recovering economy and the dominating performance by the U.S. athletes at the ] that summer. He became the first American president to open a summer Olympic Games held in the United States.<ref name= "LA Olympics">{{cite web |url= http://www.sok.se/inenglish/losangeles1984.4.18ea16851076df63622800011008.html |title= Los Angeles 1984 | publisher = Swedish Olympic Committee | accessdate=2007-03-07}} </ref> | |||
| Reagan's opponent in the ] was former Vice President ]. With questions about Reagan's age, and a weak performance in the first presidential debate, many wondered if he was up to the task of being president for another term.<ref name= "The Debate">{{cite web |url= http://www.nationalreview.com/flashback/editors200410040912.asp |title= The Debate| publisher = National Review Online | accessdate=2007-05-25}}</ref> Reagan rebounded in the second debate, and confronted questions about his age, stating, "I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent's youth and inexperience," which generated applause and laughter from members of the audience.<ref name= "1984 Presidential Debates">{{cite web |url= http://cgi.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1996/debates/history/1984/ |title= 1984 Presidential Debates| publisher = CNN | accessdate=2007-05-25}}</ref> | |||
| In the ], Reagan was re-elected over Mondale, winning 49 of 50 states. The president's landslide victory saw Mondale carry only his home state of ] (by 3800 votes) and the ]. Reagan received nearly 60 percent of the popular vote.<ref name= "Election Results">{{cite web |url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/national.php?year=1984|title=1984 Presidential Election Results| publisher = David Leip| accessdate=2007-05-25}}</ref> | |||
| ===Second term, 1985–1989=== | |||
| ] | |||
| Reagan was sworn in as President for the second time on ], ], in a private swearing in at the ]. He was sworn in publicly in the ] the next day, because January 20 fell on a Sunday, and thus no public celebration was held. January 21 was one of the coldest days on record in ], thus due to the low temperatures, inaugural celebrations were held inside the Capitol. | |||
| On ], ], Reagan underwent surgery to remove polyps from his colon, causing the first-ever invocation of the Acting President clause of the 25th Amendment,<ref name="25th Amendment">{{cite web |url=http://hnn.us/articles/812.html|title=What is the 25th Amendment and When Has It Been Invoked?|publisher=History News Network|accessdate=2007-06-06}}</ref> and on ], ], Reagan underwent surgery for prostate cancer which caused further worries about his health. At this time, the President was 76 years old. | |||
| In 1985, Ronald and Nancy Reagan visited a cemetery in ], where Reagan was to lay a wreath. Some Jewish leaders criticized him for deciding to visit the cemetery, after they discovered that 47 ] men were buried there.<ref>Reeves, Richard (2005), p. 249</ref> ] survivor ] pleaded with Reagan not to go, stating, "May I, Mr. President, if it is possible at all, implore you to do something else, to find a way, to find another way, another site."<ref>Reeves, Richard (2005) p. 250</ref> Reagan argued that it would be wrong to back down on a promise he had made to Chancellor ], and in the end, two retired generals laid the wreath in the cemetery with Reagan present.<ref> Reeves, Richard (2005) p. 255</ref> In 1983, and again in 1984, Reagan told prominent Israelis and American Jews — notably Prime Minister ] of Israel, ], and Rabbi Martin Hier of ] — of his personal experience ''vis-à-vis'' the ], saying "I was there" and that that he himself had assisted personally at the liberation of Nazi death camps; in fact, he was in a film unit in Hollywood that processed raw footage it received from Europe for newsreels, but Reagan was not in Europe itself during the war.<ref>Morris (1999), p. 113 </ref> | |||
| Reagan's administration was criticized for its slow response to the ]-] epidemic, until the illness of movie star and national icon ] became public news in July 1985, by which time over 10,000 Americans had been diagnosed with AIDS, and over 6,000 had died.<ref name= "AIDS">{{cite web |url=http://hivinsite.ucsf.edu/InSite?page=kb-01-03#S1.4X|title=Epidemiology of HIV/AIDS in the United States|publisher=The University of California|accessdate=2007-05-26}}</ref> | |||
| ====Iran-Contra Affair==== | |||
| {{main|Iran-Contra Affair}} | |||
| {{main|Reagan administration scandals}} | |||
| ] | |||
| In 1986, the Reagan Administration was found to have illegally sold arms to ] to fund the ] in Nicaragua. The ] was the largest ] in the ] during the 1980s.<ref>{{cite web|last = Parry| first = Robert|title = NYT's apologies miss the point |publisher = consortiumnews.com|date = ]|url = http://www.consortiumnews.com/2004/060204.html | accessdate = 2007-04-01}}</ref> President Reagan professed ignorance of the plot's existence and quickly called for an Independent Counsel to investigate. Reagan's denial of awareness of the scandal belied his signing a secret presidential "finding" describing the deal as "arms-for-hostages." Critics objected to his comparison of the Contras to the Founding Fathers and to the French Resistance. The ], in its ruling on '']'', found that the U.S. had been involved in the "unlawful use of force" in Nicaragua due to its treaty obligations and the customary obligations of international law not to intervene in the affairs of other states.{{Fact|date=June 2007}} | |||
