The Presidential Timeline of the Twentieth Century

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Ronald Reagan

At the end of his two terms in office, Ronald Reagan viewed with satisfaction the achievements of his innovative program known as the Reagan Revolution, which aimed to reinvigorate the American people and to reduce their reliance upon government. He felt he had fulfilled his campaign pledge of 1980 to restore “the great, confident roar of American progress and growth and optimism.”

Early Life and Career

February 6, 1911 - January 20, 1981

On February 6, 1911, Ronald Wilson Reagan was born to Nelle and John Reagan in Tampico, Illinois. He attended high school in nearby Dixon and then worked his way through Eureka College. There, he studied economics and sociology, played on the football team and acted in school plays. Upon graduation, he became a radio sports announcer. A screen test in 1937 won him a contract in Hollywood. During the next two decades, he appeared in 53 films. From his first marriage to actress Jane Wyman, he had two children, Maureen and Michael. Maureen passed away in 2001. In 1952, he married Nancy Davis, who was also an actress; and they had two children, Patricia Ann and Ronald Prescott. As president of the Screen Actors Guild, Reagan became embroiled in disputes over the issue of Communism in the film industry; his political views shifted 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; he was re-elected in 1970. Ronald Reagan won the Republican Presidential nomination in 1980 and chose as his running mate former Texas Congressman and United Nations Ambassador George Bush. Voters troubled by inflation and by the yearlong confinement of Americans in Iran swept the Republican ticket into office. Reagan won 489 electoral votes to 49 for President Jimmy Carter.

February 6, 1911: Ronald Wilson Reagan is born in Tampico, Illinois, to Jack and Nelle Reagan. His older brother Neil (Moon) would be born in 1908.
December 6, 1920: After living in a series of homes in the South side of Chicago, Galesburg, Monmouth and Tampico, the Reagans settle in Dixon, Illinois, the place Ronald Reagan considers his home town.
June 1926: Reagan is employed as a life guard at Lowell Park in Dixon, where in the next seven summers he is credited with saving 77 lives.
June 1928: Reagan graduates from Dixon High School, where he participates in basketball, drama, football and track. He also serves as student body president.
June 1932: Reagan graduates from Eureka College with a B.A. degree in Economics and Sociology. He participates in drama, football and swimming. He also serves as student body president and helps organize a student strike.
April 1933: Reagan moves to Des Moines as chief sports announcer. He broadcasts Chicago Cub home games based on telegraph reports from Wrigley Field.
February 27, 1935: Reagan enlists as a private in the Army Reserve.
March 15, 1937: While attending Spring training on Catalina Island with the Chicago Cubs, Reagan makes a screen test for Warner Bros.
April 20, 1937: Reagan signs as a contract player for Warner Bros.
April 27, 1937: Reagan is promoted to Second Lieutenant in the Reserve Corps of Cavalry.
June 7, 1937: Reagan reports to the studio for his first motion picture, Love is on the Air.
January 26, 1940: Reagan marries Jane Wyman, whom he had met while filming Brother Rat.
January 4, 1941: Daughter Maureen Reagan is born.
September 1941: Reagan plays Drake McHugh in Kings Row, his most artistically acclaimed role. In this picture, he utters the line, “Where’s the rest of me?”
April 19, 1942: Reagan is called to active duty and reports to Fort Mason, California. Later he is transferred to the Army Air Forces and assigned to the 1st Motion Picture Unit in Culver City, California. Called “Fort Roach,” this unit made over 400 training films with Reagan
January 14, 1943: Reagan is promoted to First Lieutenant.
July 22, 1943: Reagan is promoted to Captain.
March 14, 1945: Reagan and Wyman's adopted son Michael is born.
August 21, 1945: Reagan signs a million dollar contract with Warner Bros Studios.
December 9, 1945: Reagan is discharged from the Army.
March 1947: Reagan is elected President of the Screen Actors Guild for the first time. He would be re-elected for 5 more consecutive one-year terms.
September 23, 1948: Reagan is introduced to Harry Truman at a campaign rally in Los Angeles.
June 28, 1949: Reagan and Jane Wyman’s divorce is final.
December 7, 1950: Reagan makes his first television network debut in Nash Airflyte Theatre. He would eventually have over 60 television credits.
1951: Reagan appears in Bedtime for Bonzo for Universal Studios.
1952: Reagan plays Grover Cleveland Alexander in The Winning Team, his last picture for Warner Bros Studios.
March 4, 1952: Reagan marries Nancy Davis.
September 1952: Reagan campaigns as a Democrat for Eisenhower.
October 22, 1952: Daughter Patricia Reagan is born.
May 2, 1953: Reagan is named Honorary Mayor of Malibu Lake.
1955: Reagan is named Honorary Mayor of Thousand Oaks, but is disappointed in his unsuccessful bid to be Honorary Mayor of Hollywood.
1957: Reagan appears, with wife Nancy Davis in Hellcats of the Navy, their first and only picture together.
May 28, 1958: Son Ronald Prescott (“Skipper”) Reagan is born.
February 9, 1959: Reagan attends the dedication of the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Hollywood Boulevard. Reagan’s star is among the original stars that are unveiled on that day.
September 1959: Reagan officially changes his party registration to Republican.
October 27, 1964: Reagan’s televised speech for Barry Goldwater, A Time for Choosing, launches his political career.
1965: Reagan’s autobiography, Where's the Rest of Me is published.
November 8, 1966: Reagan defeats Edmund G. “Pat” Brown in a landslide.
January 2, 1967: Reagan is inaugurated as Governor of California in a small midnight ceremony.
August 19, 1976: Reagan addresses the Republican National Convention in Kansas City.
November 13, 1979: Reagan announces his candidacy for the Republican nomination for President. He is the tenth and last Republican to enter the race.
February 23, 1980: “Ambush at Nashua” debate with George Bush. The debate also includes other Republican candidates John Anderson, Howard Baker, Phil Crane and Bob Dole.
July 16, 1980: Reagan wins the nomination for President at the Republican National Convention in Detroit.
July 16, 1980: Gerald Ford, who decides not to contest the nomination, is offered the post of Vice President on the “dream ticket,” but declines the nomination in a face-to-face meeting with Reagan. Spurned by Ford, Reagan offers the Vice President nomination to George Bush.
October 28, 1980: Reagan participates in debate with President Carter in Cleveland Ohio.
November 4, 1980: In a landslide victory, Reagan is elected the President of the United States.

