President Reagan Reacts to a Balloon Popping During Speech (1987) | History Defined

During a speech in 1987, Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States, reacted with remarkable calm when a balloon popped in the audience. The sound was loud enough to be mistaken for a gunshot, which was significant because Reagan had survived an assassination attempt just six years earlier in 1981. Instead of showing fear, Reagan paused briefly, then quipped, “Missed me.” | History In Pictures