| Reagan appointed a non-partisan, three-man Tower Commission to review the Scandal. Headed by ], the other two members were ] and ]. In the end, ten officials in the Reagan Administration were convicted, and others were forced to resign.<ref name= "The Iran Contra Affair">{{cite web |author = Rockwell, Kara | publisher = answerpoint.org | url= http://www.answerpoint.org/columns2.asp?column_id=1165&column_type=feature |title= A Tale of Three Countries: The Iran Contra Affair | date = ] | accessdate=2007-03-09}} </ref> Secretary of Defense ] was indicted for perjury and later received a presidential pardon from George H.W. Bush. In 2006, historians ranked the Iran-Contra affair as one of the ten worst mistakes by a U.S. president.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060218/presidential_errors_060218/20060218?hub=World | title = U.S. historians pick top 10 presidential errors | publisher = ctv.ca | work = ] | date =] ] | accessdate = 2007-04-09}}</ref> | |||
| ====Cold War==== | |||
| ] in ]. In this speech, he famously predicted communism would collapse.]] | |||
| Reagan escalated the ], accelerating a reversal from the policy of ] which began in 1979 following the ].<ref name= "The Wilson Center">{{cite web |url= http://www.wilsoncenter.org/index.cfm?topic_id=1409&fuseaction=topics.event_summary&event_id=12594 |title= Towards an International History of the War in Afghanistan, 1979-89 |accessdate=2007-05-16 |year= 2002|publisher= The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars }}</ref>The Reagan Administration implemented new policies towards the ]: reviving the ] program that had been canceled by the ], and producing the MX "Peacekeeper" missile.<ref name= "Peacekeeper">{{cite web |url= http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/usa/icbm/lgm-118.htm| title= LGM-118A Peacekeeper| accessdate=2007-04-10 |date=] ] |publisher= Federation of American Scientists}}</ref> In response to Soviet deployment of the SS-20, Reagan oversaw NATO's deployment of the Pershing II missile in West Germany.<ref name= "Cold War Generals">{{cite web |url= http://www.php.isn.ethz.ch/collections/coll_cmd/introduction.cfm?navinfo=14565 |title= Cold War Generals: The Warsaw Pact Committee of Defense Ministers, 1969-90, by Christian Nünlist |accessdate=2007-04-10 |year= 2000-2007|publisher= Parallel History Project on Cooperative Security (PHP) }}</ref> | |||
| One of Reagan's more controversial proposals was the ], or SDI, a defense project.<ref name= "A Shield in Space?"/> The program would use ground- and space-based systems to protect the United States from attack by strategic nuclear ballistic missiles.<ref name= "SDI">{{cite web|author=Adelman, Ken|url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,91361,00.html|title=SDI:The Next Generation|publisher=Fox News|date=], ]|accessdate=2007-03-15}}</ref> Reagan believed that this defense shield could make nuclear war impossible,<ref name= "A Shield in Space?">{{cite web |url=http://content.cdlib.org/xtf/view?docId=ft4q2nb3c4&chunk.id=d0e5097&toc.id=d0e5097&brand=eschol |title= Deploy or Perish: SDI and Domestic Politics |accessdate=2007-04-10 |publisher= Scholarship Editions}}</ref><ref>Beschloss, Michael (2007), p. 293</ref> but the unlikelihood that the technology could ever work led opponents to dub SDI "Star Wars," and argue that the technological objective was unattainable.<ref name= "A Shield in Space?"/>The Soviets became concerned about the possible effects SDI would have,<ref name= "PBS"/> and leader ] considered the possibility that Reagan was pushing to win the Cold War,<ref name="Beschloss294">Beschloss, Michael (2007), p. 294</ref> saying it put "the entire world in jeopardy."<ref name="Beschloss294"/> | |||
| ]'' in 1987 for a weekend at ].]] | |||
| In a famous address on ], ] to the ], Reagan called the Soviet Union an "]" that would be consigned to the "ash heap of history." On ], ], Reagan predicted that Communism would collapse, stating, "communism is another sad, bizarre chapter in human history whose last pages even now are being written."<ref name= "LA Times Obituary 2">{{cite news |url= http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-reagan,1,4780792.story?page=6&coll=la-news-obituaries&ctrack=1&cset=true| title= Former President Reagan Dies at 93 | publisher = Los Angeles Times Obituaries | date = ] ] | accessdate= 2007-03-07}}</ref> After Soviet fighters downed Korean Airlines Flight 007 on ], ], Reagan labeled the act a "massacre" and declared that the Soviets had turned "against the world and the moral precepts which guide human relations among people everywhere." <ref name= "September 1, 1983">{{cite web |url= http://www.history.com/tdih.do?id=2777&action=tdihArticleCategory |title= 1983:Korean Airlines flight shot down by Soviet Union |accessdate=2007-04-10 |publisher= A&E Television Networks }}</ref> The Reagan administration responded to the incident by suspending all Soviet passenger air service to the United States, and dropped several agreements being negotiated with the Soviets, hurting them financially.<ref name= "September 1, 1983"/> | |||
| Reagan's foreign policies were criticized variously as aggressive, imperialistic, and were derided as "warmongering".<ref name= "PBS">{{cite web|url= http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/presidents/40_reagan/reagan_foreign.html|title=Foreign Affairs: Ronald Reagan| publisher =PBS|accessdate=2007-06-06}}</ref> All this was before a reformer, ], rose to power in the Soviet Union in 1985. To confront the Soviet Union's serious economic problems, Gorbachev implemented bold new policies for openness and reform called '']'' and '']''. | |||
| ====End of the Cold War==== | |||
| By the late years of the Cold War, Moscow had built up a military which surpassed that of the United States.<ref name= "US-Soviet Relations"/>In the past, the United States had relied on the qualitative superiority of its weapons to essentially frighten the Soviets, but with Soviet technological advances in the 1980s, the gap between the two nations was narrowed.<ref name= "US-Soviet Relations">{{cite web |url=http://www.heritage.org/Research/RussiaandEurasia/EM27.cfm|title=New Evidence of Moscow's Military Threat|accessdate= 2007-05-13|author=Manfred R. Hamm|date= 23|year= 1983|month= June|publisher= The Herritage Foundation}}</ref> With the military buildup came large budget deficits, and as a result, Gorbachev offered major concessions to the United States on the levels of conventional forces, nuclear weapons, and policy in Eastern Europe.<ref name= "The Thawing of the Cold War">{{cite web |url= http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5147745/site/newsweek/|title= The Thawing of the Cold War |accessdate=2007-05-14 |author= Michael Beschloss|year=2007|publisher= MSNBC}}</ref> | |||
| ], and challenges ] to "]!"]] | |||
| Ronald Reagan recognized the change in the direction of the Soviet leadership with Gorbachev, and shifted to diplomacy, with a view to encourage the Soviet Leader to go further with his reforms. Gorbachev agreed to meet Reagan in four summit conferences around the world: the first, in ], the second in ], the third, held in ], along with the fourth summit, in ].<ref name= "Summits">{{cite web |url=http://www.ronaldreaganweb.com/ronaldreaganweb/ReaganGorbachevSummitMeetings.htm|title=Reagan-Gorbachev Summit Meetings|accessdate= 2007-05-14|publisher= ronaldreaganweb.com}}</ref> Reagan believed that if he could persuade the Soviets to look at the prosperous American economy, they would embrace free markets and a free society. Gorbachev, facing severe economic problems at home, was swayed.<ref name= "The Thawing of the Cold War"/> | |||
| Speaking at the ], on ], ], Reagan challenged Gorbachev to go further: {{cquote|General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, ]!}} | |||
| When Gorbachev visited ] for the third summit in 1987, he and Reagan signed the ] at the ] (they finalized it a year later), which eliminated an entire class of nuclear weapons.<ref name="INF Treaty">{{cite web |url=http://www.state.gov/www/global/arms/treaties/inf1.html#treaty|title= INF Treaty|accessdate=2007-05-28|publisher= US State Department|}}</ref> | |||
| ] at the ] in 1987.]] | |||
| When Reagan visited ] for the fourth summit in 1988, he was viewed as a celebrity by Russians. A journalist asked the president if he still considered the Soviet Union the evil empire. "No," he replied, "I was talking about another time, another era."<ref name= "Gorby Had the Lead Role">{{cite web |author = Martin, Lawrence | publisher = globeandmail.com | date = 10/06/04 | url= http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20040610/COMARTIN10/TPComment/TopStories |title= Gorby Had the Lead Role, Not Gipper |accessdate=2004-06-10 }} </ref> At Gorbachev’s request, Reagan gave a speech on free markets at ].<ref>Reagan, Ronald (1990), p. 713</ref> | |||
| In his autobiography ''An American Life'', Reagan expressed his optimism about the new direction that they charted, his warm feelings for Gorbachev, and his concern for Gorbachev's safety because Gorbachev pushed reforms so hard: "I was concerned for his safety," Reagan wrote. "I've still worried about him. How hard and fast can he push reforms without risking his life?"<ref>Reagan, Ronald (1990), p. 720 </ref> Events would unravel far beyond what Gorbachev originally intended. In 1990, the ] was torn down. A year later, the Soviet Union officially collapsed. | |||
| ====Close of the Reagan Era==== | |||
