Reagan Library Marks 35 Years Since Five-President Summit
The Simi Valley facility, opened in 1991, hosted a historic gathering of five U.S. presidents including George H.W. Bush, Carter, Ford, and Nixon.
By Luca Harrison ·
Five U.S. presidents stood together in Simi Valley, California, on Nov. 4, 1991, for the opening of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. That event remains the only time five current and former chief executives have gathered in one location. The library dedicated the date to marking the 35th anniversary of that specific convergence of leadership.
Ronald Reagan presided over the ceremony alongside President George H.W. Bush. Former presidents Jimmy Carter, Gerald R. Ford, and Richard Nixon also attended. This assembly of five leaders was a rare occurrence in American history, uniting figures from both major political parties in a single room.
The library itself serves as the final resting place for Reagan and his wife, Nancy. It is located in the city of Simi Valley, which is situated in the Santa Clarita Valley region of Los Angeles County. The facility was designed to preserve the records and artifacts of the 40th president’s administration.
Beyond the Reagan event, the date Nov. 4 has been marked by several other major historical milestones. In 1980, Reagan defeated incumbent President Jimmy Carter to win his first term in the White House. That election established the political trajectory that culminated in his library’s dedication a decade later.
Other notable events on this date include the discovery of the entrance to King Tutankhamen’s tomb in 1922. In 1924, Nellie Tayloe Ross of Wyoming and Miriam Amanda Ferguson of Texas became the first women elected to the office of governor. The Iran hostage crisis began in 1979 when students seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, leading to 444 days of captivity for 52 Americans.
In more recent history, Barack Obama was elected the first Black president of the United States on Nov. 4, 2008, defeating John McCain. The Paris climate accord took effect in 2016, marking the first global pact to fight climate change without imposing sanctions on non-compliant nations.
In 2025, Zohran Mamdani was elected the youngest mayor of New York City in over a century. He defeated former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an independent, and Republican Curtis Sliwa. Mamdani’s victory at age 34 signaled a shift in the city’s political leadership.
