Re—the sun—began a journey across
the sky in his boat. At sunset Re sailed
his boat to the underworld. There each
night he fought an evil snake named
Apopis. Apopis tried to prevent the sun
from rising again. But each night Re
won. Each morning he began another
journey across the sky, and the sun rose
again.
#More to explore
Egypt, Ancient • Isis and Osiris
• Mythology
Reagan, Ronald
Ronald Reagan was elected in 1980 as
the 40th president of the United States.
Reagan was a conservative who cut some
kinds of government spending but
strengthened the military. He strongly
opposed the Soviet Union and other
Communist countries.
Early Life and Career
RonaldWilson Reagan was born in
Tampico, Illinois, on February 6, 1911.
His parents were Jack Reagan, a shoe
salesman, and NelleWilson. At high
school in Dixon, Illinois, Reagan played
football and acted in school plays.
After graduating in 1932 from Eureka
College, Reagan became a radio sports
announcer in Iowa. In 1937 he moved
to southern California, where he became
a successful movie actor. His first film,
Reagan’s good
speaking skills
earned him
the title The
Great Communicator.
Re was the sun god of ancient Egypt.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Reagan, Ronald 31
Love Is on the Air, was released in 1937.
Reagan went on to appear in more than
50 movies and several popular television
shows.
DuringWorldWar II Reagan joined the
Army Air Corps but did not see combat.
In 1940 he married the actress Jane
Wyman. They had a daughter and
adopted a son before getting a divorce in
1948. Reagan married the actress Nancy
Davis in 1952. They had a daughter and
a son.
Political Career
Reagan was a Democrat during the
1940s. After growing more conservative,
he switched to the Republican Party in
1962.
Reagan was elected governor of California
in 1966 and in 1970. In 1980 he ran
for president with George Bush as his
running mate. Reagan defeated President
Jimmy Carter that year. He took
office in January 1981. Reagan ran for
reelection in 1984. He easily defeated
his opponent,Walter F. Mondale.
Presidency
Reagan worked to reduce the role of the
federal government. Congress approved
many of his proposals to cut spending,
except for defense, and to lower taxes.
February 6, June 5,
1911 1966 1980 1981 1986 1989 2004
Reagan is
born in
Tampico,
Illinois.
Reagan is
elected
governor of
California.
Reagan is
elected
president.
Reagan
survives an
assassination
attempt.
The Irancontra
affair
becomes
public.
Reagan retires;
George Bush
becomes
president.
Reagan
dies in Los
Angeles,
California.
T I M E L I N E
Ronald Reagan was the 40th president of
the United States.
32 Reagan, Ronald BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
On March 30, 1981, a man shot Reagan
in the chest inWashington, D.C.
Reagan recovered after surgery.
In foreign affairs, Reagan built up the
military to protect the country from the
Soviet Union. He also proposed a system
that would destroy missiles in space. He
called the system the Strategic Defense
Initiative. Reagan later improved relations
with the Soviets. His historic meetings
with Soviet leader Mikhail
Gorbachev led both countries to destroy
some nuclear weapons.
In 1986 the public discovered that officials
who worked for Reagan had illegally
sold weapons to Iran. The officials
hoped that Iran would help to free U.S.
hostages in Lebanon. They had then
secretly sent money from the weapons
sales to anti-Communist rebels (contras)
in Nicaragua. The Iran-contra affair
embarrassed Reagan, but he soon
regained his popularity.
Later Years
Reagan retired in 1989. In 1994 he
announced that he had Alzheimer’s disease.
Reagan died on June 5, 2004, in
Los Angeles, California.
#More to explore
Alzheimer’s Disease • Bush, George
• Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
• United States
Reconstruction
After the American CivilWar ended in
April 1865 the United States went
through a period known as Reconstruction.
The Union (the Northern states)
had defeated the Confederacy (the
Southern states that had left the Union).
From 1865 to 1877 the two sides
worked to put the United States back
together.
During Reconstruction, people disagreed
on how to readmit the Southern
states, or bring them back to the Union.
They also disagreed on what to do about
African Americans who had won freedom
from slavery.
Radical Reconstruction
While the war was still going on, President
Abraham Lincoln made a plan to
readmit Confederate states quickly. Lincoln
was killed in April 1865. Andrew
Johnson then became president. He
wanted to carry out Lincoln’s plan.
An illustration shows African American men
lining up to vote for the first time. Men who
had been slaves gained the right to vote
during Reconstruction.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Reconstruction 33
Some members of the U.S. Congress,
called Radical Republicans, disagreed
with Lincoln and Johnson. They wanted
to punish the South. They also wanted
to protect African Americans. In 1867
the Radical Republicans took control of
Congress. The period that followed is
called Radical Reconstruction.
During Radical Reconstruction, lawmakers
put the South under military
rule and removed most white Southern
