Nancy Reagan, the former First Lady of the United States and wife of President Ronald Reagan, has passed away at her home in Los Angeles after suffering congestive heart failure on March 6, 2016. She was 94. From Hollywood to the White House, take a look back at her incredible life and career in photos.
Look back at former First Lady Nancy Reagan’s life
Nancy Reagan, born Anne Frances Robbins on July 6, 1921, in New York City, became one of the most high-profile and influential ladies of the 20th century. She went from a film actress to First Lady after marrying former President Ronald Reagan. On March 6, 2016, Reagan died of congestive heart failure at the age of 94. Look back at the former First Lady's incredible life from Hollywood to the White House.
Nancy Reagan, the former First Lady of the United States and wife of President Ronald Reagan, has passed away at her home in Los Angeles after suffering congestive heart failure on March 6, 2016. She was 94. From Hollywood to the White House, take a look back at her incredible life and career in photos.
Born in New York City, Nancy Reagan, born Anne Frances Robbin, embarked on a career as an actress in the 1940s and appeared on Broadway in 1946 musical “Lute Song,” alongside Mary Martin and a young Yul Brynner.
After passing a screen test, she relocated to California, where she signed a deal with MGM Studios and went on to score roles in films like “The Doctor and the Girl,” “Shadow on the Wall,” and “Night Into Morning.”
Ronald Reagan and Nancy Reagan met in Hollywood in 1951. Nancy was an actress embroiled in an effort to remove her name from the notorious McCarthy-era Hollywood blacklist of possible communist sympathizers. She appealed to Reagan, who was the president of the Screen Actors Guild at the time and the two fell in love. Here, the couple are pictured just at the start of their relationship at the Screen Writers Guild Dinner on Feb. 22, 1951.
Just a year after they met, the two were engaged and married. Ronald Reagan and Nancy are pictured here in their formal engagement photo in Jan. 1952 from the Reagan Public Library.
After a whirlwind romance, Ronald Reagan and his bride, then-actress Nancy Davis, cut their wedding cake after their marriage at the non-sectarian Little Brown Church of the Valley in North Hollywood, Calif. on March 4, 1952. Actress Brenda Marshall, left, and her husband, actor William Holden join them.
The happy couple are pictured smiling at each other as they enjoy their honeymoon dinner as man and wife at the Stork Club in New York City, 1952.
Nancy famously enjoyed romances with actors including Clark Gable, Robert Stack and Peter Lawford, before meeting Ronald in 1951, when he served as president of the Screen Actors Guild. In their first and only movie together as a married couple, Ronald played Commander Casey Abbott, and Nancy played Nurse Lt. Helen Blair, starring as love interests in the World War II film, “Hellcats Of The Navy,” directed by Nathan Juran, 1957.
Just 7 months after Ronald Reagan and Nancy tied the knot, they welcomed their first child into the world Patricia Ann, later known as Patti Davis in 1952. Six years later, the couple had their son Ronald Prescott Reagan in 1958 pictured in this family portrait as an infant. Nancy was also the stepmother to Maureen (born 1941) and Michael (born 1945) from her husband’s previous marriage.
Ronald Reagan, Nancy Reagan and their children, 2-year-old Ronald Prescott Reagan and 9-year-old Patricia Ann (later known as Patti Davis) are pictured here at their home, Pacific Palisades, California on Sept. 16, 1960.
Ronald Reagan, then 55, in his first months as California’s new governor, hugs his wife Nancy in his Sacramento office in April 1967. Nancy Reagan was in his capitol office advising workmen doing redecorating.
President-elect Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy leave the White House in Washington after their tour on Dec. 13, 1980. The Reagan’s departed for Andrews Air Force Base, Md., for their trip to Los Angeles.
Nancy Reagan proudly watches as her husband Ronald Reagan takes the oath of office on Jan. 20, 1981, at the U.S. Capitol, becoming the 40th president of the United States.
President Ronald Reagan and first lady Nancy Reagan wave to onlookers at the Capitol building as they stand at the podium in Washington following the swearing in ceremony on Jan. 20, 1981.
Nancy is pictured hand-in-hand with President Reagan inside George Washington University Hospital four days after the assassination attempt on him, in Washington, D.C. Reagan was hit by one of six shots fired by John Hinckley, who also seriously injured press secretary James Brady. Reagan was hit in the chest and was hospitalized for 12 days. Hinckley was acquitted on June 21, 1982 after a jury found him mentally unstable.
