Nancy Reagan was born Anne Frances Robbins in New York City on July 6, 1921. From birth, she was commonly known as Nancy. Her parents separated soon after her birth. In 1929, her mother married a prominent politically conservative neurosurgeon who moved the family to Chicago. Nancy and her mother adopted his surname, Davis. Like her mother, Nancy was groomed to pursue a career in acting.

Nancy Reagan started a career in Hollywood after signing a seven-year contract with Metro Goldwyn Mayer in 1949 under her maiden name, Nancy Davis. She also served on the board of directors of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) for nearly 10 years, which is where she met her future husband Ronald Reagan, who served as the organization's president at the time.

Nancy Reagan became First Lady of the United States in January 1981. Initially, she was criticized due to her decision to replace White House décor such as the state china, despite this being paid for by private donations. However, Nancy Reagan was also praised for the strong support she showed her husband, making herself his unofficial "protector" after an assassination attempt on his life.

As the war on drugs spread across the United States under Ronald Reagan's presidency, Nancy Reagan joined in, launching the "Just Say No" drug awareness campaign in 1982. It was her primary project as first lady. "Understanding what drugs can do to your children, understanding peer pressure and understanding why they turn to drugs is the first step in solving the problem," Nancy Reagan explained.

Following her brief battle with breast cancer, which resulted in a mastectomy in 1987, Nancy Reagan became a campaigner for breast cancer awareness. After her surgery, more women in US underwent mammograms following the first lady's example. Reagan is seen here unveiling a US postage stamp raising breast cancer awareness in 1996.

Ronald and Nancy Reagan celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2002, two years before Ronald Reagan's death. Nancy Reagan had been the former president's chief caregiver for years as his Alzheimer's Disease progressed. "When you think about our lives, it's been extraordinary, the different paths we've gone on that we never intended to go on," Nancy Reagan said at the time.

President Ronald Reagan died on June 5, 2004, following complications associated with Alzheimer's Disease. Nancy Reagan led the nation in mourning, garnering praise for her show of strength. Ahead of his final internment, Nancy Reagan kissed the president's casket, mouthing the words "I love you."

Nancy Reagan praised US President Barack Obama's support for stem-cell research. Going against the typical Republican party line on the issue, Nancy Reagan campaigned in favor of embryonic stem-cell research because of her husband Ronald Reagan's long battle with Alzheimer's Disease.