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Reagan inaugurated
Ronald Reagan was inaugurated for the first time (another in 1985) in 1981 after his victory against Carter. The event was held at the West Front of the United States Capitol in Washington D.C. where Reagan was privately sworn into office by the Joint Congressional Committee. -
Fifty-two American hostages held in Iran are released
A group of militarized Iranian college students seized sixty-six (fifty-two for more than a year) American citizens at the U.S. embassy in Tehran. It was caused because the students were upset that a CIA-backed coup placed the Shah in power in Iran and ended the day after Reagan defeated Carter by a landslide in the 1981 election (444 days after the crisis began). -
Spending speech
Reagan's spending speech outlined plans for economic recovery; a large cutting of taxes/federal spending and an increase in spending on defense. His peacetime military buildup was the highest in history and ranged from high-tech weapons and higher pay for soldiers. -
Reagan shot
President Reagan was shot by John Hinckley Jr. while returning home in a limousine from Washington Hilton Hotel in Washington D.C. Hinckleys motive behind the attack was to impress actress Jodie Foster (who he was supposedly obsessed with) and managed to shoot/injure three agents in the assassination attempt. -
Soviet grain embargo lifted
Reagan lifted the grain embargo after 15 months of it being put in place by President Carter. By doing this, he fulfilled a campaign pledge of his and eased tension with the Soviet Union. -
Reagan and air-traffic controllers strike
PATCO air-traffic controllers refused to return to work (on strike) to protest the FAA actions they felt were unfair which caused Reagan to fire 11,345 of the workers who continued to strike. This banned them from federal service for life but was changed when President Clinton lifted the ban in 1993. -
Sandra Day O’Connor nominated to Supreme Court
Reagan nominated Sandra Day O'Connor to the Supreme Court which fulfilled his campaign promise to appoint the first woman in history to the highest court in the U.S. She was a moderate conservative and was known for her thorough research on topics/opinions. -
Military buildup (B-1 Bomber and MX missiles)
According to the Washington Post, Reagan announced that he would seek approval from Congress to increase the numbers of B-1 Bombers and MX missiles which would operate under the $180.3 billion program. This program intended to build up/upgrade the nation's nuclear forces which went along with Reagan's plan to create a stronger defense. -
Sanctions on Poland
Reagan ordered economic reprisals against the Polish government (not the people) because of their suppression of the Solidarity movement in 1981. Although the sanctions were put in place, Reagan continued to offer aid to the Polish people through private channels (as long as it is reaching the people). -
Reagan delivers his first State of the Union
Reagan, the 40th U.S. President, delivered his first State of the Union address in 1982 at 9 PM in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives to the 97th United States Congress. It lasted 40 minutes and 14 seconds and was broadcasted live on television and on the radio in which he talked about progress being made on the economy, in the government's role, and relationships with foreign nations. -
Reagan addresses Parliament in England
Reagan made the first speech by an American President directed towards both houses of the British Parliament in London, England. In the speech, he predicts the downfall of communism and is motivating Britain to join in on fighting for individual rights/freedom worldwide. -
Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act
The Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982 was a law passed in order to improve tax compliance, close tax loopholes that had been discovered, increase excise taxes on certain goods, and increase certain employment taxes. It hoped to reverse some of the measures put in place by the Economic Recovery Act of 1981. -
Strategic Defense Initiative
The Strategic Defense Initiative was a program put in place to defend the U.S. from ballistic strategic nuclear weapons by allowing the nation to shoot down any threatening nuclear missiles in space. This program is also credited with helping to end the Cold War because it limited and challenged technology made by the USSR which would have caused them to cut down on advancement in the field. -
Suicide bombers attack U.S. Marines in Lebanon
A truck bomb went off at a Marine compound in Beirut, Lebanon, and killed 241 U.S. service personnel (220 of which were marines). A Lebanon militant group named Hezbollah was behind the attack and also managed to drive a truck bomb into a building that had French paratroopers inside (58 of which died). -
Invasion of Grenada
The United States along with groups from six Caribbean nations invaded the island nation, Granada. Reagan was concerned with the safety of American nationals given Granadas Marxist regime and sent nearly 1,000 to overthrow the government (took a week). -
Social Security reform becomes law
President Reagan passed the Social Security Disability Benefits Reform Act in 1984 to ensure that applicants were treated fairly and disability determination decisions were accurate. -
Farm credit crises
The Federal Reserve implemented strict money policies (to bring down interest rates) which caused the value of farmland to decrease by 60%. In addition to the policies, massive grain stockpiles and a grain contract with the Soviet Union led to many farm foreclosures and bankruptcies. -
Embargo on Nicaragua