Presidency

January 20, 1981 - January 20, 1989

On January 20, 1981, Reagan took office. Only 69 days later he was shot by a would-be assassin, but quickly recovered and returned to duty. His grace and wit during the dangerous incident caused his popularity to soar. Dealing skillfully with Congress, Reagan obtained legislation to stimulate economic growth, curb inflation, increase employment and strengthen national defense. He embarked upon a course of cutting taxes and government expenditures, refusing to deviate from it when the strengthening of defense forces led to a large deficit. A renewal of national self-confidence by 1984 helped Reagan and Bush win a second term with an unprecedented number of electoral votes. In 1986, Reagan obtained an overhaul of the income tax code, which eliminated many deductions and exempted millions of people with low incomes. At the end of his administration, the nation was enjoying its longest recorded period of peacetime prosperity without recession or depression. In foreign policy, Reagan sought to achieve “peace through strength.” During his two terms he increased defense spending 35 percent, but sought to improve relations with the Soviet Union. In dramatic meetings with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, he negotiated a treaty that would eliminate intermediate-range nuclear missiles.

January 20, 1981: Reagan is inaugurated as the fortieth President of the United States.
January 20, 1981: American hostages from the 444-day Iran Hostage Crisis are released.
January 22, 1981: Presidential Task Force on Regulatory Relief is established to review government regulations.
January 27, 1981: A White House ceremony is given for the Iran Hostages.
March 26, 1981: Reagan signs Executive Order 12301, establishing the Presidential Council on Integrity & Efficiency to review Federal programs for inefficiencies and corruption.
March 30, 1981: Assassination attempt is made on President Reagan’s life.
May 17, 1981: Reagan recieves an Honorary Degree from Notre Dame.
July 7, 1981: Reagan nominates Sandra Day O'Connor to Supreme Court.
August 13, 1981: President Reagan signs the tax cut bill, the Economic Recovery Tax Act (ERTA).
September 29, 1981: Reagan gives the World Ban & IMF Address on free enterprise.
October 6, 1981: Egyptian President Anwar Sadat is assassinated.
October 7, 1981: The Fifty States Project for Women is launched to identify and revise state legislation that discriminates against women.
October 21, 1981: The Cancun Summit is held on International Cooperation & Development.
November 10, 1981: David Stockman's article on “Reaganomics” is released in Atlantic Monthly.
December 1, 1981: White House Conference on Aging is held.
January 26, 1982: In his first State of the Union Address, Reagan discusses transferring social programs to states.
February 9, 1982: Reagan delivers the Indianapolis Speech, one of several launching New Federalism.
May 9, 1982: Reagan delivers a START/SALT II Speech at Eureka College.
June 8, 1982: Reagan becomes the first U.S. President to address both Houses of Parliament in the United Kingdom.
June 11, 1982: Reagan visits West Berlin.
June 17, 1982: At the UN Special Session on Disarmament, Reagan delivers the “Agenda for Peace” speech.
August 20, 1982: Middle East initiative “Fresh Start” is established.
September 3, 1982: The Tax Equity & Fiscal Responsibility Act, that modified aspects of the 1981 Economic Recovery Tax Act (ERTA) is signed at the Ranch.
October 12, 1982: The Missing Children Act and the Victim & Witness Protection Act is signed, providing rights to parents with missing children and protection for crime victims and witnesses.
October 14, 1982: The Organized Crime & Drug Trafficking Initiatives are launched.
November 10, 1982: U.S.S.R. Leader Leonid Brezhnev dies.
