Ronald Reagan: Actor, Governor, President, Assassination Attempt & More

Born on February 6th, 1911 in Tampico, Illinois, Ronald Reagan grew up to attend high school in nearby Dixon, before working his way through Eureka College. At Eureka he studied economics and sociology, played on the football team, and honed his acting skills in school productions. Upon graduation, he became a radio sports announcer, followed by a screen test in 1937 that won him a contract in Hollywood, leading to a two decades-long acting career that spanned 53 films.

President of the SAG and Governor of California

As president of the Screen Actors Guild, Reagan became embroiled in disputes over the issue of Communism in the film industry during the McCarthy era, which helped to shift his political views from liberal to conservative. He toured the country as a television host, becoming a spokesman for conservatism.

In 1966 he was elected Governor of California by a margin of a million votes, only to be re-elected in 1970 by another landslide margin.

Ronald Reagan won the Republican Presidential nomination in 1980 and chose as his running mate former Texas Congressman and United Nations Ambassador George Bush. Fearful over runaway inflation and the year-long Iran Hostage Crisis, voters went in big for Reagan, who won 489 electoral votes to Jimmy Carter’s 49.

Reagan Assassination Attempt

Assuming office on January 20th, 1981, only 69 days into his first term he was shot by a would-be assassin. While he recovered quickly from his injuries, his grace and wit during the dangerous incident caused his popularity to soar, propelling him to a second-term victory over Democratic challengers Walter Mondale and Geraldine Ferraro.

Reagan’s two terms as president oversaw the return of prosperity at home, as well as resolute foreign policy objectives achieved through his “peace through strength” initiative abroad. From his first marriage to actress Jane Wyman, he had two children, Maureen and Michael, while in 1952 he married screen actress Nancy Davis, raising two additional children, Patricia Ann and Ronald Prescott.

Reagan was the oldest first-term U.S. president in history, a distinction he held until 2017 when Donald Trump was inaugurated at age 70. Reagan passed away on June 5th, 2004, after struggling for years with Alzheimer’s Disease.