Shirley A. Chisholm Timeline

November 30, 1924 Born Shirley St. Hill in Brooklyn, NY

1927-1934 Lived in Barbados with maternal grandmother

1942 Graduated from Girls’ High School in Brooklyn, NY

1946 Graduated from Brooklyn College with a Bachelor of Arts degree

1952 Earned a master’s degree from Columbia University’s Teachers College

1949 Married Conrad Chisholm

1953-1959 Director of the Hamilton-Madison Child Care Center

1960 Helped to form a Unity Democratic Club in New York

1959-1964 Served as an educational consultant for the Division of Day Care

1964 Elected to New York State Legislature

1968 Became the first African-American woman elected to Congress. She represented New York’s 12th District

1969 Was one of the founding members of the Congressional Black Caucus. Chisholm was the only woman among the founding members.

1970 Was cofounder of the National Organization for Women (NOW).

1970 Published Unbought and Unbossed

January 23, 1972 Chisholm was the first African-American person to run for President.

1972 Chisholm made a bid for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination. She did not win the nomination, but she did received 151 of the delegates’ votes

1973 Published The Good Fight

1977 Joined the powerful House Rules Committee.

1977 Married Arthur Hardwick

1983 Ended her term as a Congresswoman representing New York’s 12th District

1993 Was nominated to be U.S. ambassador to Jamaica by President Bill Clinton but withdrew because of ill health.

January 1, 2005 Died