He was a human beings who made good in the realm of popular culture before he tried his hand at politics . Like few before or after him , he achieve the elevation of both “ life history ” field . Ronald Reagan was successful as an actor , and well respected in Hollywood during the golden age of cinema . He even served as the president of the Screen Actors Guild . As the 1950s come to a ending , Ronald Reagan the actor was concerned in being Ronald Reagan the policymaker . revel 15 facts about Ronald Reagan you in all probability did n’t know .
15. Jelly Belly
Many are familiar with the Ronald Reagan jelly bean story . If not , it goes a small like this : Ronald Reagan had a pipe smoke habit , and though he felt the body process was hunky-dory for an actor , he think it was a poor reflexion on a pol . to kick the smoke habit , he started eating jelly beans . perverse to pop belief , he was not a big fan of jelly beans . Regarding the old school day jelly available , he preferred liquorice . This contract him through his gubernatorial duties in California , and when he was elect President of the United States , he discovered a new brand of jelly beans : Jelly Belly . This changed Ronald ’s air about the “ attic , ” and the Jelly Belly ship’s company sent lots of jelly beans to the White House over the twelvemonth . There are many shots of White House coming together that include containers of jelly beans .
14. Unabashedly Romantic
In 2000 , the late Nancy Reagan published a memoir entitledI Love You , Ronnie , which included the letters from President Reagan to his wife , Nancy . President Reagan was adore by many of his suspensor , and his candor was one of his enceinte strength as a government official ; however , nobody knew him like Nancy . Her conclusion to publish many of the letters he had write to her painted him in an exceptionally romantic life . He once boasted to his married woman on Valentine ’s Day that other multitude who were stuck only enjoying a specific day were of the ordinary variety . He claim to live a “ Valentine ’s life . ” Oh , Ron . What a softy . The two individuals who touch while focus on careers as worker would go on to become the first twosome of California , and then the United States .
13. He Was Exceptionally Generous
Continuing on the voiced heart of President Ronald Reagan , Nancy presented the public with more perceptiveness during his waning year . While serving in executive offices , the former Governor of California and President of the United States would get C of letters from constituent . you could imagine the carload of letters that would arrive at the White House daily . Nancy joked that Ronald was a notorious check author , and this was because he would write personal checks to individuals who would save him about their personal financial struggle . And these were n’t of necessity checks for a week ’s worth of grocery store . He was be intimate to drop $ 4,000 or $ 5,000 checks into the mail for sure people . He was also known to call upon the Air Force to assist in the transportation of child who were experience medical emergencies .
12. The Success of Bedtime for Bonzo
Have you ever seenBedtime for Bonzo ? sweetened mercy , what a romp . What is it about a live legal action film that stars a primate … ? They always seem to trade well at the box office , and carve out a niche in the cult Graeco-Roman class . Bedtime for Bonzofits the bill . The film became even more pop 29 age after its 1951 release when Ronald Reagan was elected President of the United States , and it holds up pretty well in the 21st hundred . The jewel of this mid - century discharge was the ideology : environment has more to do with demeanor than genetic endowment . Within the film , Ronald plays Professor Peter Boyd , an anthropologist hopeful to prove his environmental influence hypothesis carries significant weighting . Reagan passed on the sequel , Bonzo exit to College , because he did n’t find out it believable , because Bonzo goes to college and joins a football game team .
11. He’d Have Traded Everything to Play Baseball
Ronald Reagan was a baseball game lover , and he did everything in his mogul to shine the spotlight on the sport as America ’s pastime . He even dedicated May of 1983 as National Amateur Baseball Month . This was an effort to get Kid out onto the rhomb . It work . baseball game enjoy a stiletto heel in popularity , and the baseball identity card patronage climbed toward the peak of its popularity . Ronald Reagan joked that he loved the game of baseball so much , he ’d enjoy it if a stray ball came flying through the window of the Oval Office . We imagine that would have given him an excuse to slip outdoors and get involved in the secret plan . If you ’re queer as to which team he pledged his baseball fealty : the Chicago Cubs . This entail that the former president , abide in 1911 , was turn out three yearsafterthe Cubs ’ last World Series triumph .
