30 Ronald Reagan Interesting Fun Facts- 40th US President

(Last Updated On: April 16, 2021)

Ronald Wilson Reagan (1911 – 2004), with many interesting facts, was an American politician who served because of the 33rd Governor of California and the 40th President of the United States. He turned president at a time when the US was gripped by a sense of despondence on account of high inflation and unemployment; and reverses within the Cold War. Reagan’s optimistic outlook lifted the spirits of many Americans.

Ronald Reagan facts

He instantly set about bringing modifications in the US overseas and home policy. The economic policy of Ronald Reagan, referred to as Reaganomics, caused a substantial lower in unemployment and inflation; and initiated one of many largest peacetime economic booms in US history.

His overseas policy was dominated by the Cold War with USSR. Along with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, Reagan performed a key function in bringing a few peaceable finishes to the Cold War; his best achievement in overseas affairs. Here are the 30 main accomplishments and Ronald Reagan facts:

1. Reaganomics led to one of many largest peacetime economic booms in US history

During the presidency of Ronald Reagan, amongst different issues, the top marginal tax charge on particular person earnings was lowered from 70% to 28%; company earnings tax charge was lowered from 48% to 34%, and many of the poor had been exempted from particular person earnings tax. Real GDP per working-age grownup elevated at a 1.8% annual charge.

During the Carter administration, this charge was solely 0.8% yearly. From November 1982, when Reagan’s economic insurance policies started to take impact, to November 1989, shortly after he left the workplace, 18.7 million new jobs had been created; a file for a comparable interval at the moment, Ronald Reagan fun facts.

More than half of those jobs paid more than $20,000 a year. The quantity of wealth produced throughout this seven-year interval was around $30 trillion value of products and companies; once more a world file, Ronald Reagan fun facts.

The economic reforms of Ronald Reagan resulted in one of the many largest peacetime economic booms in American history. Reagan additionally simplified the tax code by decreasing the variety of tax brackets to 4 and slashing quite a few tax breaks. This was executed via his well-known Tax Reform Act of 1986.

2. Will Ferrell upset the Reagan family.

Following Reagan’s demise in 2004 from pneumonia, the Reagan property was fast to chop down any suggestion that his longtime battle with Alzheimer’s illness affected his function whereas in office, Ronald Reagan interesting facts.

In 2016, his youngsters, Michael Reagan and Patti Davis chastised actor Will Ferrell for contemplating a comedy titled Reagan during which he would play a neurologically-afflicted president whose behavior results in “alternative” takes on world history.

The Alzheimer’s Association stated in a press release it was “appalled” by the thought. Ferrell shortly distanced himself from the movie, which has but to be made.

3. He Had a Happy Childhood

Ronald Reagan stated that he grew up with a contented childhood. His father was a shoe salesman, and his mom taught her son to learn when he was 5 years old. Reagan did properly at school and graduated from Eureka College in Illinois in 1932.

4. He Was the Only President to Have Been Divorced

Reagan’s first spouse, Jane Wyman, was a widely known actress. She starred in each movie and tv. Together, that they had three youngsters before divorcing on June 28, 1948.

On March 4, 1952, Reagan married Nancy Davis, one other actress. Together with that, they had two youngsters. Nancy Reagan was recognized for beginning the “Just Say No” anti-drug marketing campaign, Ronald Reagan facts.

She precipitated controversy when she bought the new White House china whereas America was in a recession. She additionally was referred to as out for utilizing astrology all through Reagan’s presidency.

5. He modified the course of the Cold War via the Reagan Doctrine

When Ronald Reagan assumed office, the effect of the Soviet Union was on the rise and it had simply invaded Afghanistan. In the earlier decade, the US policy concerning USSR had been that of Détente (“relaxation of tension”) and directors assumed the Cold War would proceed for the foreseeable future.

Reagan, nonetheless, believed that the Soviet economy was weak and elevated stress would make it crumble. He adopted a more aggressive strategy and reversed the policy of Détente by ordering a large construct up of the US armed forces.

He adopted a strategy referred to as the Reagan Doctrine by which US-supplied open and covert help to anti-communist forces in Soviet-backed communist governments in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Though controversial, the policy did diminish the Soviet effect in sure areas. For instance, in Afghanistan, the Reagan administration supplied help to the Afghan rebels which finally led to ending the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. The advocates of the Reagan Doctrine contemplate it as a necessary contributor in ending the Cold War.

