Revelers Wish Happy Birthday to Reagan : Simi Valley: The Great Communicator turns 82. Margaret Thatcher is among the guests at the presidential library.

Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was among the guests Saturday night celebrating former President Ronald Reagan’s 82nd birthday at his presidential library near Simi Valley.

Reagan and wife Nancy played host to more than 500 well-wishers--paying $500 each--including entertainers Merv Griffin and Eva Gabor, actor Jimmy Stewart, comedian Tim Conway, socialite Betsy Bloomingdale and media tycoons Rupert and Anna Murdoch.

Also present were Thatcher’s husband, Denis, publisher Malcolm Forbes Jr. and Arco Chairman Lodwrick Cook, who headed fund-raising efforts to build the $57-million presidential library, which opened in November, 1991.

But Thatcher, who Reagan has described as his political “soul mate,” was clearly the most honored guest of the evening.

Before dinner, Thatcher and Reagan strolled into the library’s full-scale replica of the Oval Office and posed for photographers--the Iron Lady and the Great Communicator together again.

During the photo session, Thatcher presented the Reagans with solid silver beakers, one inscribed with the letter R and the other N, and each with the message “With love from Margaret and Denis Thatcher.”

The two former world leaders have remained close friends since leaving political office, Reagan in 1988 and Thatcher in 1991.

In addition to Reagan’s birthday celebration, Saturday night’s gala served as a fund-raiser for the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Center for Public Affairs. Tickets went for $500 a plate, and the event was sold out.

The money will be used to hold conferences and educational forums, said Cathy Goldberg, a Reagan spokeswoman.

Reagan and his guests were treated to an elegant dinner--served in a white tent set up in the library’s courtyard--that included crab-stuffed filet of sole, prime rib with horseradish cream, oven-roasted potatoes and California wine. Dessert was Haagen-Daz ice cream with hot fudge.

Afterward, Thatcher paid tribute to the former President with a brief speech in which she credited him for helping to end the Cold War. Thatcher said it was Reagan’s hard-line defense policies that “led directly to the revolutions of 1989, which after 72 years, brought the Evil Empire crashing down.”

“And if Ronald Reagan’s birthday is celebrated warmly in California,” she said, “it is celebrated even more warmly in Prague, Warsaw, Budapest and Moscow itself because in those cities . . . they know who their true friends are.”

Reagan later thanked Thatcher and all his guests for attending.

“I don’t think I really deserve such a fuss for my birthday,” Reagan said. “But as George Burns once said, ‘I have arthritis and I don’t deserve that, either.’

“It is with great humility that I look back on the many blessings which have been bestowed upon me over the years,” he said. “I have had the chance to pursue several careers over the years--I’ll leave it to you to decide which was the most successful.”

Not everyone who wanted to be there was able to get into the party. Dan Strobahr, David Foster and Donna Santarelli drove up from San Diego earlier in the day, hoping to crash the festivities.

“We’re presidential junkies,” Foster said. “Our goal is to meet every living President.” Foster said he and Santarelli have met former President Richard M. Nixon, as well as Bill Clinton when Clinton was campaigning for the White House last fall in San Diego.

Strobahr said he met Reagan on the former President’s birthday last year at the library. “It was one of the thrills of my life,” he said.

The three did get a glimpse of Reagan’s motorcade as it whisked by them on Presidential Drive about 6 p.m. One of the signs the trio held asked for an invitation to the party, but the limousine carrying Reagan did not stop.

Reagan is only the second former President to reach his 82nd birthday. Harry Truman was 88 when he died in 1972.

Goldberg said the Thatchers plan to have lunch today with the Reagans at their Santa Barbara ranch.