Ronald reagan when was he president

Critics maintained that his policies led to budget deficits and a more significant national debt; some also held that his economic programs favored the rich. Supreme Court. Also on the foreign affairs front, Reagan sent U.

Marines to Lebanon as part of an international peacekeeping force after Israel invaded that nation in June In October , suicide bombers attacked the Marine barracks in Beirut, killing Americans.

That same month, Reagan ordered U. In addition to the problems in Lebanon and Grenada, the Reagan administration had to deal with an ongoing contentious relationship between the United States and Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi During his second term, Reagan forged a diplomatic relationship with the reform-minded Mikhail Gorbachev , who became leader of the Soviet Union in In , the Americans and Soviets signed a historic agreement to eliminate intermediate-range nuclear missiles.

Twenty-nine months later, Gorbachev allowed the people of Berlin to dismantle the wall. After leaving the White House, Reagan returned to Germany in September —just weeks before Germany was officially reunified—and took several symbolic swings with a hammer at a remaining chunk of the wall. In November , Ronald Reagan was reelected in a landslide, defeating Walter Mondale and his running mate Geraldine Ferraro , the first female vice-presidential candidate from a major U.

Reagan was given a state funeral in Washington, D. Nancy Reagan died of heart failure in at age 94 and was buried alongside her husband. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Subscribe for fascinating stories connecting the past to the present. Nancy Reagan was an American first lady , the wife of Ronald Reagan, 40th president of the United States, and actress, noted for her efforts to discourage drug use by American youths.

On the second day of the highly contested Republican National Convention, it was still far from clear which candidate the party delegates intended to choose: sitting president Gerald Ford or his challenger, former actor and California governor Ronald Reagan. Education Eureka College Inauguration Date January 20, Date Ended January 20, President Number Burial Place Simi Valley, California. Featured Insights. President Reagan promised to tell the nation the truth regarding the Iran-Contra scandal.

Speeches View His Speeches. January 20, First Inaugural Address audio icon transcript icon. The President maintained a firm stance against terrorism, exemplified by the American retaliating against Libya for an air attack in and again in for the death of Americans in a Berlin discotheque. Reagan's peacekeeping force in war-torn Lebanon experienced tragedy in when a truck bomb killed soldiers. Tragedy struck again in when a missile from an Iraqi warplane killed 37 sailors aboard the U.

Stark, part of a U. The darkest hour of the Reagan administration would become known as the Iran-Contra affair. After lengthy, nationally televised hearings, a special congressional hearings review board reported that Reagan authorized the sale of arms to Iran in exchange for help in freeing U.

Investigations revealed the money gained from the arms sale was illegally diverted to aid the Contras, opponents of the Nicaraguan Sandinista government. The congressional report criticized Reagan for his detached, hands-off style of management. McFarlane was later pardoned by President George H. Bush and both Poindexter and North's convictions were set aside on appeal for technical reasons. The eight years of the Reagan presidency was one of the most dynamic periods, in recent U.

More importantly, his election changed the demographic composition of the Republican Party and built the core beliefs still practiced today: lower taxes, less government restrictions on businesses and individuals and a strong military. Few presidents have enjoyed the affection of so many of the American people. Support for Ronald Reagan grew when he was seriously wounded by an assassin's bullet in and during major surgical procedures in and Reagan was known as the "Great Communicator," and often went on television to ask the viewers for their support for a particular piece of legislation.

When he ran for a second term in against former Vice-President Walter Mondale, Reagan stood by his record and asked the voters if they were better off now than they were four years ago.

He rarely raised his voice or gave in to anger. Oh, he could get annoyed from time to time, but it was almost always because he was behind schedule and people were kept waiting for him. He never thought of himself as better or more important than anyone else. One day he was running late for a haircut appointment and grumbled about it to a nearby aide. The aide told the President not to worry because the barber did not mind waiting.

In a very firm voice, the President told the aide that was not the point. From then on, the Appointments Secretary made certain there were no meetings scheduled immediately prior to haircuts. Other than when Mrs. Reagan faced breast cancer, he was not a worrier. Ronald Reagan did not need the Presidency to feel good about himself or to vanquish some deep-seeded doubts. He never pretended to be someone other than who he was.