Ronald Reagan 2004 Deaths

Ronald Reagan

40th president of the United States, remembered for his eloquence, his ability to connect with his constituency, and his unbridled optimism. Reagan won the presidency in 1980, promising moderate policies and a smaller government. Barely three months into his first term, Reagan was the target of a would-be assassin's bullet; his courageous comeback earned him public admiration. The president gained acclaim for his nomination of Sandra Day O'Connor as the first woman on the Supreme Court. He was reelected in a landslide in 1984. Congress passed his huge tax cut, but the growing budget deficit remained an issue with the public and members of Congress. Reagan's popularity dipped sharply in 1986 when the Iran-Contra scandal broke. Reagan's place in history will rest, perhaps, on the short- and intermediate-range missile treaty signed on a cordial visit to the Soviet Union.

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