Former US president Ronald Reagan, who forged a conservative revolution that transformed American politics, died today after a decade-long battle with Alzheimer's disease. He was 93.
His wife, Nancy, and family members had gathered at his bedside at his house in the Bel Air district of Los Angeles.
The White House said President George W Bush had been informed of Mr Reagan's death.
A White House spokeswoman said Mr Fred Ryan, Reagan's chief of staff in California, had telephoned White House chief of staff Mr Andrew Card to inform him. "Andy told the president that president Reagan had died," spokeswoman Ms Claire Buchan said in Paris, where Mr Bush is on a European tour.
She said the White House planned to issue a statement shortly about the death.
All US TV networks broke into programming to announce Mr Reagan 's death just after 8.45 p.m. (Irish time) today.
Mr Reagan's body will be flown to Washington to lie in state before a funeral service at the National Cathedral at a date to be announced later. His body will then be returned to California for burial.
Mr Reagan suffered from the brain-wasting Alzheimer's disease since 1994 and his condition is believed to have worsened in the past week.
Mr Reagan, a film star turned politician, was US president from 1981 to 1989. He was voted into office in a conservative revival that changed America's political and economic landscape for years.