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Ronald Reagan EssayThere are few people in this world that have a profound effect on it. There are even fewer with that can claim theyve had as great an impact as Ronald Reagan. The 40th chairman of the United States, Reagan shot from a former Hollywood actor to become arguably one of the greatest politicians of all time. In a time where tensions were perhaps never higher between the Soviets and the United States, Reagan was a calming force that provided stability to a world that was severely lacking. Reagan lived a long, and extremely loose life, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest presidents of all time.Ronald Wilson Reagan was born in an apartment on the second floor of a commercial building in Tampico, Illinois on February 6, 1911, to Jack and Nelle Reagan. (Ronald Reagan Biography) Reagan had one sibling, his older brother, Neil. Reagan and his family moved around often, before eventually settling in the town of Dixon. As a boy, Reagans father nicknamed his so n Dutch, due(p) to his fat little Dutchman-like appearance, and his Dutchboy haircut. Growing up, Ronald had a particular interest in the goodness of people, and had a pixilated religious faith. (Kengor) After graduating from Dixon High School, Reagan attended constantan College, majoring in economics and sociology. (Ronald Reagan Biography) Extremely popular among classmates, Reagan was not only captain of the swim team, tho was elected student body president. He even ran a revolt against the president of the school when he tried to cut tail the faculty.Following graduation from Eureka, Reagan moved to Iowa, where he was hired as a tuner broadcaster for the University of Iowa football team. Shortly after, he was hired as the play-by-play announcer for the Chicago Cubs. Reagan was a traveling announcer with the Cubs, and while traveling in calcium, attended a shield test with Warner Brothers. Reagan performed so well, he left the Cubs and signed a seven-year contract with Warn er Brothers. (Ronald Reagan) After signing the contract in 1937, Reagan was quickly assigned to the lower, B take aim movies. Ronald once joked by saying, They didnt want them good, they wanted them Thursday, referencing the quality of some of the films he starred in. Often overshadowed by other actors in such movies, his premier(prenominal) big role came in the film Love is in theAir. Ronalds favorite movie was Kings Row, in which he played retell amputee Drake McHugh. His most famous line was in the movie comes when he realizes both of his legs are gone, saying, Wheres the rest of me? Reagan loved it so lots he later on used it as the title of his autobiography. Ronalds film career was cut short when he was ordered for active duty in the United States force in World War two. (Ronald Reagan)In 1940, Reagan married actress Jane Wyman, and together they had two children, Maureen and Christine, and adopted a third, Michael. Wyman filed for divorce in 948, after several arguments ab off his next political ambitions. It was in 1949 that Reagan met his true love, Nancy Davis. When asked about their first meeting, Nancy said, She described their meeting by saying, I dont know if it was exactly love at first sight, but it was pretty close. The Reagans often publicly displayed their affection for one another, as he often called her Mommy and she called him Ronnie. (Ronald Reagan)After the end of the war, Ronald began a career in what authentically made him a star politics. Reagans political career was launched when he made his A Time for Choosing speech, which supported conservative presidential candidate Barry Goldwater. The California republicans were impressed with Reagan, and he announced his intentions to run for California governor in 1966. In Reagans campaign, he emphasized two main themes to send the welfare bums back to work, and, in reference to burgeoning anti-war and anti-establishment student protests at the University of California at Berkeley, t o clean up the mess at Berkeley. He was elected, defeating two-term governor Edmund Brown, and was sworn in on January 2, 1967. Reagan won a second term in 1970, but chose not to run again in 1974. (Ronald Reagan Biography)In 1976, Ronald Reagan moved on from governor of California to challenge for something even bigger to be the president of the United States. He challenged incumbent Gerald Ford for the republican candidacy. Reagans campaign revolved around the model of taking early primaries to damage the inevitability of Fords likely nomination. At first, the strategy appearedto work, but Ford eventually won out, with Reagan even losing out on his home state of Illinois. In 1980, however, things worked out much better for Reagan, as he not only won the republican nomination, but blotted out Jimmy Carter with 489 electoral college votes to Carters 49. (Freidel) His campaign stressed some of his fundamental principles lower taxes to stimulate the economy, less government interfer ence in peoples lives, states rights, and a strong national defense.Reagan began his presidency on January 20th, 1981, and is the oldest president to ever assume office at 69. (Ronald Reagan) Just 69 days into his presidency, Reagan became the first president to survive an blackwash attempt. After the event, Reagans popularity rose to a high of 73 percent. Perhaps Reagans greatest act as president came in his second term, when he helped end the Cold War. Reagan gave a speech at the Berlin hem in in 1987, in which he challenged Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, saying, General Secretary Gorbachev, if you render peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization, come here to this gate Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall In November 1989, the Berlin Wall was torn down, and the Cold War was officially declared over at the Malta Summit on December 3, 1989. On November 5th, at the age of 83, Reagan announced th at he had been diagnosed with Alzheimers disease, an incurable neurological disorder that destroys brain cells and ultimately causes death. (Library) Letters of well wishes poured into the Reagans California home, showing support for the former president and first lady. As the years went on, the disease slowly destroyed Reagans mental capacity, and he was only able to recognize a few people, including his wife Nancy. (Ronald Reagan Biography) Reagans public appearances became much less frequent with the progression of the disease, and as a result, his family decided that he would live in quiet semi-isolation with his wife. On the afternoon of June 5, 2004, Ronald Reagan died at his home at the age of 93. President George W. Bush declared June 11 a National Day of Mourning, and tributes came in from all over the world. (Ronald Reagan ) Three funerals were held for President Reagan, with his final resting score at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley California.Presi dent Reagans legacy is that of a powerful and influential man, yet the most down to Earth, trusty man you could possibly meet. Observers rank him as one of the greatest presidents of all time. Many think it was because of his joking and loving manner. President Reagan lived a full and prosperous life, and there are few that can argue they accomplished as much as he did in his time.Works Cited1. Freidel, Frank. The Presidents of the United States of America. 13th. Collingdale Diane Publishing Co., 1994. eBook2. Kengor, Paul. paragon and Ronald Reagan. 1st. New York City Harper Perennial, 2005. Print.3. Ronald Reagan Biography. The Biography Channel website. 2011. 01 March 2011 Abraham Lincoln Biography. The Biography Channel website. 2011. 01 March 2011 http//www.biography.com/people/abraham-lincoln-9382540 4. Ronald Reagan. History Channel Website. N.p.. Web. 18 Nov 2013. .5. Library, CNN. Ronald Reagan luxuriant Facts. CNN U.S.. N.p., 10 Sept 2013. Web. 1Dec 2013. .The Life and Times of Ronald ReaganJordan WaltersMr. ClancyHistory of Western Civilization