Posters: Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagan is one of the most popular political figures of the 20th century. The Ronald Reagan Presidency (as 40th President of the United States) began in 1981 and ended in 1989. Reagan served two terms and the legacy of his presidency is stored in the Ronald Reagan library.

Roanld Reagan was born in Tampico, Illinois on February 6, 1911 to John Edward Reagan and Nelle Wilson Reagan. He had one brother, Neil Reagan.

He moved around quite a bit as a child, eventually moving to Dixon where he attended Dixon High School and became interested in sports, acting and storytelling. He also had his first job at River Rock as a lifeguard.

At Eureka College, he got his first taste of public life when he became a Chicago Cubs announcer for WHO in Des Moines, IA. This announcer job eventually brought him to Hollywood to announe a Cubs game there. While in Hollywood, he went to a screen test which led to a job with Warner Brothers for $200 a week.

On January 26, 1940, Reagan married actress Jane Wyman. They had two children: Maureen (1941) and Michael (1945, adopted).

By 1948, Reagan's marriage to Wyman was having major problems. Some believe it was because Reagan was becoming very active in politics. Others thought perhaps he was too busy with his work as president of the Screen Actors Guild which he was elected to in 1947.

Or it could have been the trauma in June 1947 when Wyman gave birth four months prematurely to a baby girl who did not live. Though no one knows the exact reason the marriage went sour, Reagan and Wyman divorced in June 1948.

Nearly four years later, on March 4, 1952, Reagan married the woman he would spend the rest of his life with, actress Nancy Davis. Their love for one another was obvious. Even during Reagan's years as president, he would frequently write her love notes. In October 1952 their daughter Patricia was born and in May 1958 Nancy gave birth to their son Ronald.

During his time in Hollywood, he appeared in over 50 major films. He was also elected President of the Screen Actors Guild in 1947 where he served for a total of five terms. He left the office in July 1960. Prior to his election to the SAG, he served in the Army during World War II.

Politically, Reagan’s interest began as a member of the “Democrats for Eisenhower.” But over time his political affiliation shifted and in 1962, he became a member of the Republican party. He ran for Governor of California in the 1966 election and scored an easy victory over his opponent Edmund Brown.

Ronald Reagan became the oldest President elected when he took office as the 40th President of the United States. He accomplished many great victories, like the collapse of the USSR and the tearing down of the Berlin wall. He also appointed the first female Supreme Court Justice in 1981. He also presided over one of America’s greatest modern tragedies, the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger.

Reagan was known as the great communicator. From the teary eyed speech he delivered after the shuttle disaster to the powerful speech aimed at USSR with the famous phrase “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”, he was a master of the delivery. In fact, his video speech library is one of the greatest gifts he left to modern politicians who wish to study a master communicator.

Ronald Reagan’s greatest speeches – twelve in total – have been gathered in their entirety as broadcast in the four volume DVD collection "Ronald Reagan's Greatest Speeches."

After retiring from office, he spent his time establishing the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley California, but in 1994 he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

Ronald Reagan, aged 93, died of pneumonia at his home in the Bel Air district of Los Angeles on 5th June, 2004.

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