Ronald Regan: The actor, the President

Today in 1952, actors Ronald Reagan and Nancy Davis were married in North Hollywood, California.

In case you are not familiar with Ronald Reagan, he was born on Feb 6, 1911 to John "Jack" Reagan and Nelle Wilson Reagan in Tampico, Illinois. After graduating, he started his career as working on radio stations WOC in Davenport, Iowa, and WHO in Des Moines as an announcer for the Chicago Cubs baseball games. While traveling with the Cubs, he took a screen test in 1937 that landed him a seven year contract with the WB studios here in California.

Then, he was president of the Screen Actors Guild, spokesman for General Electric, Governor of California, and became the President of the United States in America in 1981. He ended the Cold War along with many important events.

The United States Navy names very few ships after a person who is alive at the time of the christening, but this was the case for the for Carl Vinson (CVN-70), Hyman G Rickover (SSN-709), Arleigh Burke (DDG-51), John C Stennis (CVN-74), Bob Hope (T-ARK-300), Ronald Reagan (CVN-76), Nitze (DDG-94), Jimmy Carter (SSN-23), and George H.W. Bush (CVN-77).

The contract to build the Ronald Reagan was awarded to Northrop Grumman Newport News and Dry Dock Company in Newport News, Virginia on December 8, 1994, and her keel was laid down on February 12, 1998. She was launched on March 4, 2001, christened by Reagan's wife Nancy the same day, and commissioned on July 12, 2003, with Captain J. W. Goodwin in command. Vice President Dick Cheney and Lynne Cheney were both present at the ceremony, as well as Nancy Reagan, who gave the ship's crew the traditional first order as an active unit of the Navy: "Man the ship and bring her to life." The Ronald Reagan made her maiden voyage on July 21, 2003.

President Reagan, who did not attend either the launch or the commissioning because of Alzheimer's Disease, died eleven months later. At the end of the graveside services, the ship's commanding officer at that time, Navy Captain James Symonds, presented the flag that draped the former president's casket to Mrs. Reagan at her request. This was also the flag that had flown over Capitol Hill on January 20, 1981, when the president was inaugurated. Captain Symonds also presented Mrs. Reagan the flag that had been flying over the Ronald Reagan when the former president died.

To learn more about the USS Ronald Reagan, please visit our website.