Ronald Reagan was born in 1911 in a small town in Illinois. He indulged in acting classes in school and later turned his attention to politics. Reagan picked up jobs in Iowa as a radio announcer and even Major League Baseball. He then moved on to Hollywood, where he began his career as a worldwide-known actor. The first movie in which he had a starring role was "Love Is on the Air" in 1937, and the rest was history. He became a famous actor who would perform in dozens of other movies shown all over the world.
Eventually, Reagan turned to the military and became a Second Lieutenant in the Officers' Reserve Corps of the Cavalry. In 1942, he was ordered to his first overseas mission, but he was classified for limited service due to his poor eyesight. After coming back into Hollywood, Reagan was elected President of the Board of Directors of the Screen Actors Guild from 1947 through 1951, and then 1959. He testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee as a strong anti-communist to speak of communist ideals within the Screen Actors Guild.
In 1966, Reagan defeated two-term California Governor Pat Brown and became Governor of California, his first major move in politics. Reagan ran for president in 1976 but failed to become the Republican nominee, but in 1980 he defeated President Jimmy Carter and became President of the United States. In 1981, only two months into his presidency, President Reagan was shot by assassin John Hinckley Jr. outside a hotel he was giving a speech at. Reagan was treated in critical condition but survived, and his approval rating soared to 73%.
In a 1987 speech in West Berlin, President Reagan was interrupted abruptly by the loud pop of a balloon. Instead of being taken off stage by the Secret Service or even guarded, Reagan simply said, "missed me" (https://youtu.be/5UowNDaxRqU). It was a great moment of laughter and joy that Reagan was masterful at. The president has been known for his famous one-liners throughout his presidency, and this certainly was a great one.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_Reagan
https://laughingsquid.com/ronald-reagan-missed-me-west-berlin-speech/
Ronald Reagan truly was famous for his ironic one-liners! He actually kept stacks of one-liners on notecards in his desk that he could add to his speeches. Some examples were "nothing like a vote in the U.N. to tell you who your friends used to be," "never start an argument with a woman when she's tired or when she's rested," and "rhe art of politics is making people like you, no matter what it costs them." His one-liners certainly did make people like him, as it provided a simple, relatable humor to his speeches. Reagan was even called the "Great Communicator," because he had such an effortlessly powerful way with words and humor.
ReplyDeleteSources: https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/ronald-reagans-index-cards-of-one-liners/4/
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HA7sP47e8tA
It was very interesting to learn about Ronald Reagan's life before and during his presidency. I was surprised to learn in class that he was an actor earlier in his life, and this post supplemented that. I was also curious about why John Hinckley Jr. made an attempt on Reagan's life. It turns out that Hinckley was obsessed with actress Jodie Foster at the time, and he wanted to impress her by assassinating the President. He had even stalked Jimmy Carter when he was President.
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