Ronald Reagan turns 91
2002-02-06 08:05
Los Angeles - Former US president Ronald Reagan will on Wednesday become the
United States' longest-living leader when he celebrates his 91st
birthday with a slice of chocolate cake and a patriotic teddy bear
named "Freedom", aides said.
By turning 91, Reagan - the 40th US president - beats the
longevity record for a US leader by surpassing that of the second
president John Adams, who served from 1797 to 1801 and lived for
33 119 days - almost 91 years.
The US leader from 1981 to 1989, who has withdrawn from public
life since being struck down with Alzheimer's disease, will spend
the day at his mansion in the exclusive Bel Air area of Los Angeles
with his wife Nancy, they said.
"There is nothing public planned for the president, it's very
low-key at this time of his life and anyway Mrs Reagan is not
feeling well at the moment," his spokesperson Joanne Drake told AFP.
"He will have his favourite, chocolate cake, and I would guess
that some of his kids will show up to wish him well," she added.
Staff at his Los Angeles office will present Reagan with a red,
white and blue teddy bear in tribute to his crusade for global
freedom and democracy at the height of the Cold War with the former
Soviet Union.
Outpouring of affection
Reagan's office has received more than 1 000 birthday cards from
well-wishers around the world, Drake said, including one from
servicemen on the new aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, based in
the eastern state of Virginia.
She said the outpouring of affection for the Hollywood
actor-turned-politician, who Republicans laud for "winning" the Cold
War against the Soviet Union, which he branded the "Evil Empire",
was "heart-warming".
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, northwest of Los Angeles
will also celebrate the former chief executive's 91st with the
ceremonial planting of several Japanese cherry trees in the library
grounds.
In addition, the 500 people expected at the tree dedication will
also be able to leave a birthday card for Reagan, affectionately
known by his fans as "The Gipper", library spokesperson Melissa
Giller said.
But the celebrations for the former president won't end
on Wednesday.
Ronald and Nancy Reagan, the former film actress Nancy Davis,
will fête their 50th wedding anniversary on March 4 with a quiet
celebration at home and a special exhibition at the Reagan Library,
Drake said.
The conservative Reagan, who serves as a role model for current
US President George W Bush, announced in 1994 he was suffering
from Alzheimer's disease and has rarely appeared in public since
his diagnosis.
But his legacy lives on, with airports, official buildings and
military ships being named after him, while the city of Los Angeles
has named February 6 "Ronald Reagan Day". - Sapa-AFP
- SAPA