1930 Born in Ludwigshafen, the son of a civil servant.
1946 Founder member of the Junge Union, the youth wing of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU)
1969 Prime minister of Rhineland-Palatinate
1973 Chairman of CDU
1976 Contests first election as chancellor candidate, loses to Social Democrat Helmut Schmidt.
1980 Again fails to oust Schmidt at election
1982 Becomes Chancellor when Liberal Free Democrats (FDP) change sides and bring down Schmidt government.
1983 Wins first federal election as Chancellor
1984 Endures heavy criticism for visiting a cemetery holding SS graves.
1986 Compares Mikhail Gorbachev to Nazi propaganda minister Josef Goebbels.
1987 Wins federal election with reduced share of popular vote.
1989 Communism in East Germany collapses, Berlin wall opened.
1990 Easterners vote for unification; Kohl re-elected in December.
1994 Defies poll predictions to defeat SPD candidate Rudolf Scharping in federal election. Promises to step down before 1998.
1997 Declares that he will seek a record fifth term in office.
1998 Polls predict defeat at the hands of Gerhard Schroder.