10. The Gipper
One of the Ronald Reagan ’s most memorable movie role come in the 1940 football game - based dramaKnute Rockne , All American . In the film , former President Reagan played legendary Notre Dame football game player George “ The Gipper ” Gipp . The real George Gipp was the university ’s first Walter Camp All - American , and Notre Dame ’s second consensus All - American . George sign pneumonia and perish in 1920 at the long time of 25 , his final class at the university . InKnute Rockne , All American , Ronald Reagan made a well - known George Gipp deathbed speech fabled . This was the oral communication in which George Gipp ask “ Rock ” to deliver a content to the boys the next time they were really struggling in a game — to “ gain ground just one for the Gipper . ” Reagan adopted the cognomen after his portrayal and used the phrase “ bring home the bacon one for the Gipper ” during his 1980 campaign for the presidency .
9. He Made Friends With Everyone Even Squirrels
This list is chop-chop building up Ronald Reagan to be a total ideal , and to a certain extent , he was ; however , we ’ll get to some darker legacy momentarily . Until then , another “ awwww ” bit . President Reagan loved spending clip on the White House lawn , and to the local Washington , D.C. , squirrel population , he became known as a true benefactor . President Reagan loved feed the squirrels , to the tip where they ’d come almost . The squirrels became quite tame . This survive until the end of his presidential term , when George H.W. Bush bring home the bacon the 1988 election and moved into the White House in 1989 . When Reagan start out , he know the Bushs would be bringing their frump to the White House , so he leave a parting note to the squirrel : Beware of the dog . George H.W. Bush joked about this while eulogise his former president .
8. Thanks for the GPS
Could you guess life without easy access to GPS ? It has changed everything . Anyone who has called a major metropolitan area like Los Angeles or New York home understands how much more efficient life is with the use of GPS . Before that , it was lugging around the larger-than-life Thomas Guide map . It took champion point intelligence to calculate those things . Ultimately , we all have Ronald Reagan to thank for the civilian use of Global Position Systems . It was after the Korean Airlines Flight 007 tragedy that Reagan announced plans to offer the engineering to civilians when it was more polished . At the time , GPS was reserved for military utilization . In 1983 , the President offered the use of GPS to civilian through an Executive Order . No , we ’re never crazy about the use of that power in the USofA , but all thing considered , it was a good flex of the executive office .
7. Officially Retired From Acting
Unlike another former Governor of California — er , Caleefawnyah — Ronald Reagan had no desire to continue acting after he became interested and involve in politics . mayhap it start with his service as the President of the Screen Actors Guild ? Once he cast aside his name in the hat for the gubernatorial duties of California , and developed a crusade , he say farewell to roleplay . Many thought he would serve his condition as governor , then slide back into the pursuit of office in film and television , but Governor Reagan had other theme . This was wholly intentional , as he turned down theatrical role during his time as regulator , and even as president , and after his presidency . He feel a return to his former career as an thespian and entertainer would diminish his accomplishments in the office of regulator and president , and he choose to be view a political figure for the rest of his life .
6. The Divorcee
There were many chair who serve the United States unmarried , some of them remaining bachelor-at-arms for the rest of their life , while others remarry ; however , there had never been a president before Ronald Reagan , and there has n’t been one since , who had ever been disjoint … except for Ronald Reagan . Damn it all , we thought the Hillary and Bill Clinton were on the fast track to split , but when you ’re deserving more as a couple there ’s a lot of forgiveness above the line of products , and below the line . Ronald Reagan was married to actress , singer and dancer Jane Wyman from 1940 - 1948 . As is the norm for most Hollywood marriages , this one fizzled when the couplet began to receive career quiet . Unlike many Hollywood types who forthwith jump into another family relationship , Ronald Reagan played it coolheaded and did n’t remarry ( Nancy Davis ) until 1952 , though their romance was tabloid fresh fish in ’ 49 and ’ 50 .
