In light of Chicago Mayor Richard Daley’s announcement today that he will not seek another term as mayor, we found some facts from his life and years in office. Straight from our Fox News Brainroom, here is a timeline of Daley’s career:
April 24, 1942 - Born in Chicago to Richard J Daley, who became the mayor of Chicago in 1955 and remained in office for six terms until his death in 1976.
1964 - Completed his bachelor’s degree at De Paul University.
1968 – Received his law degree at De Paul University.
1970 - Met Maggie Corbett, a 26-year-old executive at Xerox Corporation, during a Christmas party. Daley asked her to go out with him on New Year’s Eve, and she accepted. Fifteen months later, the two were married.
1972 – Won his first elective office, to serve in the Illinois State Senate representing the 23rd district. He remained a state senator until 1980.
1980 - Elected as state’s attorney for Cook County.
1981 - Daley’s son Kevin dies. Kevin was born with spina bifida, a birth defect involving the central nervous system.
1983 - Made his first run for mayor of Chicago. The election was won by Harold Washington, Chicago’s first black mayor.
1984 - re-elected as Cook county state’s attorney.
1988 - re-elected again as Cook county state’s attorney.
April 4, 1989 - first elected mayor of Chicago to complete Harold Washington’s term. Washington passed away while in office.
Daley was re-elected mayor in 1991, 1995, 1999, and 2003, winning a greater percentage of votes at each election.
1996 - Chicago hosted the Democratic National Convention.
February 2007 – won a sixth term with more than 70% of the vote, overcoming a City Hall corruption scandal.
April 25, 2008 – Daley convened officials from Chicago’s police department, social service agencies, religious groups, and schools to City Hall for a summit meeting on an outbreak of violence
October, 2009 – Chicago loses a bid for the 2016 Olympics despite a four years effort, millions of dollars in planning and a last-ditch pitch from President Obama
September 7, 2010 – Daley announces he won’t run for re-election next year for personal reasons.
