Ronald Reagan

Profession: US President and Actor

Nationality:

Political Party: Republican
Political Titles: Governor of California

Presidential Term: January 20, 1981 - January 20, 1989
Preceded By: Jimmy Carter
Succeeded By: George H. W. Bush

Biography: Previously an actor and the Governor of California from 1967 to 1975, Reagan defeated Jimmy Carter in the 1980 election, having lost the Republican nomination previously in 1976.

In 1981 he survived an assassination attempt. His first term saw the introduction of 'Reaganomics', which advocated supply-side policies involving tax rate reduction, deregulation and reduction in public spending. He also fought the labor unions, including the firing of air traffic controllers who went on strike.

His second term commenced in 1984 after he won the largest electoral college landslide in American history. Reagan initiated rollback, increasing tensions with the Soviet Union by introducing new military spending. He famously went in front of the Berlin Wall and exhorted Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to "tear down this wall!". Despite this he formed a good working relationship with Gorbachev, who introduced reforms; Reagan's era saw the end of the Cold War and the confirmation of American dominance in international affairs.

In his presidency he initiated the bombing of Libya, the invasion of Grenada and weathered a major public scandal when it emerged his administration was conducting arms sales to Iran - then the subject of international sanctions - and using the money to fund the Contras in Nicaragua.

Reagan left office with a 68% approval rating. Despite criticism of his foreign and domestic policies, he is a conservative icon among Republicans and often seen as a symbol of America's re-emergence as a cultural, political and military power during the 1980s.

Shortly after the end of his presidency, the Berlin Wall fell and the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. In 1994 Reagan announced he had Alzheimers disease and died from complications related to that in 2004.

Born: February 6, 1911
Birthplace: Tampico, Illinois, USA

Generation: Greatest Generation
Chinese Zodiac: Pig
Star Sign: Aquarius

Died: June 5, 2004 (aged 93)
Cause of Death: Complications from Alzheimer's disease