Which U.S. president rededicated the Statue of Liberty during its 1986 centennial?

Ronald Reagan rededicated the Statue of Liberty during its 1986 centennial.

The centennial celebration was organized as Liberty Weekend from July 3 through July 6, 1986. Reagan presided over the rededication ceremony, with French President François Mitterrand attending. The event honored the statue’s history as a gift from France and a symbol associated with liberty and immigration.

The centennial required extensive restoration. Engineers found serious problems, including corrosion in the internal armature, an improperly attached right arm, and a head installed about two feet off center. Some exterior copper plates also needed replacement.

The statue reopened to the public on July 5, 1986. The weekend also included a new edition of Operation Sail on July 4, linking the 1986 centennial celebration with the maritime spectacle staged during the United States Bicentennial in 1976.