After reading both Killing Reagan and Killing Kennedy, I would have to say that this one was my least favorite of the two. Considering that no one killed Reagan. Just two months into Ronald Reagans presidency, he was shot near his heart and he lay there almost dead. He recovered pretty good, but he was still greatly injured. He was traumatized, but still was able to carry out the duties of being the President.
Ronald Reagan was the 40th President of the United States. He did a lot with his life. He was considered one of the most favorable presidents ever. Along with this, he was an actor, radio announcer, and also the governor of California. His legacy is still considered one of the best.
Reagan was born on February 6, 1911 in Illinois. His dad, Jack, was a sales man and he also told stories. Ronald’s mom, Nelle, was very involved in her church. When he was a boy, Reagan was a very chunky boy. His dad even gave him a nickname, Dutch. He only had one sibling, Neil. The family grew up in different cities around the state of Illinois. Reagan really liked playing sports while he was in high school. This is also where he learned to like acting.
Reagan attended Eureka College after high school where he studied economics and sociology. As like in high school, Reagan liked sports. While he was in college he was a cheerleader while also playing football. He was also the captain on the swim team. Along with these things, he also became a part of a fraternity.
When he graduated from college, Reagan auditioned to talk on the radio. The University of Iowa allowed him to announce all of their football games, with his very persuasive voice. This led for him to soon start announcing for the Chicago Cubs baseball games. Most people would be fine with this, but he was so ambitious. His love for acting was still so strong, and he had the opportunity to act. He was able to sign a seven-year contract with Warner Brothers. Reagan then went on to enlist into the Army Reserves.
When Ronald Reagan married Jane Wyman, it was his first marriage. Reagan became a dad in this marriage. He had two kids with Jane, Naureen and Christine. Christine died the day after she was born. After this they adopted a boy, Micheal. Ronald was very ambitious. And Jane didn’t like it. She filed for divorce with him when he became radical. It didn’t take him long to remarry though. Her name was Nancy Davis.
Ronald Reagans political views were liberal. Then, after his acting career, he changed his political views from liberal to conservative. He was elected the Governor of California. After this he decided to run for office in 1980. He ran against President Jimmy Carter. With 489 electoral votes Reagan became the next President. He chose George Bush as his running mate. This is when the book talks about Reagans assassination attempt. I feel as though this made the President traumatized for the rest of his Presidency. It made his popularity as a President grow. Along with this it made him more determined. This popularity and determination caused Reagan to be elected for a second term.
Reagan had many bad events happen during his eight years in office. It was a very traumatic time. Reagan had a very defensive strategy when it came to Communism. The aim was to protect peace in our nation. Reagan successfully reversed the Soviets and ending the Cold War. One of his greatest accomplishments brought to this nation from Ronald Reagan would have to be the tearing down of the Berlin Wall. His tear down this wall speech was one of his bests.
After his presidency, Ronald Reagan and his wife moved to Bel Air. Every now and then they made appearances for the Republican Party. Then, sadly, Ronald Reagan was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. It destroyed his brain cells and he had terrible memory loss. Then, on June 5, 2004, Ronald Reagan died of pneumonia which was made worse with his Alzheimer’s, he was 93.
The Reagan legacy will never be forgotten. Many people agree that he was the most influential president to have ever served in office. I would have to agree. I think that he was one of the best presidents we have had. His legacy will live on forever.