| In 1988, Reagan's Vice President, George H. W. Bush, was elected President of the United States. On ], ], Reagan addressed the nation for the last time on television from the ], nine days before handing over the presidency to ]. On the morning of ], ], Ronald and Nancy Reagan escorted the Bushes to the Capitol Building, where Bush took the Oath of Office. The Reagans then boarded a Presidential helicopter, and flew to ] in ]. There, they boarded the Presidential Jet (in this instance, it was not called ]), and flew home to ] – to their new home in the wealthy suburb of ] in ]. Reagan was the oldest president to serve (at 77), surpassing ], who was 70 when he left office in 1961. | |||
| ==Post-presidential years, 1989–2004== | |||
| ] the first ever ] at the ] in 1992.]] | |||
| Ronald and Nancy Reagan would enjoy the private life for the next five years, traveling from their ] home to the ] in ] every few months. Reagan made occasional appearances on behalf of the Republican Party, including a well-received speech at the ].<ref name= "Speech by Ronald Reagan">{{cite web |url= http://65.126.3.86/reagan/html/reagan08_17_92.shtml |title= 1992 Republican National Convention, Houston | publisher = Heritage Foundation | date = ] ] | accessdate= 2007-03-29 }}</ref> He publicly spoke in favor of a ], a ] requiring a ], and repealing the ], which prohibits a President from serving more than two terms.<ref>Reagan, Ronald (1990), p. 726 </ref> Reagan's final public speech was on ], ], during a tribute in ] His last major public appearance was at the funeral of fellow Republican President ] on ], ]. | |||
| In 1992, President Reagan established the ] with the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation. The award, the highest given by the Reagan Foundation, is presented on a regular basis to one person in the world who has "made monumental and lasting contributions to the cause of freedom worldwide," and who "embodies President Reagan's lifelong belief that one man or woman truly can make a difference."<ref name= "Ronald Reagan Freedom Award">{{cite web | url= http://www.reaganfoundation.org/programs/cpa/awards.asp | title= The Ronald Reagan Freedom Award | publisher = The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation | accessdate=2007-03-23}}</ref> The first recipient was former leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, and the most recent was former United States President George H.W. Bush.<ref name= "Bush Receives Reagan Award">{{cite news |first = Daisy | last Nguyen |url= http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/07/AR2007020700141.html | title= Ex-President Bush Receives Reagan Award | work = Associated Press | accessdate=2007-03-23 |date= ] | publisher= Washington Post}}</ref> When President Reagan was diagnosed with ], Nancy Reagan took on the role of presenting the award on behalf of her husband.<ref name= "Ronald Reagan Freedom Award"/> | |||
| ===Presidential Library and Museum=== | |||
| {{main|Ronald Reagan Presidential Library}} | |||
| ] office on ] ], during a visit from ] and ].]] | |||
| On ], ], ] was dedicated and opened to the public. At the dedication ceremonies, four former presidents, ], ], ], and Reagan, and the current president, George H. W. Bush, were all in attendance, as well as five former first ladies, ], ], ], ], and Nancy Reagan, plus the current First Lady, ]. Currently, the library is the largest of all of the Presidential Libraries. Notable exhibits include ones on the Reagan's Ranch; a full-scale replica of the Oval Office; the limousine that President and Mrs. Reagan used while in the White House; and the actual Boeing 707, ], that served President Reagan during his eight years in office. On ], ], after a ] in Washington, D.C., President Reagan was interred on the property. On ], ], the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation hosted the first 2008 Republican Presidential Candidates debate in the Air Force One Pavillion at the Library, with Mrs. Reagan in attendance.<ref name= "Reagan Library Debate">{{cite web |url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18466314/|title=Republicans walk tightrope over war in Iraq|accessdate= 2007-05-03|author= Alex Johnson|publisher= MSNBC}}</ref> | |||
| ===Alzheimer's disease=== | |||
| On ], ], Reagan informed the nation via a hand-written letter that he had been diagnosed with ]. With his trademark optimism, he stated: "I now begin the journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life. I know that for America there will always be a bright dawn ahead. Thank you, my friends. May God always bless you."<ref name= "Alzheimer's Letter">{{cite web |url= http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/reagan/filmmore/reference/primary/alzheimers.html | title= The Alzheimer's Letter | publisher = pbs.org | accessdate=2007-03-07}}</ref> | |||
