Monday marked the 20th anniversary of one of the past century’s most momentous events. On Nov. 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall came a-tumblin’ down, signaling the demise of Soviet-style Communism. What a glorious night it was!

Many people share in the credit for this landmark occurrence — Pope John Paul II, whose visits to his native Poland showed the irrepressible courage of a man determined to expose the moral corruption of this noxious -ism; Lech Walesa, whose Solidarity labor movement stood tall in the face of Communist evil; British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, unswerving in her commitment to rid her country (and the world) of such bankrupt doctrines and even Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who saw the handwriting on history’s wall.

And then there was Ronald Wilson Reagan.

As early as 1982, Mr. Reagan made it clear he would be unbending in his commitment not simply to contain Soviet aggression, but to end it. He said,

“What I am describing now is a plan and a hope for the long term: the march of freedom and democracy which will leave Marxist-Leninism on the ash-heap of history.” His detractors gasped.

Five years later later, Mr. Reagan decided to ratchet up such rheotric even more, again to the consternation of even his advisers who cautioned him against the risk of appearing “unpresidential.” He would hear none of it, for he sensed the clarion of history calling.

And so, on June 12, 1987, Mr. Reagan stood before the Brandenburg Gate, the wall clearly in sight, and said, “General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”

Three days short of 29 months later, it came to pass. The wall separating East from West in Berlin came down.

And yet, and yet, when the day came to commemorate the 20th anniversary of this earth-shaking event, President Obama chose not to attend the ceremony — understandable in a way, with everything on his plate, though not in light of his decision to skedaddle to Europe to pitch Chicago as an Olympic venue. But that’s not all: In his video message to those assembled, he gave nary a mention to Mr. Reagan’s role in the fall of the wall — yet somehow alluded to himself.

To what lengths will this man not go to make everything all about him?