40th President of the United States
Category: Presidents
Start: 1911-02-06 · End: 2004-06-05
Location: Tampico, IL
Ronald Wilson Reagan, born February 6, 1911, in Tampico, Illinois, ascended from humble beginnings as the son of Nelle Clyde Wilson and John Edward "Jack" Reagan, a shoe salesman, to become a towering figure in American and global politics. His journey from small-town America to the pinnacle of power, the Presidency of the United States, was marked by a unique trajectory, encompassing careers in sports broadcasting, Hollywood acting, and state governorship before his two terms as the 40th President from 1981 to 1989. Reagan’s life and presidency profoundly reshaped the American political landscape, redefining conservative philosophy and strategies, and leaving an enduring legacy often referred to as the "Reagan era." Reagan’s early life was characterized by a peripatetic existence as his family moved frequently in search of work, eventually settling in Dixon, Illinois, a small town that would deeply inform his nostalgic vision of Americana. Despite financial struggles exacerbated by his father’s intermittent alcoholism, Reagan displayed a remarkably resilient and optimistic spirit. His mother, Nelle, a devout Disciples of Christ adherent, instilled in him a strong moral compass an…
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