A chronology of Sir John Major’s life and political career, from his early years and entry into Parliament through to his premiership and subsequent public life.
Early life and political career
1943
Born in Carshalton
1959
Left school
1968
Elected as a Lambeth Borough Councillor
1974
Contested St Pancras North in the February and October general elections
1976
Selected as Conservative candidate for Huntingdonshire
1979
Elected as Member of Parliament for Huntingdonshire
1983
Re-elected as Member of Parliament for the renamed Huntingdon constituency
1985
Appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Social Security
1986
Appointed Minister of State for Social Security
1987
Re-elected as Member of Parliament for Huntingdon
1987
Appointed Chief Secretary to the Treasury
1989
Appointed Foreign Secretary
1989
Appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer
1990
Britain joins the Exchange Rate Mechanism
Prime Minister, 1990–1997
1990
November
- Leadership election
- Became Prime Minister
December
- Rome European Council
1991
January
- Visited troops engaged in the 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 of President Yeltsin to Britain
- UN Security Council
March
- Called the 1992 general election
April
- Conservatives won the general election
- Re-elected as Member of Parliament for Huntingdon
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- Sterling withdrawn from the Exchange Rate Mechanism
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 the Downing Street Declaration
1994
January
- NATO summit in Brussels
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 announced a ceasefire
September
- Visit to Germany
- Visit to South Africa
November
- Launch of the National Lottery
1995
February
- Statement to the nation on the Northern Ireland situation
- Launch of the 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
- Resigned as Conservative Party leader
- Won the subsequent Conservative Party leadership election
September
- Visit to Majorca
October
- Visit to New York to mark the 50th anniversary of the United Nations
November
- Visit to Australia and New Zealand
- Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
- President Clinton addressed the British Parliament
December
- Madrid European Council
1996
February
- Western European Union Assembly
- Visit to Asia
- Docklands IRA bombing
- Scott Report published
March
- Dunblane tragedy
- Turin European Council
April
- Visit to Russia
May
- Policy of non-cooperation with the European Union began
June
- IRA bombing in Manchester
- Florence European Council
- All-party talks began in Northern Ireland
July
- Stone of Destiny returned to Scotland
September
- Statement on BSE
December
- Dublin European Council
1997
January
- Visit to India
- Speech marking the 50th anniversary of Indian independence
March
- General election called
May
- Conservatives defeated at the general election
- Re-elected as Member of Parliament for Huntingdon
Later public life
1999
Made a Companion of Honour
2001
Stood down from Parliament
2005
Appointed a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter