Ronald Reagan (1911-2004), a former California actor and governor, was the 40th president from 1981 to 1989. Growing up in tiny Illinois, he became a Hollywood actor in his twenties and later as a Republican governor of California. 1967 to 1975. The affable Reagan was called the Great Communicator and became a popular president for two terms. He cut taxes, increased defense spending, negotiated an agreement to limit…