U.S. President Ronald Reagan declared an embargo against Nicaragua which prohibited trade with them (except for medicine and other humanitarian products) from 1985 to 1990. He claimed that the government's actions were a threat to national security and demanded that Nicaragua halt armed terrorism against neighboring countries, end military ties with the Soviet Union and Cuba, stop building up weapons, and adhere to democratic principles (preserving human rights within the country). -
U.S. illegally sells arms to Iran
The Iran-Contra Affair was a political scandal in which senior administration officials secretly traded arms (especially missiles) with Iran to free American hostages held by the terrorist group, Hezbollah, in Lebanon. Iran and Iraq were engaged in ongoing battles/conflicts which was one reason why the U.S. government decided to continue with the trade, as well as the idea that they could develop an alliance with Lebanon in their time of need (helping foreign relationships). -
Reagan and Gorbachev hold summit in Switzerland
This was the first meeting between U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev in which they discussed the arms-race of the Cold Era. This meeting resulted in a nuclear arms control agreement which called for the dismantling of weaponry/nuclear missiles on both sides. -
Space Shuttle Challenger explosion (Reagan Speech)
The Space Shuttle Challenger explosion was a fatal event in which the Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, killing all of the crew members aboard the aircraft (7 total, 2 of which from different career paths). Instead of making a State of the Union speech (as he was planning to do), Reagan took the opportunity to dedicate his speech to the unfortunate event, calling it a day for "mourning and remembering" and a "national loss." -
South African sanctions
The Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986 was a law passed by the U.S. Congress that pressed sanctions against South Africa to end apartheid (segregation based on race) and colonialism there. Most of the sanctions were repealed in 1991 since South African President F. W. de Klerk had been making progress towards meeting the preconditions of the Act. -
Reagan and Gorbachev meet in Iceland
The Reykjavík Summit was a "working meeting" between Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev to discuss the complete elimination of nuclear weapons on both sides. Although no official agreement was made at the time to totally get rid of nuclear missiles (there were some limits placed), the summit paved the way for the Intermediate Nuclear Forces and Strategic Offensive Arms Reductions Treaties. -
Democrats gain seats (Nov 1986)
In the 1986 election, which ended in Ronald Reagan's second term in office, the Democratic side won eight seats. This allowed the party to recapture control of the Senate which also made it hard for Republican President Reagan to pass any new legislation during his administration. -
Water Quality Control Act
The Clean Water Quality Control Act was a law that was amended in 1987 that helped regulate water pollution by giving power to environmental organizations (like the EPA) and limiting the ability for certain companies/individuals to discharge any pollutant into a source of water. The changes made in 1987 involved replacing the construction grants program with the Clean Water State Revolving Fund. -
Tower Commission concludes report (1987)
The Tower Commission concluded a report that claimed CIA Director William Casey, should have made Reagan aware of the risks posed by the Iran-Contra arrangement. Reagan was held accountable for being "aloof" to the policy details, also it was determined that weapons were being sold to Iran during the Iran-Iraq War which also interfered with certain policies. -
Berlin Wall Speech in West Berlin (1987)
The Berlin Wall Speech was a speech given by U.S. President Ronald Reagan in West Berlin regarding the teardown of the Berlin Wall which separated East and West Berlin. The Berlin Wall was built by Russia to keep Western fascists from entering East Germany and from limiting the large numbers of people who were traveling/moving to the East side of the wall. -
Gorbachev, Reagan sign treaty (1987)
In 1987, U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev signed the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (the Washington Summit led to this) which established the elimination of all intermediate and short-range ground-based missiles/launchers from Europe. This eased much tension from the Cold War and led to the SALT ll Treaty which ended the arms race. -
Reagan prohibits abortion assistance (1988)
During his State of the Union Address to Congress, President Reagan spoke on the argument that abortion is morally and scientifically wrong and proposed a plan to make abortion assistance illegal. This policy would turn away any woman who requested to get an abortion, even if specifically requesting one (doctor refers to abortion clinic). -
Reagan visits Soviet Union (1988)
The Moscow Summit was a meeting between Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev who finalized the INF Treaty and discussed other issues like human rights. In addition to this, they signed 7 other agreements about topics like student exchanges, fishing rights, etc., and both parties issued a statement claiming to be satisfied with the summit and thought that it made the relationship between the U.S. and Soviet Union more stable. -
Reagan says farewell
Reagan's Farewell Address to the Nation was his last speech after his 8-year term in which he showed enthusiasm about the foreign policy achievements that were made during his administration. The speech that he gave from the Oval Office, spoke of points in which he also asserted that his political revolution had changed the nation and the way that other countries perceived the U.S.