November 11, 1982: First commercial operations mission of the Space Shuttle.
November 12, 1982: Yuri Andropov becomes leader of the U.S.S.R.
November 13, 1982: U.S. Sanctions on the Soviet Pipeline are lifted.
January 3, 1983: The Commission on Strategic Forces is created.
January 6, 1983: The Surface Transportation Assistance Act is signed, providing federal assistance to the Nation’s highway and bridge infrastructure.
January 7, 1983: The Nuclear Waste Policy Act is signed, establishing a national radioactive waste disposal program.
January 25, 1983: Reagan delivers a State of the Union Address on the federal spending freeze.
March 8, 1983: Reagan addresses National Association of Evangelicals, in a speech known as the “Evil Empire” speech.
April 18, 1983: The US Embassy is bombed in Beirut, killing 32.
April 20, 1983: Social Security Amendments are signed.
June 3, 1983: The Excellence in Education Campaign begins.
July 18, 1983: The Commission on Central America is created, headed by Kissinger.
July 28, 1983: The Commission on Organized Crime is created.
August 14, 1983: U.S.-Mexico Agreement on the border area environment is established.
September 1, 1983: A Soviet attack on Korean airliner KAL 007 kills 269.
September 26, 1983: Reagan addresses the UN General Assembly on U.S.S.R.
November 2, 1983: Martin Luther King, Jr., National Holiday is signed in a ceremony.
January 25, 1984: In his State of the Union Address, Reagan discusses that America is back with four great goals.
January 29, 1984: Reagan’s candidacy for re-election is announced.
February 13, 1984: Konstantin Chernenko becomes leader of the U.S.S.R.
April 30, 1984: U.S. establishes nuclear agreement with China.
July 17, 1984: The Minimum Drinking Age Bill is signed, establishing 21 years as the minimum age for purchase and public possession of alcoholic beverages.
July 18, 1984: The Deficit Reduction Bill is signed.
August 23, 1984: Reagan delivers his acceptance speech of Presidential candidacy at the Republican National Convention in Dallas, Texas.
October 7, 1984: Reagan participates in the first Presidential Debate with Walter Mondale over domestic issues.
October 30, 1984: The Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi is assassinated.
November 6, 1984: President Reagan wins a landslide victory (525-13 in Electoral College).
January 20, 1985: Reagan is inaugurated for a second term as President of the United States.
February 6, 1985: Reagan delivers the State of the Union Address, discussing the “American Revolution II.”
March 11, 1985: Mikhail Gorbachev becomes the leader of U.S.S.R.
March 25, 1985: The Youth Employment Opportunity Wage Initiatives are launched, providing summer job opportunities for youth.
April 11, 1985: The establishment of the Domestic Policy Council and the Economic Policy Council.
June 14, 1985: TWA Flight 847 is hijacked.
June 20, 1985: The Medal of Freedom is awarded to Mother Teresa.
September 9, 1985: Economic sanctions are imposed on South Africa.
October 7, 1985: Passenger liner, the Achille Lauro, is hijacked.
November 14, 1985: Reagan addresses to the Nation and the U.S.S.R., via VOA, on U.S.-Soviet Geneva Summit.
November 16, 1985: Start of Geneva Summit with Gorbachev.
December 12, 1985: The Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act, also known as the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, is signed in efforts to cut the budget deficit.
January 7, 1986: Economic Sanctions are imposed on Libya.
January 28, 1986: Space Shuttle Challenger Explodes.
February 4, 1986: In his State of the Union Address, Reagan discusses his welfare plan.
February 25, 1986: U.S. recognizes the Aquino government of the Philippines.
April 14, 1986: The Libyan air strike occurs as conclusive attacks of an escalating conflict concerning Libya’s support for terrorism.
April 25, 1986: Nuclear reactor accident at Chernobyl, Ukraine.
