LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Ronald Reagan was honored on Sunday in a centennial celebration of his birth that saw his former chief of staff praise the 1980s president for his pragmatism.

Nancy Reagan, the former first lady, also honored the former president by laying a wreath at her husband's grave at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, 45 miles from Los Angeles.

James Baker, who served the former president as his White House chief of staff from 1981 to 1985, said Reagan, a Republican, could work with Democrats and other political foes.

"While he held convictions as firmly as anyone I have ever known, he was also a pragmatist, who saw the world as it is," Baker said.

"Ronald Reagan was a master at reaching across the aisle for solutions to our nation's problems."

Baker said the United States must learn from Regan's example of pragmatism and work to solve problems, rather than "cynically rely on them for partisan advantage."

The remarks by Baker, who also served as U.S. secretary of state from 1989 through 1992 under former President George H.W. Bush, come at a time when political commentators have warned of heightened partisanship in Washington, D.C.

The 89-year-old Nancy Reagan, wearing red, received thunderous applause when she took the stage to speak about her late husband.

"I know that Ronnie would be thrilled and is thrilled, to have all of you share in this 100th birthday," she told the crowd. "It doesn't seem possible, but that's what it is."

The event, on a day marked by bright sunshine, featured performances by singers Amy Grant and Lee Greenwood and 1960s supergroup the Beach Boys, as well as a speech by actor Gary Sinise of the TV show "CSI: NY."

Sinise said that like Reagan, a former Hollywood star, he himself is an actor born in Illinois.

"But when I consider how he went from where I am to the pinnacle of the free world, I am in awe," Sinise said.

A 21-gun salute, military band, color guard and flyover were also part of the ceremonies for Reagan, a supporter of strong U.S. armed forces.

Reagan, a former governor of California, was elected U.S. president in 1980, defeating Democratic incumbent Jimmy Carter. He won re-election to a second term in 1984 when he carried 49 of the 50 states.

He was diagnosed in 1994 with the brain-wasting disease Alzheimer's, and died in 2004 at age 93.

(Editing by Jerry Norton)

DALLAS (Reuters) – The Green Bay Packers reclaimed the greatest prize in North American sport when they beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25 on Sunday to win the 45th Super Bowl.

Inspired by their dynamic young quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the Packers gave a masterclass demonstration, opening up a 21-3 lead in the second quarter and then showing amazing courage to survive a ferocious late comeback from the Steelers.

It was game that lived up to all the hype as two of the most successful franchises in the NFL slugged it out in front of a crowd of more than 100,000 at Cowboys Stadium.

They scored seven touchdowns between them but it was game characterized by hard-hitting defense as both teams lost key players, including Packers receiver Donald Driver and his team mate cornerback Charles Woodson, to injuries.

"We just kept battling. We had some adversity, we lost some guys to injuries and we had some rough plays out there," Packers head coach Mike McCarthy said.

"We knew it was going to be a heavyweight slug match. We knew it was going to come down to the wire."

Rodgers, who emerged from the shadows of his predecessor Brett Favre, was named MVP after completing 24 of 39 passes for 304 yards and throwing three touchdown passes but there were plenty of other worthy contenders for the award.

Greg Jennings scored two touchdowns, Jordy Nelson scored one (among his nine receptions) and Nick Collins intercepted a wayward pass from Ben Roethlisberger and raced 37 yards for a TD in the first quarter that gave the Packers a 14-0 lead.

"Wow, wow, wow," shrieked Jennings. "It's a great day to be great, baby."

The Steelers, who were chasing a record seventh Super Bowl win, were brave in defeat.

They never led but pulled to within 28-25 midway through the fourth quarter when a costly turnover, their third of the night, handed the momentum back to Green Bay.

"We're not into moral victories," Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin growled.

"We came here to win the football game and of course we didn't do that."

For the Packers, it was their fourth Super Bowl win. Only the Steelers (six), Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers (five each) have won more.

With a population of 102,000 Green Bay is the smallest city in the U.S. with an NFL team but few franchises have a more sentimental attachment to the Super Bowl than the residents of Wisconsin.

LEGENDARY COACH

The Packers won the first two Super Bowls, in 1967 and 1968, and the Vince Lombardi Trophy, which is presented to the winning team, is named after their legendary coach.

"The Vince Lombardi Trophy is finally going back home," McCarthy said.

Although the Packers were the slight favorites to win Sunday's game, they overcame some incredible obstacles just to get to the big one as the casualties starting mounting up during the season.

They needed to win their last two regular season games to secure a wildcard berth into the postseason and then win three playoff games on the road to win the NFC championship.

Green Bay threatened to turn the game into a rout when Rodgers picked out Jennings in the end zone with a superb 21-yard pass to give the Packers a 21-3 second-quarter lead.

The Steelers began to claw their way back with Roethlisberger hitting Hines Ward on an eight-yard TD pass before Rashard Mendenhall scored on an eight-yard run.

A second Jennings touchdown gave the Packers some breathing room at 28-17 but the Steelers set up a grandstand finish when Mike Wallace collected a 25-yard touchdown pass from Roethlisberger and Antwaan Randle El completed a two-point conversion.

However, a 23-yard field goal from Mason Crosby with just over two minutes left gave the Packers the six-point lead they maintained until the end as the Steelers failed to mount one last challenge.

"What a great football game with two classic teams," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said.

"The smallest city in the league has won the biggest game."

While the game did live up to all expectations, there was some embarrassment for the NFL when more than 400 fans were unable to get in to the $1.2 billion stadium because they ran out of temporary seats.

The NFL paid them each three times the face value of their tickets and ordered an investigation into the mix-up.

Grammy winner Christina Aguilera also fumbled a line of the national anthem during the pre-game presentation but the Black Eyed Peas performed a dazzling half-time show watched by an estimated television audience of more than 100 million.

(Editing by Steve Ginsburg)

CLEVELAND (Reuters) – A student at Ohio's Youngstown State University was killed and 11 other people, including six YSU students, were wounded in a shooting at an off-campus fraternity house, officials said on Sunday.

The dead student was identified as Jamail E. Johnson, 25. Police have two people in custody in the shooting. The suspects had been thrown out of a party at the house, police said.

A 17-year-old girl was in critical condition.

The shooting occurred just after midnight. YSU spokesman Ron Cole said the private residence housed some members of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity, a YSU sanctioned African-American fraternal organization.

YSU Police Chief John Gocala said there was no threat to the campus, according to the YSU statement.

"I want to express my deepest sympathies to the family of the student who died in this tragic act of violence, and to ask everyone to keep him and the other students in their thoughts and prayers," YSU President Cynthia E. Anderson said.

"It is a sad day for the YSU family."

Omega Psi Phi was the first African-American fraternal organization to be founded at a historically black college -- Howard University in 1911.

Youngstown Police Chief Jimmy Hughes said the fraternity house had a good reputation in the neighborhood and was not known to be rowdy.

(Reporting by Kim Palmer; Writing by Mary Wisniewski; Editing by Jerry Norton)