Move Back
ADVERTISEMENT
Skip
  • Published
    20 Images

    SEE IT: Ronald and Nancy Reagan’s Marriage, in Pictures

    When former First Lady Nancy Reagan passed away this past Sunday at age 94, it officially marked an end to a lasting romance that once lit up the White House. SEE IT: Inaugural Balls Through the Years The wife of the late Ronald Reagan first met her future husband — and 40th President of the United States — at Hollywood restaurant LaRue’s over dinner set up by director Mervyn LeRoy. Known then as aspiring actress Nancy Davis, she was described as "immediately smitten" by then-film star Ronnie. And after meeting in the 1940s and then reconnecting in 1950, they married on March 4, 1952, beginning a union that would last until Reagan’s death at age 93 in 2004 from Alzheimer’s. Throughout their marriage, Ronald wrote "countless letters to his wife," while Nancy "left cards and love notes around for her husband to discover" when the two couldn't be together. "I more than love you, I’m not whole without you." wrote Ronald on their 31st wedding anniversary. "You are life itself to me. When you are gone, I’m waiting for you to return so I can start living again.” There was also the gaze, or the look of utter adoration Nancy would give to her beau in public, reminding the world of her devotion. "He was all I had ever wanted in a man, and more," She wrote in her 1989 memoir "My Turn." SEE IT: David Bowie and Iman's Marriage, in Pictures Even during her final years, Nancy continued to demonstrate her devotion by advocating for new research into cures for the disease that took her late husband away. The couple is survived by their two children, Ron and Patti. Today, as we continue to honor Nancy’s legacy in politics, let’s also take a moment to celebrate her romance with her beloved Ronnie:

  • 1
    Associated Press
  • 1951
    Ronald Reagan and actress Nancy Davis are photographed as they arrive for the Screen Writers Guild Dinner at the Ambassador Hotel in Hollywood.
    read more
    Associated Press
  • 1952
    Actor Ronald Reagan and his bride, actress Nancy Davis, smile after exchanging marriage vows in the Little Brown Church of the Valley in North Hollywood.
    read more
    Associated Press
  • 1988
    President Ronald Reagan is pictured handing a hankerchief to Nancy during a farewell party given by the White House staff.
    read more
    Reuters
  • 1992
    Reagan with his wife Nancy pose for photographers with actress Eva Gabor and Merv Griffin at the fourth annual Nancy Reagan Tennis Tournament.
    read more
    Reuters
  • 1992
    Nancy and Ronald Reagan meet with former Soviet leader Michail Gorbachev and wife Raisa at the Reagan ranch in the Santa Ynez mountains near Santa Barbara.
    read more
    Reuters
  • 1994
    President Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy wave during a gala in honor of his 83rd birthday, in Washington, D.C.
    read more
    Reuters
  • 1996
    The former president and his wife ride horses at their Santa Barbara ranch, also known as Rancho del Cielo.
    read more
    Reuters
  • 2000
    Ronald and Nancy celebrate the president's 89th birthday celebration at the Reagan's home in Bel Air, California.
    read more
    Reuters
  • 2004
    Nancy Reagan is comforted by son Ron Reagan, daughter Patti Davis, and stepson Michael Reagan as they say their final farewell beside the casket of her husband at his burial site in the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.
    read more
    Reuters
  • 2009
    Nancy Reagan unveils a statue of her late husband during a ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda on Capitol Hill.
    read more
    Reuters
  • 2014
    On the 10th anniversary of his passing, Nancy Reagan visits the grave of her late husband at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.
    read more
    Reuters
  • 1981
    President Ronald Reagan is escorted by First Lady Nancy Reagan as they leave the White House en route to Bethesda Naval Hospital for the President's physical exam.
    read more
    Reuters
  • 1982
    Ronald Reagan and wife Nancy return to the White House after spending a weekend at Camp David.
    read more
    Reuters
  • 1984
    President Reagan and the First Lady meet with Michael Jackson in May of 1984.
    read more
    Reuters
  • 1985
    Ronald and Nancy Reagan greet Prince Charles and Princess Diana in Washington, D.C.
    read more
    Reuters
  • 1985
    President Ronald Reagan and wife Nancy share a kiss on their wedding anniversary.
    read more
    Reuters
  • 1987
    Pope John Paul II chats with President Reagan and his wife Nancy during their meeting at the Vatican.
    read more
    Reuters
  • 1988
    Reagan gestures to reporters as First Lady Nancy Reagan, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and his Mubarak's wife Suzanne stop to pose for photographers at the White House.
    read more
    Reuters
  • 1988
    President Ronald Reagan and Vice President George Bush, accompanied by wives Nancy and Barbara, join hands after Reagan endorses Bush's run for the presidency in Washington.
    read more
    Reuters
  • Published
    20 Images

    SEE IT: Ronald and Nancy Reagan’s Marriage, in Pictures

    When former First Lady Nancy Reagan passed away this past Sunday at age 94, it officially marked an end to a lasting romance that once lit up the White House. SEE IT: Inaugural Balls Through the Years The wife of the late Ronald Reagan first met her future husband — and 40th President of the United States — at Hollywood restaurant LaRue’s over dinner set up by director Mervyn LeRoy. Known then as aspiring actress Nancy Davis, she was described as "immediately smitten" by then-film star Ronnie. And after meeting in the 1940s and then reconnecting in 1950, they married on March 4, 1952, beginning a union that would last until Reagan’s death at age 93 in 2004 from Alzheimer’s. Throughout their marriage, Ronald wrote "countless letters to his wife," while Nancy "left cards and love notes around for her husband to discover" when the two couldn't be together. "I more than love you, I’m not whole without you." wrote Ronald on their 31st wedding anniversary. "You are life itself to me. When you are gone, I’m waiting for you to return so I can start living again.” There was also the gaze, or the look of utter adoration Nancy would give to her beau in public, reminding the world of her devotion. "He was all I had ever wanted in a man, and more," She wrote in her 1989 memoir "My Turn." SEE IT: David Bowie and Iman's Marriage, in Pictures Even during her final years, Nancy continued to demonstrate her devotion by advocating for new research into cures for the disease that took her late husband away. The couple is survived by their two children, Ron and Patti. Today, as we continue to honor Nancy’s legacy in politics, let’s also take a moment to celebrate her romance with her beloved Ronnie:

Move Forward
  • SEE IT: Ronald and Nancy Reagan’s Marriage, in Pictures
  • 1
  • 1951
  • 1952
  • 1988
  • 1992
  • 1992
  • 1994
  • 1996
  • 2000
  • 2004
  • 2009
  • 2014
  • 1981
  • 1982
  • 1984
  • 1985
  • 1985
  • 1987
  • 1988
  • 1988