May 25, 1986: Hands Across America Day occurs in an effort to raise money to fight hunger and homelessness in a nationwide event where people linked hands from coast to coast.
September 26, 1986: William Rehnquist and Antonin Scalia are sworn in as Chief Justice and Justice of the Supreme Court respectively.
October 22, 1986: The Tax Reform Bill is signed, making major changes to income taxes.
November 2, 1986: Hostage David Jacobsen is released from Beirut, Lebanon.
November 6, 1986: The Immigration Reform and Control Act is signed to reduce illegal immigration to the U.S.
November 25, 1986: Iran-Contra scandal breaks when it is confirmed that members of the Reagan administration funded Nicaraguan anti-communist guerilla Contras by selling arms to Iran.
January 27, 1987: In his State of the Union Address, Reagan announces, “I'm back.”
February 6, 1987: The “Up From Dependency” welfare initiative is established.
February 19, 1987: Economic sanctions against Poland are lifted.
April 3, 1987: CONRAIL is privatized.
May 17, 1987: The USS Stark is bombed by Iraq.
June 1, 1987: The GI Continuation Act is signed providing continued education assistance for veterans.
June 12, 1987: Reagan visits Berlin, where he is quoted as saying, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”
July 3, 1987: The Economic Bill of Rights is launched.
August 5, 1987: The Central American Peace Initiative is established.
September 15, 1987: The Nuclear Risk Reduction Centers treaty is signed.
September 16, 1987: The Bicentennial Celebration of the U.S. Constitution.
October 16, 1987: Mrs. Reagan undergoes surgery for breast cancer.
October 19, 1987: An air strike occurs at an Iranian oil platform.
October 19, 1987: The Stock Market crashes.
October 30, 1987: The U.S.-Soviet Summit is announced.
December 8, 1987: The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty is signed with the Soviet Union, eliminating intermediate-ranged nuclear missiles.
January 2, 1988: The Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement is signed in Palm Springs.
January 25, 1988: In his State of the Union Address on the budget process, Reagan says, “We're not finished yet.”
February 18, 1988: Anthony Kennedy is sworn in as Supreme Court Justice.
February 29, 1988: White House Conference on a Drug Free America held.
March 1, 1988: North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Summit in Brussels held.
March 17, 1988: US Forces are deployed to Honduras.
July 1, 1988: The Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act is signed, expanding the Medicare Program.
July 3, 1988: Iran Air Flight 655 is shot down in the Persian Gulf by USS Vincennes.
August 2, 1988: The HIV Action Plan is announced.
August 10, 1988: The Japanese-American Internment Compensation Bill is signed to compensate the families of Japanese Americans relocated to camps in the nation’s interior during World War II.
August 11, 1988: The Disaster Assistance Act is signed, providing federal aid to farmers affected by the drought.
August 23, 1988: The Trade and Competitiveness Act is signed.
September 13, 1988: The Fair Housing Act Amendments are signed, outlawing private and public discrimination in housing.
September 28, 1988: The U.S.-Canada Free Trade Agreement is signed.
October 13, 1988: Family Support Act is signed, reforming welfare by focusing on support from absent parents and emphasizing the importance of work.
October 25, 1988: The Department of Veteran Affairs Act is signed, changing the formerly independent government agency, Veterans Administration, to a Cabinet-level department.
November 18, 1988: The Anti-Drug Abuse Act is signed, requiring employers receiving federal grants to provide a “drug-free workplace.”
November 21, 1988: Reagan attends the ground breaking ceremony at the Reagan Presidential Library.

