Ronald Wilson Reagan, February 6, 1911 - Ronald Reagan was born on February 6, 1911, to Nelle and John Reagan in Tampico, Illinois. He attended high school in nearby Dixon and then worked his way through Eureka College, where he studied economics and sociology, played on the football team, and acted in school plays. After graduation, he became a radio sports announcer for WOC, a small radio station in Davenport, Iowa. After WOC consolidated with WHO in Des Moines, "Dutch" recreated Chicago Cubs baseball games from the studio. Reagan enlisted in the Army Reserve as a Private but was soon promoted to 2nd Lieutenant in the Officers Reserve Corps of the Cavalry. An agent for Warner Brothers… "discovered" Reagan in Los Angeles in 1937 and offered him a seven year contract. Reagan played George Gipp in his most acclaimed film, "Knute Rockne -- All American" in 1940. In 1942, the Army Air Force called Reagan to active duty and assigned Lieutenant Reagan to the 1st Motion Picture Unit in Culver City, California, where he made over 400 training films. On July 22, 1943, the Army promoted Reagan to the rank of Captain, and on December 9, 1945, he was discharged. During the next two decades he appeared in 53 films. 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 and was re-elected in 1970. For several months after his gubernatorial term ended, in 1974, Reagan wrote a syndicated newspaper column and provided commentaries on radio stations across the country. November 20, 1975, Reagan announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for president. He lost the party's nomination, but his showing laid the groundwork for the 1980 election. On November 13, 1979, Reagan announced his candidacy for President. After winning the party's nomination min 1980, he chose former Texas Congressman and United Nations Ambassador George Bush as his running mate. Reagan won 489 electoral votes to 49 for President Jimmy Carter. On January 20, 1981, Reagan took office. 69 days later he was shot by a would-be assassin, but recovered and returned to duty. Dealing intelligently 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, and 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 meetings with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, Reagan negotiated a treaty that would eliminate intermediate-range nuclear missiles. He declared war against international terrorism, sending American bombers against Libya after evidence came out that Libya was involved in an attack on American soldiers in a West Berlin nightclub. By ordering naval escorts in the Persian Gulf, he maintained the free flow of oil during the Iran-Iraq war. In keeping with the Reagan Doctrine, he gave support to anti- Communist insurgencies in Central America, Asia, and Africa. Reagan retired from the office of the President in 1989.