1981 -1989
With the American presidential election on the horizon, I want to briefly highlight the man I consider the greatest president of my lifetime. Ronald Reagan served two consecutive terms as President of the United States, from 1981 to 1989, and he easily won both elections as landslide victories. As a matter of fact, he won 44 states in the presidential election of 1980, and then 49 states in the presidential election of 1984. I personally have a fond memory of watching his first presidential inauguration on tv in my first grade class, in January 1981.
As president, Reagan was much loved, and there were lots of amazing things about the Reagan years overall (though I can’t possibly mention them all in this one entry). Reagan’s huge triumph in his first presidential election was primarily in response to the disastrous Carter administration of the late 70s. The turnaround that the country experienced during Reagan’s two terms was quite impressive. The decade of the 80s is sometimes referred to as the “Age of Excess” for a reason. It was a time of prosperity. And for me personally, the fact that the 80s was a time was a time of prosperity is probably the most memorable aspect of the Reagan years. The country had a thriving, booming economy. My own parents were able to establish a successful business during that time.
And, one thing that makes Reagan’s accomplishments as president all the more interesting is that it all took place in a time when the USSR was America’s biggest threat, and the Cold War was still in full swing. In the back of many people’s minds, there was the fear of possible nuclear war. Through it all, Reagan managed to keep the threat of the Soviet Union at bay. He proved to be a resolute leader and a statesman, which was exactly what the country needed from the president at the time. In addition, as fate would have it, he even survived an assassination attempt in March 1981.
Ronald Wilson Reagan (pron.: /ˈrɒnəld ˈwɪlsən ˈreɪɡən/; February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was the 40th President of the United States (1981–89). Prior to that, he was the 33rd Governor of California (1967–75), and a radio, film and television actor.Born in Tampico, Illinois, and raised in Dixon, Reagan was educated at Eureka College, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and sociology. After graduating, Reagan moved first to Iowa to work as a radio broadcaster and then, in 1937, to Los Angeles where he began a career as an actor, first in films and later television. Some of his most notable films include Knute Rockne, All American (1940), Kings Row (1942), and Bedtime for Bonzo (1951). Reagan served as President of the Screen Actors Guild and later as a spokesman for General Electric (GE); his start in politics occurred during his work for GE. Originally a member of the Democratic Party, his positions began shifting rightward in the 1950s, and he switched to the Republican Party in 1962. After delivering a rousing speech in support of Barry Goldwater's presidential candidacy in 1964, he was persuaded to seek the California governorship, winning two years later and again in 1970. He was defeated in his run for the Republican presidential nomination in 1968 and in 1976, but won both the nomination and general election in 1980, defeating incumbent Jimmy Carter.
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