| As the years went on, the disease slowly destroyed his mental capacity, and he and Nancy decided that he would live in quiet isolation. On ], ], Reagan reached the age of 90, becoming the third former President to do so – the other two being ] and ]. Just three weeks before, Reagan had undergone hip-replacement surgery; because of this and his Alzheimer's disease, his 90th birthday was a low-key celebration with his family at his home in Bel-Air. With the progression of the disease, Reagan's public apparences became much less frequent, and Nancy Reagan told CNN's ] that very few visitors were allowed access to her husband because she felt that "Ronnie would want people to remember him as he was."<ref name= "Nancy Reagan Reflects">{{cite web |url= http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0103/04/lklw.00.html |title= Nancy Reagan Reflects on Ronald | publisher = CNN transcripts, Larry King Live Weekend | date = ] ] | accessdate=2007-04-06}}</ref> Since his diagnosis and his death, Mrs. Reagan has become a ] advocate, urging the ] to support embryonic stem-cell research, something it does not. Mrs. Reagan has said that she believes that it could lead to a cure for Alzheimer's.<ref name= "Nancy Reagan and Alzheimer's">{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3700015.stm| title=Nancy Reagan plea on stem cells|publisher =BBC| accessdate=2007-06-06}}</ref> | |||
| ===Religious beliefs and philosophy=== | |||
| ] six years earlier.]] | |||
| Reagan was a ], attending ] in his later years. <ref name= "Agenting for God">{{Citation| last = Netburn| first = Deborah| title =Agenting for God | newspaper = Los Angeles Times| pages = | year = 2006| date = 24| url = http://www.latimes.com/features/printedition/magazine/la-tm-dorr52dec24,1,15290.story?coll=la-headlines-magazine}}</ref> His burial site is inscribed with the words he delivered at the opening of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library: {{cquote|I know in my heart that man is good. That what is right will always eventually triumph. And there’s purpose and worth to each and every life.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.planbproductions.com/postnobills/reagan1.html | title= Ronald Reagan Library Opening | publisher = planbproductions.com | date = ] ] | accessdate=2007-03-23}}</ref>}} | |||
| According to ], author of ''God and Ronald Reagan'' and ''God and George Bush'', Reagan had a strong belief in personal reliance and a faith in the goodness of most people, stemming from the teachings of his mother, Nelle.<ref>Kengor, Paul (2004), p. 16 </ref> Nelle Reagan, a member of the ] with an optimistic view of human nature, taught young Ronald a strong sense of personal responsibility, sobriety, Christian tolerance, and faith in the goodness of God's creation.<ref>Kengor, Paul (2004), p. 10 </ref> He was against discrimination, recalling a time in ] when the local inn would not allow black people to stay there. Young Reagan brought them back to his house, where his mother invited them to stay the night, and have breakfast the next morning.<ref>Kengor, Paul (2004), p. 15 </ref> | |||
| ==Death== | |||
| {{main|Death and state funeral of Ronald Reagan}} | |||
| ] to the ].]] | |||
| Reagan died at his home in ], at 1:00 PM PDT on ], ]. A short time after his death, ] released a statement saying: "My family and I would like the world to know that President Ronald Reagan has passed away after 10 years of Alzheimer's Disease at 93 years of age. We appreciate everyone's prayers." Reagan's body was taken to the Kingsley and Gates Funeral Home in ] later in the day, where well-wishers paid tribute by laying flowers and American Flags in the grass.<ref>{{cite news | last = Leigh | first = Andrew | date = ] ] | url= http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/leigh200406071201.asp |title= Saying Goodbye in Santa Monica | publisher = National Review | accessdate=2007-03-09 |format= |work= }}</ref> On ], Reagan's body was removed and taken to the ], where a brief family funeral service was held. His body lay in repose in the library lobby until ]. In that amount of time, 108,000 people came to pay their respects to President Reagan. | |||
| Later that day, Reagan's casket was removed, and flown to Washington D.C., where he became the 10th United States President to ]. In the thirty-four hours that it lay there, 105,000 people filed past the coffin, paying their respects. | |||
| On ], a ] was conducted in the ], and presided over by President ]. Eulogies included those from former British Prime Minister ], former Canadian Prime Minister ], and both Presidents Bush. The service drew leaders and dignitaries from around the world, including the last ], ]. Many of the sitting world leaders who attended the funeral had been in the U.S. for the ], including British Prime Minister ], German Chancellor ], Italian Prime Minister ], and interim presidents ] of ], and ] of ]. | |||
| {{Commons|Death and state funeral of Ronald Reagan}} | |||
| After the funeral service, the Reagan entourage was flown back to ]—to the ]—where another service was held, and President Ronald Reagan was interred. He is the second longest-lived president in U.S. history, 45 days behind ], and was the first United States president to die in the 21st century. Reagan's state funeral was the first since that of ] in 1973. | |||
