Ronald Reagan was the 40th president of the United States, serving two terms from January 1981 to January 1989. A former actor and governor of California, he promoted conservative economic policies and a firm stance against the Soviet Union.
Reagan pursued supply-side economic policies—large tax cuts, deregulation, and shifts in spending—that helped lower inflation and stimulate growth but also coincided with rising federal deficits and greater income inequality.
On foreign policy he combined a military buildup and tough rhetoric toward the USSR with later diplomacy with Mikhail Gorbachev that advanced arms-control agreements; his presidency was also marred by the Iran–Contra affair.
Enacted major tax cuts with the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981; Pursued deregulation and conservative judicial appointments; Increased defense spending and advanced the Strategic Defense Initiative; Negotiated with Mikhail Gorbachev, contributing to U.S.–Soviet arms reductions; Re-elected in a 1984 landslide victory; Administration tarnished by the Iran–Contra affair
Key highlights and dated events associated with this presidency.
Showing 12 of 189 entries.
President Reagan submitted a formal notification to Congress under the War Powers Resolution explaining and justifying the April 15 U.S. air strikes on Libya.
President Reagan gave a nationally broadcast statement defending the April 15 U.S. air strikes on Libya as a necessary response to Libyan-sponsored terrorism.
U.S. aircraft carried out coordinated air strikes against Libyan military and intelligence targets in retaliation for state-sponsored terrorism, an operation later known as El Dorado Canyon.
A bombing struck the La Belle discotheque in West Berlin, a club frequented by U.S. servicemen, an attack that the Reagan administration attributed to Libyan-backed terrorists.
On the heels of the People Power uprising and Marcos' departure, the Reagan administration acknowledged Corazon Aquino as the legitimate president of the Philippines.
After days of mass protests in the Philippines, the Reagan administration accepted Ferdinand Marcos' departure and authorized U.S. assistance to transport Marcos and his family to Hawaii.
On February 25, Corazon 'Cory' Aquino took the oath of office as the new president of the Philippines following mass protests and the effective collapse of Ferdinand Marcos's government.
On February 22, widespread civilian demonstrations and key military defections coalesced along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) in Metro Manila, launching the People Power movement against Ferdinand Marcos.
President Reagan established and appointed the Presidential Commission on the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident, chaired by former Secretary of State William P. Rogers, to investigate the Jan. 28 shuttle disaster.
On January 28, 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds after liftoff, killing seven astronauts, and President Ronald Reagan delivered a televised address that evening mourning the loss and consoling the nation.
President Ronald Reagan delivered the 1986 State of the Union Address to a joint session of Congress, outlining priorities including tax reform, a strong defense posture, and continued economic growth goals.
President Reagan signed the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, commonly called Gramm–Rudman–Hollings, establishing statutory deficit targets and automatic across-the-board spending cuts (sequestration) if Congress missed them.