Ronald Reagan (1911 - 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. Before entering politics he was a Hollywood film actor and later served two terms as governor of California. [1]
Early life and acting career
Ronald Wilson Reagan was born on 6 February 1911 in Tampico, Illinois. After graduating from Eureka College he worked as a radio sports announcer before moving to Hollywood in 1937, where he appeared in dozens of films and served as president of the Screen Actors Guild. [1]
Turn to politics
Originally a Democrat, Reagan moved to the political right during the 1950s and became a prominent conservative voice in the Republican Party. [2]
Governor of California
Reagan was elected governor of California in 1966 and served two terms, from 1967 to 1975, raising his national profile within the party. [1]
Presidency, 1981 to 1989
Reagan won the presidency in 1980 and was re-elected in 1984. His administration cut taxes, increased military spending and promoted a free-market economic programme that came to be called Reaganomics. In foreign policy he took a firm stance against the Soviet Union before pursuing arms-reduction agreements with the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, and his presidency is associated with the closing years of the Cold War. He died in 2004. [1][3]
