Welcome to PEOPLE IN AMERICA in VOA Special English. Today Gwen Outen and Steve Ember tell about America's fortieth president, Ronald Reagan. Experts say Ronald Reagan re-defined the American presidency during his 2 terms in 1980s. He became president when he was 69-years-old. It was a far different place from that of his birth on February 6th, 1911.
Ronald Wilson Reagan was born in Tampico, Illinois. His mother Nelle, father Jack, and brother Neil lived above a bank in the town. Ronald Reagan's family began calling the baby "Dutch." The nickname remained for the rest of his life.
Jack Reagan worked at a general store.
Ronald Reagan studied at Eureka College in Illinois. After seeing a play at college, he "More than anything in the world, I wanted to speak the actor's words."
Ronald Reagan moved to Hollywood and became a movie star. He appeared in many movies. "Knute Rockne -- All American," is probably his most famous. It is where he got the nickname "The Gipper."
Mr. Reagan played George Gipp, one of the greatest college football players ever. In the movie, he speaks of the school's football team as he is dying.
"...Ask them to go in there with all they got, win just one for the Gipper."
Those words, "win one for the Gipper," later became a political battle cry for Ronald Reagan. In nineteen forty, he married actress Jane Wyman. They had 2 children, Maureen and Michael. But the marriage ended in 1949.
Ronald Reagan became president of the main labor group for movie actors in 1948. He served 6 terms. He met actress Nancy Davis through the union. They married in 1952. They later had two children, Patti and Ron.
He later became known as "The Great Communicator."
Nancy Reagan supported her husband's political interests. Political experts say she was always his most important adviser.
In 1966, Ronald Reagan announced his own candidacy for governor of California. Democrats in the state did not think he was a serious candidate. However, Mr. Reagan was elected governor by almost 1,000,000 votes.
Then, in 1980, he became the Republican Party's presidential candidate. His opponent was President Jimmy Carter.
The two men debated on national television. Ronald Reagan spoke directly and simply to the American people and asked them some q "Are you better off than you were four years ago? Is it easier for you to go and buy things in the stores than it was four years ago? Is there more or less unemployment in the country than there was four years ago?"
Ronald Reagan won the United States presidential election by a huge majority. He and his vice-president, George Herbert Walker Bush, were sworn into office in January, 1981. Many people called the change in political power "The Reagan Revolution."
President Reagan immediately began to work to honor a major campaign promise. He called on Congress to lower taxes. But only 2 months later, tragedy struck. A mentally sick man shot the president and three other people outside a hotel in Washington. President Reagan and his press secretary, James Brady, were severely wounded.
Mr. Reagan had a bullet in his left lung, close to his heart. But he showed his sense of humor at the hospital. As the president was taken into the operating room he said he hoped all the doctors were Republicans.
Ronald Reagan recovered from the shooting and returned to work within 2 weeks.
The Reagan economic policy became known as "Reaganomics." It had, and still has, supporters and opponents. Some people argued that the cuts in social programs greatly hurt poor people. Others said the policy improved the economy.
President Reagan sought re-election in 1984. His Democratic opponent was former Vice-President Walter Mondale. Again Mr. Reagan won the election by a large amount.
President Reagan dealt with many serious foreign issues while in office.
He gave a famous speech at the Berlin Wall that divided Soviet-controlled East Germany from West Germany on June 12th, 1987.
"General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek libera Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"
Ronald and Nancy Reagan returned to California after his second term ended in 1989. In 1984, Mr. Reagan wrote an open letter to the American people. He informed them that he had the brain disease Alzheimer's. The former president expressed his love for the country and thanked Americans for letting him serve. And, he "I know that for America there will always be a bright dawn ahead."
Ronald Reagan died at his home in California on June 5th, 2004. He was 93.
This program was written by Caty Weaver. Mario Ritter was the producer. I'm Gwen Outen. And I'm Steve Ember. Listen again next week for another PEOPLE IN AMERICA in VOA Special English.
Thanks to manythings.org for text and audio This is a VOA product and is in the public domain