| ==Legacy== | |||
| ] in Bloomington, Minnesota on ], ].]] | |||
| The noted biographer Richard Reeves summarized in ''President Reagan: The Triumph of Imagination'' that Reagan understood {{cquote|...how to be President, who knows that the job is not to manage the government but to lead a nation. In many ways, a quarter century later, he is still leading. As his vice president, George H.W. Bush, said after Reagan was shot and hospitalized in 1981: 'We will act as if he were here.' He is a heroic figure if not always a hero. He did not destroy communism, as his champions claim, but he knew it would self-destruct and hastened the collapse. No small thing. He believed the Soviet Union was evil and he had contempt for the established American policies of ] and ]. Asked about his own ] strategy, he answered: 'We win. They lose!' Like one of his heroes, ], he has become larger than life.<ref name="Richard Reeves Summary">{{cite web |url=http://www.richardreeves.com/books/president_reagan_triumph_of_imagination.html|title=President Reagan: The Triumph of Imagination|accessdate=2007-04-21 |author= Richard Reeves |authorlink= Richard Reeves|publisher= Richard Reeves (richardreeves.com)}}</ref>}} | |||
| When Ronald Reagan died in June 2004, he was eulogized by some as one of the greatest Presidents in United States history.<ref name = "America Mourns">{{cite web |url= http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,121899,00.html |title= America Mourns: Ronald Reagan dies at 93 |publisher = Fox News | date = ] ] | accessdate=2007-03-19 }}</ref> President ], who presided over the ], called Reagan "a modest son of America" and said "Ronald Reagan always told us the best was yet to come.... We know that's true for him, too. His work is done."<ref>{{cite web |publisher = Fox News | url= http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,122528,00.html | title= Reagan Laid to Rest |date = ] ] | accessdate=2007-03-24}}</ref> Vice President ] said at Reagan's memorial service, "In this national vigil of mourning, we show how much America loved this good man, and how greatly we will miss him."<ref name= "Reagan Eulogy-Dick Cheney">{{cite web |url= http://reagan2020.us/eulogies/cheney.asp |title= Reagan Eulogy - Dick Cheney, "A Providential Man":Dick Cheney on Ronald Reagan | publisher = Reagan2020.us | date = ] ] |accessdate= 2007-03-19}}</ref> President ] stated, "it is fitting that a piece of the ] adorns the ] in Washington," and Senator ] said that the 40th President "will be honored as the president who won the Cold War."<ref> Kengor, Paul (2004) pp. 337–338</ref> | |||
| {| class="prettytable" style="float:left;font-size:90%; background:white <!-- #f5f5f5; aka: "WhiteSmoke"; --> " <!-- reduced font size for fix of 'Zoomed way in' width on IE6. ---> | |||
| |- | |||
| | '''Ronald Reagan's Approval Ratings''' | |||
| |- | |||
| ! | Date | |||
| ! | Event | |||
| ! | Approval (%) | |||
| ! | Disapproval (%) | |||
| |- | |||
| | | ] ] | |||
| | | Shot by ] | |||
| | style="text-align: center" | 73 | |||
| | style="text-align: center" | 19 | |||
| |- | |||
| | | ] ] | |||
| | | High unemployment | |||
| | style="text-align: center" | 42 | |||
| | style="text-align: center" | 54 | |||
| |- | |||
| | | ] ] | |||
| | | Libya bombing | |||
| | style="text-align: center" | 70 | |||
| | style="text-align: center" | 26 | |||
| |- | |||
| | | ] ] | |||
| | | Iran-Contra affair | |||
| | style="text-align: center" | 44 | |||
| | style="text-align: center" | 51 | |||
| |- | |||
| | | ] ] | |||
| | | End of presidency | |||
| | style="text-align: center" | – | |||
| |- bgcolor="white" | |||
| ! n/a | |||
| ! '''Career Average''' | |||
| ! '''57''' | |||
| ! '''39''' | |||
| |- | |||
| | | ] ] | |||
| | | (Retrospective)<ref>{{cite web| url= http://abcnews.go.com/sections/politics/DailyNews/poll_reagan010806.html | title= Improving With Age: Reagan Approval Grows Better in Retrospect| accessdate=2006-09-12| author = Sussman, Dalia | date= ] |publisher=ABCNEWS.com | accessdate = 2007-04-08}}</ref> | |||
| | style="text-align: center" | 64 | |||
| | style="text-align: center" | 27 | |||
| |} | |||
| Reagan's supporters, and even some who are not, believe that much of America's success today can be attributed to Ronald Reagan, including a more efficient and more prosperous economy;<ref name="Cato Institute"/><ref>{{cite book | last = Appleby| first = Joyce| coauthors=Alan Brinkley, James M. McPherson | title = The American Journey| publisher = Glencoe/McGraw-Hill| date = 2003| location = Woodland Hills, California| pages = 924| id = 0078241294 }}</ref> a peaceful end to the ]; and a World safer from the threat of nuclear war.<ref>Beschloss, Michael (2007), p. 324</ref> Critics argue that his economic policies caused huge budget deficits, tripling the United States national debt, and hostility towards the disadvantaged.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.gold-eagle.com/gold_digest_02/shostak062802.html |title= Supply-Side Gold Standard: A Critique |accessdate=2007-03-21 |author= von Mises, Ludwig|year= 2007 |publisher= Vronsky and Westerman}}</ref> | |||