6. He Presided Over a Term of ‘Glasnost’ on the End of the Cold War

One of the important thing occasions of Reagan’s presidency was the connection between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. Reagan constructed a relationship with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who instituted “glasnost” or a brand new spirit of openness.

During the 1980s, Soviet-controlled nations started claiming their independence. On November 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall fell. All of this could result in the downfall of the Soviet Union throughout President George H. W. Bush’s time period in office.

7. His dad referred to as him “Dutch.”

Reagan had a number of nicknames all through his life, however, his first was given to him by his father “Jack” Reagan shortly after he was born on February 6, 1911, in Tampico, Illinois, Ronald Reagan fun facts.

Marveling at his son’s heft, Jack referred to the newborn as a “fats little Dutchman,” a nickname strengthened by the “Dutch boy” haircuts he acquired as a toddler.

According to Reagan’s autobiography, when he was older he started asking people to call him Dutch as a result of he didn’t really feel “’Ronald’ was rugged enough for a young red-blooded American boy.”

8. Reagan was re-elected as President with the biggest electoral school victory in US history

After failing to get the Republican ticket within the 1976 Presidential Elections, Ronald Reagan ran for US president in 1980 in opposition to the incumbent Democratic President Jimmy Carter, interesting facts about Ronald Reagan.

Reagan gained the election by a landslide. He gained 489 electoral votes carrying 44 states. In comparability, Carter gained simply 49 electoral votes representing six states, and Washington, D.C. Reagan was sworn in because the 40th President of the United States on January 20, 1981. At that point, he was the oldest particular person to be inaugurated as president with an age of 69.

In 2016, Donald Trump was elected President at the age of 70, surpassing Reagan’s file. In the 1984 US Presidential Elections, Reagan was re-elected. He gained 49 of 50 states; gained a file of 525 electoral votes; and acquired 59% of the favored vote. Reagan’s 1984 landslide victory is the biggest electoral school victory in American history.

9. He cherished writing letters.

Reagan carved out time in his day to each learn and reply to letters, and he wasn’t discriminating about the place they got here from. A seventh-grader as soon as wrote to the president asking for federal help as a result of his mom declared his bedroom a catastrophe space.

Tickled by the child’s humorousness, Reagan responded and urged him to clear the room. In 1984, Reagan wrote a letter of help to entertainer Michael Jackson, who had been badly burned throughout the taking pictures of a Pepsi industrial: “You’ve gained quite a number of fans along the road since ‘I Want You Back’ and Nancy and I are among them.”

10. He Was the Voice of the Chicago Cubs

After graduating from Eureka College in 1932, Reagan started his professional profession as a radio announcer and has become the voice of the Chicago Cubs, famed for his capability to present play-by-play game commentary based mostly on telegraphs.

11. He Was the Screen Actor’s Guild President and Governor of California

In 1937, Reagan was given a seven-year contract as an actor for Warner Brothers. He made fifty films over the course of his profession. After the assault on Pearl Harbor, he served within the Army. However, he spent his time throughout the conflict narrating coaching movies.

In 1947, Reagan was elected because of the president of the Screen Actors Guild. While president, he testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee about communism in Hollywood, Ronald Reagan interesting facts.

In 1967, Reagan was a Republican and have become governor in California. He served on this function till 1975. He tried to run for president in 1968 and 1976, however, was not chosen because the Republican nominee till 1980.

12. Reagan took unprecedented agency motion when PATCO went on strike

On August 3, 1981, the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO) declared a strike, searching for higher working circumstances, higher pay, and a 32-hour workweek.

The strike was a violation of federal legislation which prohibits authorities’ unions from putting. The strike additionally had national safety implications because the air visitors included planes of airborne early warning and control (AWACS). Ronald Reagan declared the PATCO strike a “peril to national safety” and acknowledged that if the air visitors controllers didn’t report back to work within 48 hours, they might be fired. Only around 1,300 of them practically 13,000 controllers returned to work.

On August 5, Reagan fired the 11,345 putting air visitors controllers who had ignored the order and banned them from federal service for all times. The defeat of the PATCO strike is taken into account as one of the vital necessary occasions in 20th century US labor history.

