CHRONOLOGY:

 

1943 - Born in Carshalton

1959 - Left School

1968 - Elected as Lambeth Borough Councillor

1974 - Contested St Pancras North constituency in General Election (February) + (October)

1976 - Selected as Conservative candidate for Huntingdonshire

1979 - Elected as Member of Parliament for Huntingdonshire

1983 - Re-elected as Member of Parliament for renamed Huntingdon constituency

1985 - Appointed Under Secretary of State for Social Security

1986 - Appointed as Minister of State for Social Security

1987 - Re-elected as Member of Parliament for Huntingdon constituency

1987 - Appointed as Chief Secretary to the Treasury

1989 - Appointed as Foreign Secretary

1989 - Appointed as Chancellor of the Exchequer

1989 - Britain joins the ERM

 

1990

November:

Leadership Election

Becomes Prime Minister

December:

Rome European Council

 

1991

January:

Visits troops engaged in Gulf War

February:

Visit to Germany

Visit to Northern Ireland

IRA mortar attack on Downing Street

March:

Visit to Moscow

Visit to Kuwait

Citizen’s Charter unveiled

June:

Visit to European countries

Luxembourg European Council

July:

Economic Summit

September:

Visit to Moscow

Visit to Hong Kong

October:

Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Harare

November:

Summit in Rome

December:

Summit in Maastricht

 

1992

January:

Visit to Northern Ireland

Visit to President Yeltsin to Britain

UN Security Council

March:

Calls 1992 General Election

April:

Conservatives win General Election

Re-elected as Member of Parliament for Huntingdon constituency

May:

Visit to a number of Eastern European countries

June:

Visit to the United States

Visit to South American Countries

UN Conference on Environment

Lisbon European Council

July:

Economic Summit in Helsinki

September

Visit to Edinburgh

Sterling withdrawn from the ERM

December

Edinburgh European Council

Visit to Canada and the United States

 

1993

January:

Visit to India

March:

Visit to Northern Ireland

May:

Visit to France

June:

Copenhagen European Council

July:

Visit to Japan

Maastricht Treaty Debates

September:

Visit to Asia

November:

Brussels European Council

December:

Launch of Downing Street Declaration

 

1994

January:

NATO Summit in Brusssels

February:

Visit to Russia

Visit to the United States

May:

Death of John Smith

June:

Corfu European Council

July:

Naples Economic Summit

August:

Visit to Eastern Europe

IRA announces ceasefire

September:

Visit to Germany

Visit to South Africa

November:

Launch of the National Lottery

 

1995

February:

Statement to nation on Northern Ireland situation

Launch of Framework Document for Northern Ireland

Visit to Northern Ireland

March:

Visit to the Middle East

April:

Visit to the United States

June:

Visit to France

Resignation as Conservative Party leader

Wins the Conservative Party leadership

September:

Visit to Majorca

October:

Visit to New York to mark 50th Anniversary of the United Nations

November:

Visit to Australia and New Zealand

Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting

President Clinton speaks to British Parliament

December:

Madrid European Council

 

1996

February:

Western European Union Assembly

Visit to Asia

Docklands IRA bomb

Scott Report published

March:

Dunblane tragedy

Turin European Council

April:

Visit to Russia

May:

Policy of non-cooperation with European Union begins

June:

IRA Bomb in Manchester

Florence European Council

All-party talks begin in Northern Ireland

July:

Stone of Destiny returned to Scotland

September:

Statement on BSE

December:

Dublin European Council

 

1997

January:

Visit to India

Speech on 50th Anniversary of Indian Independence

March:

General Election called

May:

Conservatives defeated at the General Election

Re-elected as Member of Parliament for Huntingdon constituency

 

1999 - Made a Companion of Honour

2001 - Stands down from Parliament

2005 - Appointed a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter