Early Life and Education of Ronald Reagan: A Complete Timeline

An overview of the childhood and early education of Ronald Reagan, highlighting the experiences that shaped the journey.

Ronald Reagan, the 40th U.S. President (1981-1989), was a key figure in the American conservative movement and the Republican Party. His presidency, known as the Reagan era, saw significant policy changes and a shift in political landscape.

Sections (7)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals Legacy & Impact

February 6, 1911: Ronald Reagan's Birth

On February 6, 1911, Ronald Wilson Reagan was born in Tampico, Illinois.

Others born on this day/year

1920: Reagan Family Moves to Dixon

In 1920, the Reagan family settled in Dixon, Illinois.

1928: Enrolls in Eureka College

In 1928, Reagan began attending Eureka College.

1930: Plays Football for Eureka

In 1930, Ronald Reagan played guard for the Eureka Red Devils football team.

1931: Plays Football for Eureka

In 1931, Ronald Reagan played guard for the Eureka Red Devils football team.

1932: Graduation from Eureka College

In 1932, Ronald Reagan graduated from Eureka College.

April 1937: Enlists in the United States Army Reserve

In April 1937, Reagan enlisted in the United States Army Reserve.

1937: Move to California

In 1937, Ronald Reagan moved to California to become a film actor.

January 1940: Marriage to Jane Wyman

In January 1940, Ronald Reagan married Jane Wyman.

October 1941: Draft Deferments

In October 1941, Wasserman and Warner Bros. lawyers successfully sent draft deferments for Reagan to complete filming "Kings Row".

1941: Birth of Maureen Reagan

In 1941, Maureen Reagan, the daughter of Ronald Reagan and Jane Wyman, was born.

April 1942: Leaves to Active Duty

In April 1942, Reagan left Warner Brothers for active duty in the military.

April 1942: Begins Military Service

In April 1942, Ronald Reagan began his military service.

December 9, 1945: Discharge from Military Service

On December 9, 1945, Ronald Reagan was discharged from the military as a captain.

1945: HICCASP Anti-Nuclear Rally

In 1945, Reagan planned to lead an anti-nuclear rally with the Hollywood Independent Citizens Committee of the Arts, Sciences and Professions (HICCASP), but Warner Bros. prevented him from participating.

1945: Adoption of Michael Reagan

In 1945, Ronald Reagan and Jane Wyman adopted a son, Michael.

1946: Operation Terror Radio Program

In 1946, Reagan appeared in a radio program called Operation Terror, where he spoke out against the rising activity of the Ku Klux Klan, denouncing it as a systematic campaign of fascist violence, intimidation, and horror.

1947: Birth and Death of Christine Reagan

In 1947, Christine Reagan, the daughter of Ronald Reagan and Jane Wyman, was born prematurely and died the following day.

June 1948: Divorce Filing by Jane Wyman

In June 1948, Jane Wyman filed for divorce from Ronald Reagan.

1948: Support for Harry S. Truman

In 1948, Reagan supported Harry S. Truman in the presidential election, showing his alignment with the Democratic Party at the time.

July 1949: Divorce Finalized

In July 1949, Ronald Reagan's divorce from Jane Wyman was finalized.

1950: Support for Helen Gahagan Douglas

In 1950, Reagan supported Helen Gahagan Douglas for the U.S. Senate, continuing his involvement in political endorsements within the Democratic Party.

March 1952: Marriage to Nancy Davis

In March 1952, Ronald Reagan married Nancy Davis.

October 1952: Birth of Patti Reagan

In October 1952, Patti Reagan, the daughter of Ronald Reagan and Nancy Davis, was born.

1952: Support for Dwight D. Eisenhower

In 1952, Reagan began to shift to the right by supporting Dwight D. Eisenhower's presidential campaign.

May 1958: Birth of Ron Reagan

In May 1958, Ron Reagan, the son of Ronald Reagan and Nancy Davis, was born.

1960: Support for Richard Nixon

In 1960, Reagan supported the presidential campaign of Richard Nixon, continuing his shift towards the Republican party.

1961: Criticism of Medicare

In 1961, Reagan adapted his General Electric speeches to criticize Medicare, viewing its legislation as a threat to individual freedom in the United States.

1962: Registered as a Republican

In 1962, after being dropped by General Electric, Reagan formally registered as a Republican, marking a significant change in his political affiliation.

January 1966: Candidacy for California Governorship Announced

In January 1966, Reagan announced his candidacy for the California governorship, reiterating his stances on individual freedom and limited government.

1968: Fair Housing Act of 1968 loopholes corrected

In September, legislation was passed to correct loopholes in the Fair Housing Act of 1968.

1974: Declined Governorship Run

In 1974, Reagan declined to run for the governorship.

November 20, 1975: Presidential Campaign Announcement

On November 20, 1975, Reagan announced his campaign for president, discussing economic and social problems, and to a lesser extent, foreign affairs.

1976: Kansas City convention

In 1976, at the Kansas City convention, neither candidate reached the 1,130 delegates required for their party's nomination before Ford replacing mentions of détente with Reagan's preferred phrase, "peace through strength".

1977: Ford's Loss to Carter

In 1977, Ford told Cannon that Reagan's primary challenge contributed to his own narrow loss to Democrat Jimmy Carter in the 1976 presidential election.

1977: Critic of President Carter

In 1977, Reagan emerged as a vocal critic of President Carter, opposing the Panama Canal Treaty.

November 13, 1979: Announcement of 1980 Presidential Campaign

On November 13, 1979, Reagan announced his 1980 presidential campaign, criticizing the federal government and stressing tax cuts, small government, and a strong national defense.

1980: Reagan's campaign promise of submitting a balanced budget

During his 1980 campaign, Reagan promised to submit a balanced budget.