Reagan’s motion, although controversial on account of its far-reaching penalties, led to an enormous drop in unlawful work stoppages in opposition to the federal authorities. In the many years before 1981, main work stoppages averaged around 300 per year; within the 2000s, that quantity fell to beneath 30.

13. He acquired free jelly beans for years.

Reagan first started snacking on jelly beans in 1966 after he gave up pipe smoking. Goelitz Candy, which made his most well-liked jelly bean, despatched him shipments whereas Reagan was holding workplace as governor of California from 1967 to 1975.

After debuting the Jelly Belly line within the ’60s, the corporate continued to ship their items to the White House throughout all eight years of Reagan’s presidency. They even acquired permission to difficulty jelly bean jars with the official presidential seal to be given out at features.

14. His economic policy resulted in a substantial lower in unemployment and inflation

Prior to the Reagan administration, the US economy skilled a decade of stagflation, a state of affairs during which the inflation charge is high, the economic growth charge slows, and unemployment stays steadily high.

The economic policy of Ronald Reagan, referred to as Reaganomics, was based mostly on 4 primary rules: restrained authorities spending, decrease tax charges, lowered authorities regulation, and tightening of the cash provide to cut back inflation.

During the Reagan administration, the unemployment charge was lowered by 1.6% from 7.1% in 1980 to five.5% in 1988; and the inflation charge fell from 13.5% in 1980 to 4.1% in 1988, interesting facts about Ronald Reagan.

The distress index, the sum of inflation and unemployment charge, shrank from 19.99 to 9.72 throughout Reagan’s time period, the best enhancement file for a President since Harry S. Truman.

15. His appearing resume was long.

As a sports activities broadcaster, Reagan primarily coated Chicago Cubs video games. Because the team held their spring coaching in southern California, Reagan was capable of persuading the broadcaster to let him use the coaching as a trip away from Iowa’s winters, Ronald Reagan facts.

In 1937, on one of these journeys, Reagan met up with Joy Hodges, a singer he knew from the back house who went to Hollywood. She put him in contact with a talent agent who referred to as a casting director.

He acquired a display screen to take a look at and scored a contract with Warner Bros. (At the time, studios had been nonetheless within the business of signing exclusivity offers with actors, doling them out to no matter elements wanted to fill with their productions.) Reagan acted in over 50 films over the next three many years, together with Knute Rockne, All American, the place he performed real-life school soccer participant George “Gipper” Gipp. The half gave him his “Gipper” nickname.

16. Ronald Reagan is taken into account as one of the vital influential presidents in US history

In 1989, Reagan was made an Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath, one of many highest British orders. He is one among two US Presidents to have acquired the dignity, the opposite being George H. W. Bush. In a similar year, Japan awarded him the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum, the best Japanese order.

On January 18, 1993, Ronald Reagan acquired the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the best civilian honor of the United States. In 1999, he was included in TIME journal’s listing of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century.

In 2005, thousands and thousands of Discovery Channel viewers voted Reagan as The Greatest American. Ronald Reagan is taken into account as one of the vital influential presidents of the United States.

He continues to be an iconic determine within the Republican Party. The years of his presidency are referred to as the Reagan Era and the conservative “Reagan Revolution” he led had an everlasting impression on the US overseas and home policy.

17. He helped to destigmatize listening to aids.

In 1983, Reagan admitted he relied on the use of hearing support as a way to tackle age-related listening to loss. Previously, listening to aids had been stigmatized within the U.S. as representing a feeble structure, Ronald Reagan interesting facts.

After Reagan’s announcement, gross sales of listening to support gear soared. Starkey Laboratories, which made the president’s gadget, quadrupled its gross sales within the months following the publicity.

18. There have been at least 10 statues erected in his honor

Reagan’s hometown of Dixon, Illinois has no scarcity of tributes to their most well-known resident. A statue of Reagan stands close to his boyhood house, whereas a second—this one depicting Reagan on horseback—is close to Rock River.

Reagan has additionally had statues erected in his honor on the California Capitol (with a precise duplicate on the Reagan Library in Simi Valley), at Reagan National Airport in Arlington, and in Newport Beach, Ronald Reagan important facts.

