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Ronald Reagan Facts & Worksheets

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Ronald Reagan was the 40th President of the United States (1981-1989). He was one of the most influential U.S Presidents, a movie actor and governor. Reagan urged the Soviet Union to end Cold War. See the fact file below for more information on Ronald Reagan or alternatively download our comprehensive worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Early Life:

  • Ronald Wilson Reagan was born on February 6, 1911 in Tampico, Illinois and was the son of Jack Reagan and Nelle Wilson. In 1928, young Ronald graduated from Dixon High School, and in the same year he enrolled at the Eureka College in Illinois, eventually graduating in 1932. Upon his graduation, he worked as a sportscaster in Davenport, Iowa, as a sports announcer for football and baseball games.
  • In 1937, he was awarded a 7-year movie contract with Warner Brothers while he was in California covering the Cubs’ spring training.
  • On January 26, 1940, he married Jane Wyman, but they divorced in 1948. He then married Nancy Davis on March 4, 1952. Cumulatively, he had four children – two from each wife.
  • In April 1937, he enlisted in the U.S Army Reserve and eventually he left active duty in December 1945, returning to acting. He worked in the First Motion Pictures which produced training films for the Air Force.
  • In 1941, he was elected to the Screen Actors Guild Board of Directors and became the president from 1947 until 1952, and again in 1959. As the President of the SAG he investigated Hollywood for alleged communist connections in 1947. In two decades, from 1937 to 1957, Reagan appeared in 52 Hollywood films. From 1954 to 1962, he hosted the TV show General Electric Theater and the Death Valley days from 1964 to 1965.
  • His political career started when he was elected Governor of California in 1966, where he served until 1975.
  • During the 1976 election, he sought the Republican Party’s presidential nomination, but lost to Gerald Ford. Eventually in 1980, he became the Republican Party’s Presidential candidate. Reagan won the election with 50.7% of the popular vote and the majority of the electoral votes.

Ronald Reagan’s Presidency:

  • On January 20, 1981, Ronald Reagan took his oath as the 40th President of the United States, at the West Front, in the U.S Capitol. It was during his inauguration when the remaining 52 American hostages were released.
  • Two months after his oath, John Warnock Hinckley, Jr. attempted to assassinate the President. Reagan was shot in the chest while he was outside the Washington Hilton Hotel, but he recovered and was released from hospital 11 days later.
  • He signed the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 which reduced individual income tax, corporate taxes, and estate taxes.
  • In 1981, as a response to the Cold War, President Reagan initiated the buildup of the U.S Armed Forces through reviving the B-1 Lancer bomber program and the production of the MX missile. By March 1983, he had named the Soviet Union the “evil empire.”
  • The Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act was signed in September 1982 in order to reduce the budget deficit caused by recession.
  • In April 1983, the Social Security Reform Bill was signed, enabling changes in the coverage, financing, and benefits of the Social Security System.
  • In 1984, he won the re-election with a landslide victory. In November 1985, a summit conference in Geneva was held, where President Reagan and Soviet General Mikhail Gorbachev discussed the arms control. The Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty was signed in December 1987 after meetings in Reykjavik, Iceland in 1986 and Washington, D.C.
  • In April 1986, Reagan ordered the airstrike on Libya under the Operation Eldorado Canyon, after the Libyan-led bombing of a discotheque in West Berlin where there were American servicemen casualties.
  • The Tax Reform Act was signed into law which simplified the income tax code.
  • In November 1986, the Tower Commission investigated the Iran-Contra Affair. It was found out that Reagan had no knowledge of the affair’s extent, yet on March 1987, the President claimed full responsibility in a live television broadcast.
  • In June 1987, he visited West Berlin and made the famous speech addressing Gorbachev. Part of his speech was “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” In addition, he asked Gorbachev to address the country’s issues regarding human rights and violence.
  • During his term, “Reaganomics” became famous. It included economic policies reducing government spending, federal income tax, capital gains tax, inflation, and government regulation.

Post-Presidency and Death

  • Retired Reagan spent his remaining years in his newly purchased house in Bel-Air, Los Angeles. In November 1990, he published his autobiography called “An American Life.”
  • On November 4, 1991, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California was dedicated and the ceremony was attended by five U.S Presidents.
    In 1992, he established the Ronald Reagan Freedom Award, honoring people who contributed to world’s freedom. Mikhail Gorbachev was the first recipient of the award.
  • On January 18, 1993, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom Award from President George H.W Bush. By the end of 1994, he announced that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. He also suffered a broken hip from a fall in 2001.
  • On June 5, 2004, Reagan died of pneumonia. Two days later, a family-only funeral service was held at the Presidential Library. On June 9, his body was flown to Washington, D.C, to the U.S Capitol. On June 11, a state funeral was held at the Washington Cathedral, and in attendance were several famous world leaders including Soviet
  • Premier Gorbachev. His body was then flown back to California and was interred at his Presidential Library.
  • He was the second-longest living U.S President, next to Gerald Ford. Reagan’s last public appearance was at the funeral service of former President Richard Nixon on April 27, 1994.

Ronald Reagan Worksheets

This bundle contains 11 ready-to-use Ronald Reagan Worksheets that are perfect for students who want to learn more about America’s 40th President of the United States.

Download includes the following worksheets

  • Ronald Reagan Facts
  • Teflon President
  • Cabinet Crossword
  • Ex Presidents
  • Reaganomics
  • All About the Berlin Wall
  • Washington and the Soviet Union
  • Wanted Hinckley!
  • Cartoon Analysis
  • Reagan Administration
  • Lights, Camera, Action!
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Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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