In the presidency, character is everything. Born February 6, 1911, Ronald Reagan, "the Dutchman," never knew he would become famous. He served two terms as governor of California, but before that acted in Hollywood films. Originally a liberal Democrat, Reagan ran for president of the United States as a conservative Republican and won, his term beginning in 1980. Ronald Reagan became the oldest president elected when he took office as the 40th president of the United States. He was also the first U.S. president since Dwight D. Eisenhower to be re-elected and complete two full terms. Reagan was president from January 20, 1981 to January 20, 1989. He was an effective president, measured by his popularity and his influence on history. This former US president is given due credit for three major historic achievements during his presidency: first, he won the Cold War without firing a shot, then he revived the American economy which led to substantial growth and, finally, it restored the traditional spirit of positive optimism to the American people who were despondent in the late 1970s. These three historic processes successfully enhanced American prosperity and peace through strength, elevating Reagan's presidency to one of American exceptionalism. Ronald Reagan came to the presidency without any particular political qualifications, but his victory in the Cold War was not a fortunate outcome. Dinesh D'Souza's new book, Ronald Reagan: How an Ordinary Man Became an Extraordinary Leader, just published by the Free Press, examines how Reagan helped end the Cold War. Ten years ago Ronald Reagan stood at the Brandenburg Gate and said: “General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and the East… at the center of the charter… s of economic and political initiatives that became known as “the Reagan revolution.” His successes in winning the Cold War without firing a shot, recovering the American economy known as Reaganomics and his “Star Wars” predicament, his two terms as president did not go unnoticed. He restored the traditional spirit of positive optimism to the American people, making him a president who cannot be forgotten. Works Cited D'Souza, Dinesh. “How Reagan Won the Cold War.” National magazine, November 24, 1997: 36-41. ProQuest. Network. November 19, 2013. Holm, Hans-Henrik. "STAR WARS." Journal of Peace Research 23 (1986): 1-8. JSTOR. Network. November 20, 2013. Kudlow, Lawrence. "Reaganomics." National magazine, June 28, 2004: 28-9. ProQuest. Network. November 20, 2013. "Ronald Reagan Quotes." Clever quote. Xplore and Web. November 18. 2013. .