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Sterling withdrawn from the ERM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 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 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