Ronald Reagan
From Wikipedia, a free encyclopedia written in simple English for easy reading.
40th President of the United States | |
---|---|
In office | |
January 20 1981 – January 20 1989 | |
Vice President(s) | George H. W. Bush |
Came after | Jimmy Carter |
Came before | George H. W. Bush |
Born | February 6 1911 Tampico, Illinois |
Died | June 5 2004 Bel-Air, California |
Political party | Republican |
Married to | (1) Jane Wyman (divorced) (2) Nancy Davis Reagan |
Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 - June 5, 2004) was the 40th (1981-1989) President of the United States and the 33rd Governor of California. Reagan was born in Tampico, Illinois. Reagan was also an actor in films before entering politics. Reagan had a successful career in Hollywood as a second-rank leading man. He was the oldest elected President (69 years, 349 days). He is known as the "Great Communicator" because he was a good public speaker.
Contents |
[edit] Childhood
Ronald "Dutch" Reagan was born on February 6, 1911 to Jack and Nelle Reagan. He was their second child. His father was a Roman Catholic, and his mother was a Protestant. While Ronald Reagan was a child, his family moved to a lot of places all over Illinois. His family was very poor so Ronald did not have much as a kid. In high school Reagan loved to act.
[edit] Radio career
After Reagan finished college he became a sports announcer at WHO. He was known for being good at recreating baseball games and making them interesting. At this time all they would get is the scores so it would have been very hard for someone to come up with what happened in the game. He was fired for not telling people who the sponsors were but was quickly re-hired because they could not find anyone as good as him to re-create the baseball games. He would send some money back to his parents to help them out because it was the Great Depression.
[edit] Governor of California
At the age of 54 Ronald Reagan ran as a Republican against the current governor, Pat Brown. When Reagan was governor he brought the state out of debt, made tougher water laws, and had the government give more money to the most poor. He ran for a second term and won. Ronald Reagan was a very popular governor.
[edit] President
As president, Ronald Reagan made the economy more free, made the army bigger, and got the United States into a lot of debt. Ronald Reagan believed that the government should be small not big. The administration of Ronald Reagan also was tough on crime.
Presidents of the United States of America | ||
---|---|---|
Washington | J. Adams | Jefferson | Madison | Monroe | J. Q. Adams | Jackson | Van Buren | W. H. Harrison | Tyler | Polk | Taylor | Fillmore | Pierce | Buchanan | Lincoln | A. Johnson | Grant | Hayes | Garfield | Arthur | Cleveland | B. Harrison | Cleveland | McKinley | T. Roosevelt | Taft | Wilson | Harding | Coolidge | Hoover | F.D. Roosevelt | Truman | Eisenhower | Kennedy | L. B. Johnson | Nixon | Ford | Carter | Reagan | G. H. W. Bush | Clinton | G. W. Bush |