This week marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Ronald Reagan. While Ronaldus Magnus (as he is known among some admirers) was not made president for life and beyond like North Korea's Kim Il Sung, 23 years after his term in office ended he remains the lodestar for U.S. conservatives and the Republican Party. That is darkly ironic since honest conservatives concede that Reagan would have a hard time getting elected as a Republican today. Still, understanding Ronald Reagan, the man and the myth, is essential to understanding the United States.

Ronald Reagan was born Feb. 6, 1911, and grew up in Illinois. He struggled as an actor, discovering eventually that his political instincts were better than his skills as a thespian. A self-professed Democrat in his early years, his tenure as president of the Screen Actors Guild and role as pitchman for General Electric pushed him to the right in his politics. He debuted on the national political stage in 1964, backing GOP presidential candidate Barry Goldwater at the Republican National Convention. He was elected governor of California in 1966 and won a second term four years later.

In 1976, he made his first bid for the presidency, losing out to Gerald Ford, who was then defeated by Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter on a tide of anti-Watergate sentiment. He spent the next four years consolidating his position as leader of the conservative movement and won the GOP nomination and the presidency in 1980. He occupied the White House for two terms, in many ways redefining the terms of U.S. politics. Here the legacy gets tricky.