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Feb. 6, 1911: Born in Tampico, Ill., the son of a shoe salesman and a homemaker. Grows up in the adjacent town of Dixon.

1932: Graduates Eureka College with an A.B. in sociology and economics. Rescues 77 swimmers during his summer stints as a lifeguard. Following graduation, Reagan begins a career as a radio announcer for WOC in Davenport, Iowa, and then for WHO in Des Moines, where he began announcing Chicago Cubs games.

1937: While covering the Cubs spring training on Catalina Island, Calif., he is introduced to an agent who gets him a screen test for Warner Bros. On June 1, 1937, Reagan signs a contract with Warner Bros. for $200 a week. In his first movie, Love Is on the Air, plays a brash radio announcer.

Former President Ronald Reagan, whose career as an actor preceded his highly successful run in politics, died Saturday after a long bout with Alzheimer's disease; he was 93. Reagan died at his home in California, after his health reportedly took a swift turn for the worse, and word of his death was given to news sources on condition of anonymity by a family friend, who also said the Reagan family was currently making funeral arrangements and would issue an official statement later Saturday. "Dutch" Reagan, as he was known in his younger years, started his career as a radio sportscaster in Chicago and moved to Hollywood in 1937, where he became a contract player for Warner Bros., making his debut in Love Is on the Air. Numerous Warner films followed through the 30s and 40s, most notably a supporting role opposite Bette Davis in Dark Victory and the iconic part of George Gipp, aka "the Gipper," in Knute Rockne All American. 1942's Kings Row (where Reagan uttered the memorable line, "Where's the rest of me?") marked a turning point for the actor, and after completing military service during World War II and returning to Hollywood, well-received roles in The Voice of the Turtle, The Hasty Heart, and Storm Warning followed. Alas, most of his post-war films were less than memorable . though Bedtime for Bonzo, in which Reagan was paired with a monkey, became something of a comedy classic . but 1957's Hellcats of the Navy paired him with his second wife, Nancy Davis, whom he married in 1952 (he had previously been married to Oscar-winning actress Jane Wyman from 1940-1948).

TV work followed, though Reagan also began pursuing a career in politics, serving as president of the Screen Actors Guild twice; he also made a notable turn from liberal to conservative in the 60s. Reagan made his last film in 1964 . the acclaimed The Killers opposite Lee Marvin . and successfully ran for governor of California in 1966, a post he held for eight years. Though he lost the Republican party's candidacy for president in 1976, he successfully ran again in 1980, and his eight year term as President, in which he survived an assassination attempt, defined the 80s; the rest, as they say, is history. After his presidency, Reagan's health quickly declined due to Alzheimer's, and was said to have contributed to his rapidly deteriorating mental condition; he lived the rest of his life in seclusion, tended to by his wife. According to news reports, Reagan's body is expected to be taken to his presidential library in Simi Valley, CA, and then flown to Washington to lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda. A funeral is expected to be at the National Cathedral, with his body to be returned to California for a sunset burial at the library. Living longer than any US President, Reagan is survived by his wife, Nancy, and three children: Michael Reagan, Patti Davis and Ron Reagan Jr. --Prepared by IMDb staff...