The actor and president of the United States from 1981 to 1989, responsible for the end of the cold war, died of Alzheimer's disease at his residence in Los Angeles at the age of 93, becoming the longest-serving president of the United States
“Where is what I'm missing?” asked a grieving Ronnie in Abyss of Passion. The young performer Ronald Reagan was unknowingly signing his acting death warrant. The dialogue of that film, shot in 1942, would be a metaphor for his inadequacies as an actor, and 16 years later it would take its toll. That cowboy didn't have what it took to be a star: ambition.
Sixty-six years later, on June 5, 2004, Ronald Wilson Reagan died of Alzheimer's at his home in Bel Air, Los Angeles, at the age of 93, becoming the longest-serving president of the United States.
His remains rest alongside those of his second wife, Nancy Davis, in the Library
Simi Valley Presidential. Rehabilitated as a leader over time, in the memory of the Americans he prevails as the restorer of the nation's pride, due to his charm and seduction in the exercise of power, his optimism, and his sense of humor. 'I hope they are not Republicans', he had blurted out to the doctors who treated him after the attack suffered in 1981. Good old Ronnie, always in the gap.
But the actor lives not only in Hollywood and this was demonstrated by Ronnie when he became the 40th president of the United States on January 20, 1981.
All that relegated ambition had struggled to come to light and the occasion more than deserved it. That second-in-command-turned-premier set himself the objective of giving a boost to the American people and, knowing his power of seduction and his skills as a 'great communicator', he got down to work, ready to raise the morale of the country, inject optimism and lead him to victory in the cold war against communism. In favor of this, he decided to focus his mission on the recovery of his decimated economic well-being. He made it very clear in his inauguration speech: 'It is time to reverse the growth of the Government's action... Our objective must be a healthy, vigorous, and developing economy.
And so he did. After cleverly dealing with Congress, he obtained legislation known as 'Reaganomics', based on the liberal doctrines of stimulating economic growth, reducing inflation, increasing employment, and strengthening the national defense. As expected, this economic policy, focused on cutting social programs and completely changing the role of the State in the economy, only increased the income of the richest. Thus his tax inheritance, renamed by Bush senior as 'voodoo economics', would be a real fiasco. Its victims would number in the thousands in the 1990s, when 12 million American children—a quarter of the total—lived in poverty, while the net income of the top 1% of taxpayers rose 87% and that of those with less income fell 5%.
But for Reagan, a champion of the most fervent optimism, "the best is always yet to come" and he managed against all odds to sweep two elections. His detractors failed to tarnish his image. With his sympathy and telegenic, simple slogans, and fervent patriotism, Reagan had restored confidence to the nation after almost two decades of collective traumas (the presidential espionage of Watergate) and external setbacks (the humiliating and bloody defeat in Vietnam, or the episode of the Tehran embassy hijacking).
Ronnie, the most 'spectacular' US president, ruled the country from 1981 to 1989. Five years after leaving the White House, he said goodbye to him after announcing to his country and the world that he suffered from Alzheimer's. With the mastery that allowed him to conquer the common people, the most popular president in the history of the United States said goodbye with this message: "The journey that will lead to the twilight of my life has begun."
KEY DATES OF THE REAGAN PRESIDENCY:
1981
January 20-On the day of his inauguration, the 52 Americans held in Tehran for 444 days are released.
March 30 - Attack on Reagan, seriously injured by John Hinckley, a young man who tried to impress actress Jodie Foster.
December 1 - Assistance to the Contras, rebels fighting against the Sandinistas in Nicaragua
1982
June 8 - Speech before the British Parliament: Reagan declares war on the whole world against communism
1983
March 8 - Describes the USSR as an 'evil empire'
March 23 - Launch of the Strategic Defense Initiative, a missile defense program described as 'Star wars
October 23 - Nearly 200 US soldiers were killed in a suicide attack in Lebanon.
October 25 - United States invades Grenada
November 14 - Installation of the first cruise missiles in England
1984
November 6 - Reagan is re-elected for a second term.
1985
October 7/10 - The ship 'Achille Lauro' is hijacked by a Palestinian commando. An American passenger is killed. American fighters force the plane where the hijackers are fleeing to land at a base in Sicily
November 19 - First summit between Reagan and Gorbachev in Geneva
1986
April 5 - Attack against 'La Belle' an American nightclub in Berlin.
April 14 - US bombing of Libyan military bases.
1987
June 12 - In a speech in Berlin, Reagan challenges Soviet leader Mikhail to tear down the Berlin Wall.
1988
July 3 - An American ship mistakenly fires on an Iranian commercial plane in the Gulf: 290 people die
1989
January 20 - Cession of power to George Bush