Post-Presidency

January 20, 1989 - June 5, 2004

Upon leaving the presidency, Ronald Reagan went into semi-retirement. He was in great demand as a public speaker, and over the next few years delivered major addresses in such places as Poland, London and the Republican National Convention. In 1994, after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, he announced his retirement from public life in an emotional and heartfelt letter to the American people. From that time on, he led a quiet life with his wife Nancy, dividing his time between home, his Century City office and his beloved Santa Barbara “Rancho del Cielo.” Ronald Reagan died at the age of 93.

January 20, 1989: Reagan leaves the White House and returns to California.
April 26, 1989: At his office in Century City, California, Reagan meets with President Bush for the first time since leaving the Presidency.
June 14, 1989: Reagan receives an honorary knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II.
July 21, 1989: Reagan is inducted into the Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City.
October 23, 1989: In Japan, Reagan is awarded a medal, the Grand Cordon of the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum, by the Japanese government.
February 5, 1990: Reagan is ordered to give videotaped testimony for the ongoing trial of Iran-Contra figure John Poindexter.
September 10, 1990: Reagan begins a 10-day European trip with arrival in Berlin.
September 14, 1990: Reagan addresses the Polish Parliament in Warsaw.
September 16, 1990: Reagan arrives in Moscow, to visit Soviet President Gorbachev, and address the International Affairs Committee of the Supreme Soviet.
September 19, 1990: Reagan has audience with Pope John Paul II at Vatican City before returning to the United States.
March 28, 1991: In Washington, D.C., Reagan meets with President Bush at the White House and dedicates the Ronald Reagan Institute for Emergency Medicine, at the George Washington University, in commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the March 30, 1981, assassination attempt. In his dedicatory remarks for the Institute, he declares his support for the Brady handgun control bill.
July 15, 1991: Reagan addresses the Captive Nations Week Conference in Los Angeles.
April 13, 1992: In Las Vegas, Reagan receives a glass statue award from the National Association of Broadcasters. During the ceremony, Paul Springer, a member of the audience, rushes onstage and smashes the award.
May 4, 1992: In ceremonies held at the Reagan Library, Reagan presents the first Ronald Reagan Freedom Award to Mikhail Gorbachev and dedicates the Ronald Reagan Center for Public Affairs.
August 17, 1992: Reagan addresses the Republican National Convention in Houston, Texas.
September 13, 1992: Reagan accompanies President Bush’s re-election campaign and gives a campaign speech for Bush in Orange County, California.
November 27, 1992: Reagan has meetings with President-elect Bill Clinton at Reagan’s Century City office.
January 4, 1993: Reagan and Jimmy Carter are named joint recipients of the first Spark M. Matsunaga Medals for Peace.
January 13, 1993: Reagan is awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bush.
November 9, 1993: In ceremonies held at the Reagan Library, Reagan presents the second Ronald Reagan Freedom Award to General Colin Powell.
February 3, 1994: Reagan attends the Republican National Convention's Annual Gala in Washington, D.C., The gala theme is “A Tribute to Ronald Reagan.”
April 27, 1994: Reagan attends the funeral of Richard Nixon at the Nixon Library and Birthplace in Yorba Linda, California.
May 4, 1994: In a letter sent to all members of the House of Representatives, former Presidents Reagan, Carter and Ford urge support of a bill banning the domestic manufacture of military-style assault weapons.
November 5, 1994: Reagan writes a letter announcing that he has Alzheimer’s Disease. The letter is made publicly available later that day.
October 31, 1995: Ronald and Nancy Reagan announce the establishment the Ronald and Nancy Reagan Research Institute, dedicated to the study of Alzheimer's Disease.
August 12, 1996: A salute to Ronald Reagan is made at the Republican National Convention in San Diego, climaxed by an address to the convention by Nancy Reagan.
April 21, 1998: The sale of Reagan’s California ranch, Rancho del Cielo, to the Young America's Foundation is finalized.
May 16, 2002: Ronald and Nancy Reagan are awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in a ceremony at the U.S. Capitol that Mrs. Reagan attended.
June 5, 2004: Reagan passes away at home at age 93.
June 11, 2004: A national funeral service is held at the Washington National Cathedral. Afterwards, the casket is flown back to California for a procession to the Reagan Library. A private interment service is held at the Reagan Library.