Born Anne Frances Robbins in 1921, the New York City native moved to Maryland early in her childhood and later settled in Chicago. Her mother's second husband adopted her there, and she became Nancy Davis.

 

During the 1940s and '50s, Nancy Reagan was a Hollywood actress, starring in films such as The Next Voice You Hear and Donovan's Brain.

In 1952, she married fellow actor Ronald Reagan, who was the president of the Screen Actors Guild. Ronald Reagan later successfully ran to be Governor in California, and Nancy Reagan was the first lady of the state from 1967 to 1975. And later, when Ronald Reagan became President in 1981, she was the first lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989.

First Ladies from Lady Bird Johnson to Melania Trump talk about the role of the First Lady, their time in the White House, and the issues important to them.