Five U.S. presidents gathered in California 35 years ago
The 1991 opening of the Reagan library in Simi Valley brought together the current president and four former presidents, a first in American history.
By Aiko Soto ·
The Ronald Reagan presidential library opened on November 4, 1991, in Simi Valley, California. The event marked a unique moment in American political history as it brought together five chief executives at once.
President George H.W. Bush attended the dedication. He was joined by former presidents Jimmy Carter, Gerald R. Ford, and Richard Nixon. This gathering was the first instance where a sitting president and four former presidents met in person.
The library serves as the archival home for the records and personal papers of the 40th president. Its construction and opening were part of the standard process for preserving the legacy of a former U.S. president.
The date November 4 has hosted other major historical events over the past century. In 1980, Ronald Reagan defeated incumbent Democratic President Jimmy Carter in a decisive general election victory.
Fifty years prior, in 1935, the date saw no major events listed in this specific historical compilation, but 1922 recorded the discovery of the entrance to King Tutankhamen’s tomb in Egypt. In 2007, the public viewed the pharaoh’s face for the first time since his burial more than 3,000 years earlier.
Other notable November 4 milestones include the 1979 seizure of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran by militant students, which started the Iran hostage crisis. Fifty-two hostages were held for 444 days before their release on January 20, 1981. In 1995, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated shortly after attending a peace rally.
In 2016, the Paris climate accord took effect, becoming the first global pact to address climate change without imposing sanctions on non-compliant nations. This year, November 4, 2025, marks the election of Zohran Mamdani as the youngest mayor of New York City in over a century.
