Kamala Harris

Oct 20, 1964: Born in Oakland, California, to two immigrant academics – Indian-born mother and Jamaican-born father

1971: After parents divorce Harris and younger sister Maya raised primarily by mother Shyamala Gopalan, cancer researcher and civil rights activist

1976: Family moves to Montreal, Canada, for five years after Gopalan takes teaching post at McGill University

1982: Harris studies political science and economics at Howard University – historically black university in Washington DC

1989: Earns law degree at University of California and begins career as deputy district attorney in Alameda County

2003: First woman elected as district attorney – top prosecutor – for San Francisco

2010: First woman and first black person elected as attorney general of California

2012: Memorable address at Democratic National Convention raises national profile

2014: Marries lawyer Doug Emhoff – Harris’s two stepchildren call
her Momala

2016: Elected as junior U.S. senator from California 
Sharp questioning of Trump administration appointees during Senate hearings builds Harris’s popularity with liberal activists

Jan 2019: Launches candidacy for president, earning plaudits for strong debate performances, including memorable attack on Joe Biden’s record on race in first Democratic debate in June
      
Dec: Suspends campaign after failing to stand out in crowded field of candidates

May 2020: Becomes prominent advocate of racial-justice reform after killing of George Floyd

Aug: Biden selects Harris as running mate

Nov 3: Biden-Harris ticket defeats Donald Trump’s re-election bid

Jan 20, 2021: Harris is first woman, and first person of black and Indian heritage, to be sworn in as U.S. Vice President
  
Jul 21, 2024: Biden ends re-election bid and endorses Harris to succeed him as Democratic candidate


Sources: Reuters, BBC, Britannica 
Pictures: California Attorney General's Office, Getty Images, Kamala Harris, Newscom 
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