U.S. President Ronald and wife Nancy Reagan share a moment as they stand on the Truman balcony of the White House in 1982 in Washington, DC.
Queen Elizabeth ll and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh entertain President Ronald Reagan and Nancy Reagan on board the Royal Yacht Britannia in San Francisco on March 3, 1983.
First Lady Nancy Reagan, left, laughs with Ray Charles, center, and Willie Nelson, right, and other entertainers at a salute to country music at Constitution Hall in Washington on March 16, 1983.
Nancy Reagan made a cameo on NBC sitcom “Diff’rent Strokes” opposite Conrad Bain, Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges. The episode, entitled “The Reporter” was about two young African American brothers from Harlem taken in by a rich white widower on March 11, 1983.
First lady Nancy Reagan sits on the knee of television personality Mr. T, dressed as Santa Claus, as he joined her for a preview of the White House Christmas decor on Dec. 12, 1983 in Washington, D.C.
President Ronald Reagan embraces First Lady Nancy Reagan on Jan. 30, 1984 in Washington, after he announced that he will run for a second term as President.
From left to right, US President Ronald Reagan and US First Lady Nancy Reagan welcome Princess Diana and her husband Prince Charles to the White House on Nov. 9, 1985.
President Ronald Reagan and Nancy Reagan arrive at the inaugural ball in the Washington Hilton on Jan. 21, 1985.
U.S. President Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy kiss on their wedding anniversary in the White House in this March 4, 1985.
Host Joan Rivers, right, talks with guest, First Lady Nancy Reagan, during her appearance on “The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers,” in Los Angeles on Oct. 30, 1986.
First Lady Nancy Reagan is joined by Kristeen Reft, 9, of Kodiak Island, Alaska, left, and Laurence Honore of Herdville, France, center, as all three wave from the crown of the Statue of Liberty during reopening ceremonies on Saturday, July 5, 1986 in New York. The Statue was closed to the public for a year for renovation.
First Lady, Nancy and U.S. President Ronald Reagan, look at flowers received from well-wishers on Oct. 19, 1987, after she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and underwent a mastectomy.
Nancy Reagan, who served as the first lady from 1981 to 1989 was particularly known for her work in combating drug abuse through her “Just Say No” campaign. “Drugs take away the dream from every child’s heart and replace it with a nightmare, and it’s time we in America stand up and replace those dreams,” she said at the time. Here, she is pictured speaking at one of her rally’s on the Mall on May 1, 1988.
Washington Redskins’ injured starting quarterback Doug Wiliams stands behind First Lady Nancy Reagan as she holds a jersey presented to her by Williams prior to the start of game against the New York Giants at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 2, 1988. The ceremony marked the Redskins’ salute to the First Ladys’ “Just Say No’ anti-drug campaign.
First lady Nancy Reagan honorary patron of the National Center for Therapeutic Riding, Inc., rides “Yankee” during a visit to the center on Oct. 19, 1988 in Washington.
Former President Ronald Reagan and wife former First Lady Nancy Reagan smile after greeting former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev and wife Raisa Gorbachev at the Reagan’s ranch, Rancho del Cielo, 30 miles north of Santa Barbara, Calif., on May 2, 1992.
President Barack Obama and former First Lady Nancy Reagan walk side-by-side through Center Hall in the White House. To the left of Mrs. Reagan hangs her official White House portrait as First Lady.
Former First Lady Nancy Reagan visits the casket of her late husband, former President Ronald Reagan, in the Capitol rotunda on June 11, 2004 in Washington, DC. Shortly afterwards, the casket was moved to the National Cathedral for the funeral.
Nancy Reagan (r.) reaches out to her son Ron Reagan Jr., as her daughter Patti Davis looks on, during the funeral for former U.S. president Ronald Reagan at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington in this June 11, 2004.
Former First Lady Nancy Reagan visits the White House on June 3, 2009, pictured here with First Lady Michelle Obama.
Nancy Reagan celebrates what would have been her last birthday as she turned 93 on July 6, 2015. Nancy is survived by her daughter Patti Davis, son Ron Reagan, stepdaughter Maureen and stepson Michael from her husband’s previous marriage.