| Today, Ronald Reagan is one of America's most popular presidents. In several recent ] of American presidents, Ronald Reagan ranked high. The ] took a poll in February 2007 asking respondents to name the greatest president in U.S. history; Reagan came in second, after ].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.pollingreport.com/wh-hstry.htm |title= Presidents and History | publisher = pollingreport.com | accessdate=2007-03-18 }}</ref> He ranked fifth in an ABC poll of the public in 2000. He was named the greatest president since ] by a Quinnipiac poll of the public in 2006, and he ranked sixth in a ] poll of viewers in 1999. On ], ], the ] asked Americans to vote for ]; Reagan received the honorary title.<ref>{{cite web | title= Greatest American | publisher = Discovery Channel |url= http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/greatestamerican/greatestamerican.html| accessdate= 2007-03-21}}</ref> | |||
| === Honors === | |||
| {{see|List of things named after Ronald Reagan}} | |||
| As a very popular former president, Reagan is honored by many monuments and objects named in his likeness. On ], ], Washington National Airport was renamed ] by a bill signed into law by President Clinton. Three years later, the ] was christened by ] and the ]. It is one of few ships christened in honor of a living person, and the first to be named in honor of a living former President.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.reagan.navy.mil/ |title= USS Ronald Reagan Official Site | publisher = U.S. Navy | accessdate=2007-03-20}}</ref> | |||
| On ], ], President ] dedicated the ] in ] ]. The building hosts large events in the Washington, D.C. area.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.itcdc.com/ |title= Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center | publisher = U.S. General Services Administration | accessdate=2007-03-22}}</ref> | |||
| In 1999, in ], a new high school was named after him, Ronald Reagan High School, and in 2002, Congress authorized the creation of ] in ], pending federal purchase of the property. In 2004, the ] voted to rename ], which was formerly called the East-West Tollway, in his memory. In 2006, a new high school in Doral, Florida was named after him. Its full name is Ronald W. Reagan High. | |||
| ] to receive the ] from President ] in 1993.]] | |||
| In 2005, Reagan was given three posthumous honors. The President Ronald Reagan commemorative ] was made available on ], and issued by the ]. An unveiling of the stamp's image had taken place in a ceremony at the ] four months earlier, with Nancy Reagan in attendance.<ref name = "Reagan Stamp">{{cite web |url= http://www.usps.com/communications/news/stamps/2004/sr04_077.htm |title= POSTMASTER GENERAL, NANCY REAGAN UNVEIL RONALD REAGAN STAMP IMAGE, STAMP AVAILABLE NEXT YEAR | publisher = USPS | date = ], ] | accessdate=2007-05-13}}</ref> On ], ], along with the editors of '']'' magazine, named him the "most fascinating person" of the network's first 25 years.<ref name = "Top 25 Most Fascinating People">{{cite web |url= http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/05/02/cnn25.top.fascinating/index.html |title= Top 25: Fascinating People | publisher = CNN | date = ] ] | accessdate=2005-06-19}}</ref> ''TIME'' also named Reagan one of the 100 Most Important People of the 20th Century.<ref name= "Time 100">{{cite web |url= http://www.time.com/time/time100/index_2000_time100.html| title= Time 100: The Most Important People of the Century | publisher = Time Magazine | accessdate=2007-03-07}}</ref> In ], Reagan was ranked the 15th most admired person in the 20th century. | |||
| Reagan received a number of awards, both in his pre and post presidential years. After he was elected president, Reagan received a lifetime "Gold" membership in the ], as well as the ]'s ].<ref name= "Association of Graduates USMA">{{cite web |url= http://www.aogusma.org/aog/awards/TA/awardees.htm | title= Association of Graduates USMA: Sylvanus Thayer Award Recipients | publisher = Association of Graduates, West Point, NY | accessdate= 2007-03-22}}</ref> In 1989, Reagan received an ] British knighthood, ]. This entitled him to the use of the post-nominal letters GCB, but did not entitle him to be known as "Sir Ronald Reagan". He, ], and George H.W. Bush are the only American Presidents to have received the honor.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page4883.asp | title= Order of the Bath |accessdate= 2007-03-22 |publisher = The Official Website of the British Monarchy}}</ref> While in England, he was named an honorary Fellow of ]. Also in 1989, the nation of ] awarded Reagan the ], Reagan being the only American President to receive such an award.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www8.cao.go.jp/english/decoration/kikka.html |title= Supreme Orders of the Crysanthemum | publisher = Cabinet Office, Government of Japan | accessdate=2007-03-22}}</ref> The highest honor that the United States can give, the ], was awarded to Ronald Reagan in 1993, by then-President George H.W. Bush.