1980: Inflation rate at 12 percent

During the 1980 election, the inflation rate was at 12 percent.

January 28, 1981: Reagan lifts oil and gasoline price controls

On January 28, 1981, President Reagan lifted federal oil and gasoline price controls as part of his economic policy.

March 30, 1981: Reagan shot outside Washington Hilton

On March 30, 1981, Ronald Reagan was shot by John Hinckley Jr. outside the Washington Hilton. He underwent surgery at George Washington University Hospital and quickly recovered.

July 1981: US Economy Enters Recession

In July 1981, the US economy entered a recession, impacting Reagan's early presidency.

1981: Reagan approves cuts to Social Security

In 1981, President Reagan approved a plan for cuts to Social Security in an effort to keep it solvent, but later backed off due to public backlash. He also signed the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981 to cut funding for federal assistance programs.

1981: Reagan sought to loosen federal regulation of economic activities

In 1981, Ronald Reagan sought to loosen federal regulation of economic activities.

1981: National debt as a percentage of GDP

In 1981, the national debt as a percentage of the gross domestic product was 33 percent.

December 1982: Unemployment Rate Reaches 10.8 Percent

In December 1982, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the unemployment rate at 10.8 percent during the recession.

1982: Reagan signs Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act

In 1982, amid growing concerns about the federal debt, President Reagan signed the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act, which increased the federal cigarette tax and rescinded some corporate tax cuts from 1981.

1982: Voting Rights Act Extended

In 1982, despite Reagan's prior opposition, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was extended for 25 years.

1982: Garn-St. Germain Depository Institutions Act deregulated savings and loan associations

The 1982 Garn–St. Germain Depository Institutions Act deregulated savings and loan associations, leading to riskier activities and contributing to the savings and loan crisis.

October 19, 1983: Overthrow and Murder of Maurice Bishop

On October 19, 1983, Maurice Bishop was overthrown and murdered by one of his colleagues.

1983: Federal tax decreases for most taxpayers

By 1983, the amount of federal tax had fallen for all or most taxpayers, with taxes for higher-income people decreasing the most.

1983: Martin Luther King Jr. Day established

In 1983, Reagan signed a bill to create Martin Luther King Jr. Day after it passed both houses of Congress with veto-proof margins, despite his initial opposition.

1983: Reagan signs amendments to raise Social Security

In 1983, Reagan signed amendments to raise both the Social Security program's payroll taxes and retirement age for benefits.

1983: Recession ends and Volcker renominated

In 1983, the recession ended and President Reagan nominated Paul Volcker to a second term as Federal Reserve chairman.

1984: Legislation to impose fines for housing discrimination

In 1984, President Reagan signed legislation intended to impose fines for fair housing discrimination offenses.

October 1985: Rock Hudson's Death

In October 1985, the death of Rock Hudson, a friend of President Reagan, impacted Reagan's view on AIDS, prompting him to seek more information about the disease.

1985: Defense spending doubled

Defense spending doubled between 1981 and 1985 during Reagan's presidency.

1985: Indexing of federal income tax exemptions and brackets begins

In 1985, the indexing of federal income tax exemptions and brackets for inflation began, as mandated by the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981.

1986: Reagan administration eliminated almost half of federal regulations

By 1986, the Reagan administration had eliminated almost half of the federal regulations that had existed in 1981.

1986: Tax Reform Act reduces tax brackets

In 1986, the Tax Reform Act reduced the number of tax brackets and the top tax rate, while also nearly doubling personal exemptions.

1987: Unsuccessful nomination of Robert Bork to Supreme Court

In 1987, President Reagan unsuccessfully nominated Robert Bork to the Supreme Court.

1987: Reagan Vetoes Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987

In 1987, Reagan vetoed the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987, but Congress overrode his veto.

January 20, 1989: End of Presidency

On January 20, 1989, Ronald Reagan left the presidency at the age of 77, becoming the oldest president at the end of his tenure at that time.

1989: Unemployment measured at 5.3 percent

By 1989, the Bureau of Labor Statistics measured the unemployment rate at 5.3 percent.

1989: National debt as a percentage of GDP rises to 53 percent

By 1989, the national debt as a percentage of the gross domestic product rose to 53 percent, up from 33 percent in 1981.

1989: Retirement Activities

In 1989, after retiring, Ronald Reagan supported repealing the Twenty-second Amendment's presidential term limits.

1989: Support for Gun Control

In 1989, in his first public appearance after leaving office, Reagan publicly stated his support for gun control, specifically stating that "an AK-47, a machine gun, is not a sporting weapon or needed for the defense of the home".

1990: Budget Enforcement Act

In 1990, Reagan's successor, Bush, reneged on his campaign promise by raising taxes through the Budget Enforcement Act.

1990: Longest peacetime expansion ends

In 1990, the economic activity that had begun to rise in 1982 came to an end, setting the record for the longest peacetime expansion.

March 1991: Op-Ed on Brady Bill

In March 1991, Reagan wrote an op-ed in the New York Times, titled "Why I'm for the Brady Bill".

1991: Opening of Reagan Library

In 1991, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library was opened.

1992: Address to Republican National Convention

In 1992, Reagan addressed the Republican National Convention, aiming to inspire allegiance to the party regulars, and he favored a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget.

February 3, 1994: Final Public Speech

On February 3, 1994, Reagan gave his final public speech during a tribute to him in Washington, D.C.

April 27, 1994: Appearance at Nixon's Funeral

On April 27, 1994, Reagan's last major public appearance was at the funeral of Richard Nixon.

May 1994: Letter Supporting Assault Weapons Ban

In May 1994, Reagan, along with Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter, sent a letter to House members, urging them to support the controversial Federal Assault Weapons Ban.