There are two in Budapest, one in London, and one in Warsaw. The largest up to now—a 10-foot-tall monument of Reagan saluting—stands in Covington, Louisiana.

Yet one other is deliberate close to Lowell Park in Dixon, the place Reagan reportedly saved 77 lives whereas serving as a lifeguard there for seven summers. A neighborhood joke has it that a few of them had been ladies who faked misery as a way to get his consideration.

19. He Easily Won the Presidency in 1980 and 1984

Reagan was opposed by incumbent President Jimmy Carter in 1980. Campaign points included inflation, high unemployment charges, gasoline scarcity, and the Iran hostage state of affairs. Reagan ended up successful in the electoral votes in 44 out of 50 states.

When Reagan ran for reelection in 1984, he was massively standard. He gained 59 % of the favored vote and 525 out of 538 electoral votes, interesting facts about Ronald Reagan.

Reagan gained 51 % of the favored vote. Carter solely gained 41 % of the vote. In the tip, forty-four out of the fifty states went to Reagan, giving him 489 out of 538 electoral votes.

20. He Was Shot Two Months After Taking Office

On March 30, 1981, John Hinckley, Jr. shot Reagan. He was hit by one bullet, inflicting a collapsed lung. Three different people together with his press secretary James Brady had been critically wounded.

Hinckley claimed that the explanation for his tried assassination was to impress actress Jodie Foster. He was tried and located not responsible for the purpose of madness and was dedicated to a psychological establishment.

21. He was upset about by no means successful an Oscar.

Most of Reagan’s movies weren’t precisely award contenders, however, that didn’t cease the president from feeling like he was owed a bit of consideration from the Academy.

In his 2018 memoir, Movie Nights with the Reagans, Reagan aide Mark Weinberg wrote that in his time within the White House, the Commander-in-Chief expressed annoyance that nobody from his former occupation acknowledged his evolution from performer to world leader with an honorary award.

“You would think that after what I’ve done—being the only one from that profession to do so—they would commemorate it in some way,” he reportedly advised Weinberg within the 1980s. “But I guess their political agenda has taken over good manners.”

Reagan did have one flirtation with the Oscars. On March 30, 1981, he was shot by would-be murderer John Hinckley Jr. The award ceremony, scheduled to happen that day, was postponed by 24 hours out of respect for the president. (Reagan made a full restoration.)

22. He launched the Strategic Defense Initiative

Mutually assured destruction (MAD) is a navy strategy and national safety policy by which if a facet is attacked by nuclear weapons, it is going to strike back with full power resulting in an escalation of the conflict and presumably full annihilation of each attacker and the defender, interesting facts about Ronald Reagan.

MAD was utilized throughout Cold War by each side to discourage direct battle. Reagan was a vocal critic of MAD. In 1983, he launched the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) which aimed to guard the US against assault by nuclear ballistic missiles by interception and destruction of attacking missiles.

It was thought-about harmful because it undermined the “assured destruction” required for MAD. SDI is seen by some as a measure by Reagan to begin an economic conflict via a defensive arms race to cripple the Soviet economy, which was already weakened. SDI did put stress on the Soviet Union to construct their very own anti-ballistic missile system.

Although SDI by no means totally developed, its analysis and technology paved the way in which for some anti-ballistic missile methods at this time and it gave the US a competitive benefit within the subject of missile protection, Ronald Reagan facts.

23. He was practically killed by a chimp

The nadir of Reagan’s appearing profession could have been 1951’s Bedtime for Bonzo, during which the longer-term leader of the free world tried to corral a mischievous chimpanzee. While taking pictures of a scene with Peggy, the chimp portraying Bonzo, the animal turned intrigued by Reagan’s tie and commenced pulling on it like a rope.

Refusing to let go, she compressed the knot into one thing no larger than Reagan’s fingernail. After lastly being launched by his animal assailant, Reagan was tended to by crew members who needed to lower the tie off his neck.

24. He launched strict laws for drug offenses

Reagan thought-about medication is a significant menace to American society. Soon after he turned president, he promised drug-free workplaces, expanded drug remedies, and stronger legislation enforcement.