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://medaloffreedom.com/1993Recipients.htm |title= 1993 Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipients | publisher = medaloffreedom.com | accessdate=2007-03-22 }}</ref> Reagan was also awarded the ], which is the highest honor bestowed by the Republican members of the Senate.<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.nrsc.org/nrscweb/e-activists/medal_of_freedom.shtml |title= Republican Senatorial Medal of Freedom | accessdate=2007-03-22 |publisher= www.nrsc.org}}</ref> On ], ], Nancy Reagan accepted the ], the highest civilian honor bestowed by Congress, on behalf of the President and herself.<ref name= "Congressional Gold Medal Recipients">{{cite web | url= http://clerk.house.gov/art_history/house_history/goldMedal.html | publisher = Office of the Clerk: US House of Representatives | title= Congressional Gold Medal Recipients 1776 to present |accessdate=2007-03-22}}</ref> | |||
| ==Footnotes== | |||
| {{scrollref}} | |||
| ==References== | |||
| ] | |||
| *{{cite book|last=Appleby|first=Joyce|coauthors=Alan Brinkley, James M. McPherson|title=The American Journey|publisher=Glencoe/McGraw-Hill|date=2003|location=Woodland Hills, California|id = 0078241294 }} | |||
| * {{cite book|last = Beschloss|first=Michael|title=Presidential Courage: Brave Leaders and How they Changed America 1789-1989|year =2007|publisher=Simon & Schuster}} | |||
| * {{cite book|last=Cannon|first=Lou|authorlink=Lou Cannon|title=President Reagan: The Role of a Lifetime|year=2000|publisher= Public Affairs |location= New York |isbn= 1891620916}} | |||
| * {{cite book | title = Ronald Reagan: The Presidential Portfolio: A History Illustrated from the Collection of the Ronald Reagan Library and Museum | first = Lou | last = Cannon | authorlink = Lou Cannon | coauthors = Michael Beschloss | publisher = PublicAffairs | isbn = 1891620843 | year = 2001}} | |||
| * {{cite book |last= Diggins |first= John Patrick |title= Ronald Reagan: Fate, Freedom, and the Making of History | year= 2007| publisher= W. W. Norton |location= New York|isbn= }} | |||
| *{{cite book |last= Freidel |first= Frank |coauthors= Hugh Sidey |title= The Presidents of the United States of America |year= 1995|publisher= White House Historical Association |location= Washington, D.C.|isbn= 0912308575}} | |||
| * {{cite book |last= Gaddis | first= John Lewis | title= The Cold War: A New History |year= 2005 |publisher= The Penguin Press |location= |isbn= }} | |||
| * Hertsgaard, Mark. (1988) ''On Bended Knee: The Press and the Reagan Presidency.'' New York, New York: Farrar Straus and Giroux. | |||
| * {{cite book | last = LaFeber | first = Walter | title = America, Russia, and the Cold War, 1945-1971 | publisher = Wiley | location = New York | date = 2002 | isbn = }} | |||
| * {{cite book |last= Matlock |first= Jack |title= Reagan and Gorbachev: How the Cold War Ended |year= 2004 |publisher= Random House |location= New York |isbn=0679463232 }} | |||
| * {{cite book | last = Morris | first = Edmund | title = Dutch: A Memoir of Ronald Reagan | year =1999 | publisher = Random House}} includes fictional material | |||
| * {{cite book |last= Reagan |first= Nancy |authorlink= Nancy Reagan |title= My Turn: The Memoirs of Nancy Reagan | year= 1989| publisher= Harper Collins|location= New York |isbn= }} | |||
| * {{cite book |last= Reagan|first= Ronald |title= An American Life |year= 1990|publisher= Simon and Schuster|location= New York|isbn= 0743400259}} | |||
| * {{cite book |last= Reeves |first= Richard |authorlink= Richard Reeves |title= President Reagan: The Triumph of Imagination |year= 2005 |publisher= Simon & Schuster |location= New York |isbn= 0743230221}} | |||
| * {{cite book |last= Regan |first= Donald |authorlink= Donald Regan |title= For the Record: From Wall Street to Washington | year= 1988| publisher= Harcourt|location= New York |isbn=0151639663}} | |||
| * {{cite book |last= Walsh |first= Kenneth |title= Ronald Reagan |year= 1997 |publisher= Random House Value Publishing, Inc. |location= New York |isbn= 0517200783}} | |||
| ==Further reading== | |||
| {{see|Ronald Reagan Bibliography}} | |||
| ==External links== | |||
| {{sisterlinks|Ronald Reagan}} | |||
| {{Commons|Ronald Reagan}} | |||
| {{Commons|Death and state funeral of Ronald Reagan}} | |||
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| *{{imdb name|id=0001654|name=Ronald Reagan}} | |||
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| |NAME=Reagan, Ronald Wilson | |||
| |ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Ronald Reagan | |||
| |SHORT DESCRIPTION=] ] and ], 33rd Governor of ], 40th ] | |||
| |DATE OF BIRTH=] ] | |||
| |PLACE OF BIRTH=], ] | |||
| |DATE OF DEATH=] ] | |||
| |PLACE OF DEATH=], ], ], ] | |||
| }} | |||
| {{DEFAULTSORT:Reagan, Ronald Wilson}} | |||
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Revision as of 21:24, 12 June 2007
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