Changes

==Democrat to republican==

==Democrat to republican==

While remaining a Democrat in the 1950's, Reagan started to increasingly hold conservative points of view. After actively supporting [[Richard Nixon]]'s campaign for president in 1960, Reagan switched political parties and officially became a Republican in 1962. He realized that he had diverged greatly from the tax-and-spend liberalism of the Democratic Party.  As a part of Reagan's change in viewpoints, he came to be a fan of former president [[Calvin Coolidge]], and would later replace a painting of Truman with that of Coolidge in the White House Cabinet Room.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/1981/07/04/opinion/calvin-reagan.html Calvin Reagan], [[The New York Times]]</ref>

While remaining a Democrat in the 1950s, Reagan started to increasingly hold conservative points of view. After actively supporting [[Richard Nixon]]'s campaign for president in 1960, Reagan switched political parties and officially became a Republican in 1962. He realized that he had diverged greatly from the tax-and-spend liberalism of the Democratic Party.  As a part of Reagan's change in viewpoints, he came to be a fan of former president [[Calvin Coolidge]], and would later replace a painting of Truman with that of Coolidge in the White House Cabinet Room.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/1981/07/04/opinion/calvin-reagan.html Calvin Reagan], [[The New York Times]]</ref>

==1964==

==1964==

===Flight 007===

===Flight 007===

Reagan was president at the time of the shooting down of [[Korean Airlines Flight 007]]. He termed the shoot-down of an innocent straying passenger plane with 269 passengers and crew, including Congressman [[Larry McDonald]], as a "massacre".  The ensuing rage over the tragedy both world-wide and in the U.S. provided support for the deployment of cruise and Pershing ll missiles in West Europe- just six minutes flying time from Moscow.

Reagan was president at the time of the shooting down of [[Korean Airlines Flight 007]]. He termed the shoot-down of an innocent straying passenger plane with 269 passengers and crew, including Congressman [[Larry McDonald]], as a "massacre".  The ensuing rage over the tragedy both worldwide and in the U.S. provided support for the deployment of cruise and Pershing ll missiles in West Europe- just six minutes flying time from Moscow.

===Soviet Union===

===Soviet Union===

Reagan retired to California. He would occasionally involve himself in politics, including a speech in Britain addressing the [[Tiananmen Square massacre]], and an address at the 1992 Republican National Convention.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/1989/06/14/world/reagan-gets-a-red-carpet-from-british.html Reagan Gets A Red Carpet From British], [[The New York Times]], June 14, 1989, "''You cannot massacre an idea, you cannot run tanks over hope. You cannot riddle a people's yearning with bullets.  Those heroic Chinese students who gave their lives have released the spirit of democracy and it cannot be called back. That spirit is loose upon the world this spring''."</ref><ref>[http://www.nbcuniversalarchives.com/nbcuni/clip/5112542724_007.do President Reagan Speaks Out on Tiananmen Square Massacre], [[NBC]]</ref>

Reagan retired to California. He would occasionally involve himself in politics, including a speech in Britain addressing the [[Tiananmen Square massacre]], and an address at the 1992 Republican National Convention.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/1989/06/14/world/reagan-gets-a-red-carpet-from-british.html Reagan Gets A Red Carpet From British], [[The New York Times]], June 14, 1989, "''You cannot massacre an idea, you cannot run tanks over hope. You cannot riddle a people's yearning with bullets.  Those heroic Chinese students who gave their lives have released the spirit of democracy and it cannot be called back. That spirit is loose upon the world this spring''."</ref><ref>[http://www.nbcuniversalarchives.com/nbcuni/clip/5112542724_007.do President Reagan Speaks Out on Tiananmen Square Massacre], [[NBC]]</ref>

At a speech in front of the National Association of Broadcasters on April 13, 1992, Reagan was assaulted by a radical anti-nuclear protester masquerading as a press agent.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/1992/04/16/us/protester-at-reagan-speech-had-press-credentials.html Protester at Reagan Speech Had Press Credentials], [[The New York Times]]</ref>  The protester, identified as Rick Paul Springer, was the founder of a group called ''The 100th Monkey''.<ref>[http://articles.latimes.com/1993-07-16/news/mn-13621_1_las-vegas Man Who Disrupted Reagan Speech Flees 4-Month Jail Term]</ref>  At the event, Reagan was awarded a 2 foot statue for his contributions to broadcasting, made out of crystal weighing nearly 30 pounds.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/1992/04/14/us/reagan-unhurt-after-man-smashes-30-pound-statue.html Reagan Unhurt After Man Smashes 30-Pound Statue], [[The New York Times]]</ref>  When Springer smashed the statue, some shards did hit Reagan, but he was not hurt.

At a speech in front of the National Association of Broadcasters on April 13, 1992, Reagan was assaulted by a radical anti-nuclear protester masquerading as a press agent.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/1992/04/16/us/protester-at-reagan-speech-had-press-credentials.html Protester at Reagan Speech Had Press Credentials], [[The New York Times]]</ref>  The protester, identified as Rick Paul Springer, was the founder of a group called ''The 100th Monkey''.<ref>[http://articles.latimes.com/1993-07-16/news/mn-13621_1_las-vegas Man Who Disrupted Reagan Speech Flees 4-Month Jail Term]</ref>  At the event, Reagan was awarded a 2-foot statue for his contributions to broadcasting, made out of crystal weighing nearly 30 pounds.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/1992/04/14/us/reagan-unhurt-after-man-smashes-30-pound-statue.html Reagan Unhurt After Man Smashes 30-Pound Statue], [[The New York Times]]</ref>  When Springer smashed the statue, some shards did hit Reagan, but he was not hurt.

After the secret service rushed the man off stage, Reagan asked the crowd "Was that a democrat by chance?",<ref>[http://www.deseretnews.com/article/221028/NUCLEAR-PROTESTER-RUSHES-REAGAN-SMASHES-STATUE.html?pg=all NUCLEAR PROTESTER RUSHES REAGAN, SMASHES STATUE]</ref> to which the crowd burst into laughter.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaLMmcY3vs0 President Reagan Attacked at NAB Convention Las Vegas April 1992 480p], [[CBS News]] video from 1992</ref>  A spokesman for the [[Secret Service]] said that he was not sure how Springer got so close to Reagan to begin with.<ref>[http://articles.latimes.com/1992-04-19/news/vw-684_1_secret-service-protection How Do You Really Protect a President?], [[Los Angeles Times]]</ref>

After the secret service rushed the man off stage, Reagan asked the crowd "Was that a democrat by chance?",<ref>[http://www.deseretnews.com/article/221028/NUCLEAR-PROTESTER-RUSHES-REAGAN-SMASHES-STATUE.html?pg=all NUCLEAR PROTESTER RUSHES REAGAN, SMASHES STATUE]</ref> to which the crowd burst into laughter.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaLMmcY3vs0 President Reagan Attacked at NAB Convention Las Vegas April 1992 480p], [[CBS News]] video from 1992</ref>  A spokesman for the [[Secret Service]] said that he was not sure how Springer got so close to Reagan to begin with.<ref>[http://articles.latimes.com/1992-04-19/news/vw-684_1_secret-service-protection How Do You Really Protect a President?], [[Los Angeles Times]]</ref>