The POTUS Timeline
Appointment

CIA Director William J. Casey dies

William J. Casey, Director of Central Intelligence and a key figure in the Reagan administration, died on May 6, 1987 at age 74 after a battle with a brain tumor.

Casey’s death created an immediate vacancy at the top of the CIA during the unfolding Iran–Contra controversy and forced the administration to name a successor, altering national security leadership at a critical moment.

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