5. Tear Down The Wall
It is rather mind - boggle to consider the throes of chronicle , and know we ’re only 75 year beyond the cost increase , rule and fall of Adolf Hitler . No thanks to his disillusion , the world was thrown into upheaval . One resultant of Hitler ’s idiocy was the naval division of Germany — a surrendered treaty agreement offered to Russia following their undesired interest in World War II . It did n’t take more than a decade before the division of Germany — and the Berlin Wall — seemed like a painful estimate . no matter of how some multitude may feel about walls , there has never been a paries that has n’t been seize . The influence of the United States continued to flourish during the following decades , and when Ronald Reagan took spot he commence to spit some powerful rhetoric : “ Tear down the wall ! ” George H.W. Bush continued to apply these Word until the paries fell in 1989 . The Soviet Union fall shortly thereafter .
4. He Wasn’t Always a Republican
The two majority parties in the American political system are fascinating entity . They have flip-flop flopped so many metre , it ’s shocking to think about who was in office at certain times during momentous occasions in American account . A perfect example : Abraham Lincoln was a Republican . The Republican Party was once known as the true progressive party . Ronald Reagan was a Republican governor in California , and ran on the Republican ticket and gain the presidency in 1980 , and 1984 ; however , Ronald Reagan was n’t always a Republican . Being have a bun in the oven in 1911 , Ronald was greatly influence by The Great Depression , and the leadership offered by Democrat Franklin Delano Roosevelt to lure and reel the United States out of its depressed country . So many untested men of the epoch pledged allegiance to the Democratic Party due to the can - do position of FDR . In the other 1960s , Reagan flipped his allegiance to the GOP .
3. He Had a Dark Side
As mentioned , Ronald Reagan had a legacy that was darker than most Republican assistant would need you to recall . A few thing immediately come to mind . The 1980s war on drug , and Nancy Reagan ’s “ Just Say No ” campaign seemed to be an recitation in futility , and an exercise in how to leave minorities with their pants down in public . Hindsight has offer a coup d’oeil at some shadowy dealings between the highest superior American officials and the drug barter in Central and South America . Before his presidency , Reagan was part of the Hollywood roundup known as “ blacklisting , ” while serving as the Chief Executive of SAG . When it came to the civil right-hand consequence of the fifties and sixties , Ronald Reagan was often in support of keeping race separate , even if by not offering support lawmaking . The Civil Rights Act of 1964 … ? Ronald Reagan was forthright against it .
2. A Man Between Two Browns
The state of California has an interesting gubernatorial chronicle over the retiring 70 years . There have only been a handful of governor since the recent 1950s . Three of the gubernatorial term in that time couplet have been served by a military personnel identify Edmund G. Brown . Of course , California residents will let you know that they ’re two very dissimilar Man , but boasting the same name . Ronald Reagan light between the governor duties of Edmund G. “ Pat ” Brown , and Edmund G. “ Jerry ” Brown , the very same man who is currently serving in the same office that he pack in the later seventies , after Ronald Reagan turned his center toward administration at the federal level . There are many conclusion we can guide from this : a Brown ca n’t beat an actor running for governor , but they can mark the office after an actor has serve out their term .
1. The Electoral College Loved Him
To this day , Ronald Reagan sits alone in United States presidential election history for take home the most electorate votes in the story of any election . His campaign for reelection in 1984 show to be an embarrassment for the Democratic Party , which offered Walter Mondale as its candidate . The 1984 election was a decimation . A beat down . The net count : Reagan – 525 ; Mondale – 13 . The Electoral College loved Ronald Reagan . If you ’re not a United States citizen and do n’t read how the Electoral College full treatment , do n’t fret , 99 percent of Americans do n’t really understand it either . That express , here ’s one of the coolheaded things about those select in right organized religion to serve as these electors . In 1976 , one elector went scallywag and voted for Ronald Reagan in the ’ 76 presidential election , even though he was n’t running . This is know as a faithless elector .
