How and When did Ronald Reagan Die
Ronald Reagan was the 40th President of the United States and is widely remembered as one of the best Presidents in modern history. He was first elected in the 1980 presidential election and took office on January 20, 1981. He was reelected in a landslide in 1984 and concluded his second term on January 20, 1989. Two of his greatest achievements were boosting the economy and helping to end the Cold War. Before he became the President he was the Governor of California and was also previously a successful actor. Let’s find out when and how this popular President died.
Assassination attempt
Just 69 days after he took office an assassination attempt was made on his life. Reagan was shot at by John Hinckley Jr outside the Washington Hilton Hotel. Fortunately, his protectors responded quickly and almost certainly prevented his death. However, the final shot grazed his rib and lodged in his lung. He was taken to George Washington University Hospital, where he was treated, and eventually made a full recovery.
Ronald Reagan’s failing health
At the beginning of his presidency he was regarded to be in very good health. However, he had surgery to remove polyps from his colon and skin cancer cells from his nose. He also had prostate surgery , but wasn’t found to have cancer. In 1994 he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, which is a disease that destroys brain cells and eventually leads to death. Some have suggested that he first showed signs of the disease during his presidency, but his personal doctor debunked these claims. The disease progressed over the years and eventually he was only able to recognize a few people close to him.
Reagan’s death
On June 5, 2004 the death of Ronald Regan was officially announced. The cause of death was pneumonia, which was brought on by the Alzheimer’s disease. He was laid to rest on June 11, but not before over 200,000 people paid their respects and viewed the coffin!
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