Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagan was the 40th president of the United States, serving from 1981 to 1989.

Ronald Reagan was the 40th president of the United States, serving from 1981 to 1989. He is a central figure in modern American conservatism and the final years of the Cold War.

What it is

Ronald Wilson Reagan was born in Tampico, Illinois, on February 6, 1911. Before politics, he worked as a radio sports announcer and Hollywood actor. He served as governor of California from 1967 to 1975 before winning the presidency in 1980.

Key details

Reagan was the oldest person elected U.S. president at the time. His presidency is known for Reaganomics—tax cuts, deregulation, and increased defence spending—and a confrontational early stance toward the Soviet Union, followed by arms-control diplomacy. He was re-elected in 1984.

Why it matters

Reagan’s policies shaped U.S. economic and foreign policy for decades. His presidency also affected Canada through trade, defence, and Cold War diplomacy in the 1980s. He publicly disclosed an Alzheimer’s diagnosis in 1994 and died in 2004.