Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States, is one of America’s more legendary Presidents. Not only was Reagan the oldest man to become President at the time of his election, when he died he was the second longest-living US President behind Gerald Ford. Ronald Reagan was 69 years old when elected President in 1980, 73 years old when he was elected for another term in 1984, and lived to be 93 years old.
Ronald Wilson Reagan was born 6 February 1911 in Tampica, Illinois. Prior to the roles he filled in Washington, Reagan was President of the Screen Actors Guild and a Hollywood star. Ronald Reagan starred in a number films in the late 1930s through the 1940s and also in television throughout the 1950s. His Hollywood roles have earned him a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It was also Hollywood where he met his first wife, actress Jane Wymann and his second wife who became both infamous and well-loved, future First Lady Nancy Davis Reagan.
In 1980, Reagan, who was also the thirty-third governor of California, campaigned for President of the United States for a third time. After a failed attempt the previous two elections, the third time really did prove to be a charm when he won the 1980 election. It was March of the following year, shortly after his inauguration, when John Hinckley Jr. attempted to assassinate President Reagan. Shot under his left arm, just missing the heart, he was taken to the hospital to undergo surgery.
Making a full recovery from his injuries despite his age, Reagan returned to the White House and his eight-year stint in the Oval Office involved many historic issues, events and policies. Some of these included the war on drugs, the Iran-Contra Affair, The Cold War, and of course “Reaganomics,” which was the coined name for what many thought was Ronald Reagan’s unusual policy on economics.
Reagan had a way with words and displayed both eloquence and humor. His public demeanor earned him the nickname "The Great Communicator" as well as "The Teflon® President." The latter coming about because he had a way of easily and gracefully escaping what some considered to be sticky situations.
Reagan died after a decade-long bout with Alzheimer’s Disease on 5 June 2004 at 93 years of age. After Reagan’s state funeral, where hundreds of thousands mourned the loss of their former leader, he was interred in California, where the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library is located. To this day, Ronald Reagan remains one of the single most popular US Presidents as determined by numerous polls.