During his first 5 years as president, he strengthened drug enforcement by creating necessary minimal sentencing; and forfeiture of money and actual property for drug offenses. On October 27, 1986, Reagan signed into legislation the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 that budgeted $1.7 billion to fund the War on Drugs. Among different issues, the Act funded drug counseling; AIDS analysis; and worldwide cooperation to restrict drug manufacturing.

Ronald’s spouse Nancy Reagan performed a necessary half in his War on Drugs via her “Just Say No” marketing campaign to extend drug consciousness amongst youngsters and youngsters. She traveled to 65 cities in 33 states, elevating consciousness concerning the risks of medicine.

25. He Espoused Reaganomics

Reagan turned president throughout a time of double-digit inflation. Attempts to extend rates of interest to assist fight this solely led to higher unemployment and recession, Ronald Reagan interesting facts.

Reagan and his economic advisors adopted a policy nicknamed Reaganomics which was mainly supply-side economics. Tax cuts had been created to spur spending which might and did result in more jobs. Inflation went down and so did unemployment charges. On the flip facet, large budget deficits had been incurred.

26. He Was President During the Iran-Contra Scandal

During Reagan’s second administration, the Iran-Contra scandal occurred. Several people inside Reagan’s administration had been implicated. Money gained from secretly promoting arms to Iran was given to revolutionary Contras in Nicaragua. The Iran-Contra scandals had been one of the vital severe scandals of the 1980s.

27. He Suffered From Alzheimer’s After the Presidency

After Reagan’s second time period in office, he retired to his ranch. In 1994, Reagan introduced that he had Alzheimer’s illness and left public life. On June 5, 2004, Ronald Reagan died of pneumonia.

28. He served because the 33rd Governor of California from 1967 to 1975

In 1937, Ronald Reagan went to Hollywood. His appearing profession spanned more than 25 years and he featured in more than 50 movies. His first political activities had been related to being a union leader. Reagan served because of the President of the Screen Actors Guild, the labor union for actors, from 1947 to 1952 and once more in 1958–1959, interesting facts about Ronald Reagan.

Reagan’s national political profession took off after his well-known “A Time for Choosing” speech with the help of Republican candidate Barry Goldwater throughout the 1964 US presidential election marketing campaign. Reagan ran for Governor of California in 1966 and defeated the incumbent Democrat Edmund G. Brown by practically a million votes.

He was re-elected in 1970 and served as Governor of California from 1967 to 1975. He didn’t search re-election to a 3rd time period. As governor, Reagan froze authorities hiring and permitted tax hikes to steadiness the finances in his first time period; and enacted main reform of the welfare system throughout his second time period. Reagan turned California’s finances deficit into a surplus throughout his governorship.

29. He was an FBI informant

In the 1940s, Reagan—then nonetheless an actor, however changing into more and more concerned in politics—turned a real-life FBI informant. Both Reagan and first spouse Jane Wyman tipped off the Bureau to suspected Communist exercise in Hollywood, Ronald Reagan fun facts.

(His code name was T-10.) Reagan apparently had some misgivings about his actions, fearing Hollywood was utilizing too heavy a hand in persecuting suspected red sympathizers. He as soon as requested an agent, “Do they anticipate us to represent ourselves as a bit of FBI of our personal and decide simply who’s a Commie and who is not?”

30. Ronald Reagan performed a key function in ending the Cold War

Ronald Reagan shifted his policy in the direction of the Soviets from “peace through strength” to a mix of firmness and reassurance when Mikhail Gorbachev got here to energy in USSR. The two leaders held 4 summit conferences between 1985 and 1988. During the third summit in December 1987, Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty) was signed by Reagan and Gorbachev.

The INF treaty eradicated all nuclear and standard missiles with a brief and intermediate range. 2,692 of such weapons had been destroyed on account of it. Reagan’s agency however honest policy in the direction of the Soviet Union performed a key function in bringing the Cold War to a peaceable finish. Other main components embrace Mikhail Gorbachev coming to energy and residents of Eastern Europe who rejected Communist regimes.

It is to be famous that without these necessary components it might have been not possible for Reagan to finish the Cold War. In November 1989, 10 months after Reagan left office, the Berlin Wall was opened. The Cold War was unofficially declared over on the Malta Summit on December 3, 1989; and the Soviet Union collapsed on December 26, 1991.