Ronald Reagan came after George Washington.
List of Presidents of the United States . The first , George Washington , won a unanimous vote of the Electoral College . The most recent death of a former president was on December 26 , 2006 with the death of Gerald Ford ; the most recently serving president to die was Ronald Reagan on June 5 , 2004 . Ronald Wilson Reagan ( [ ˈrɒnəld_ˈwɪlsən_ˈreɪɡən ] ) ( February 6 , 1911 -- June 5 , 2004 ) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th President of the United States from 1981 to 1989 .