Bachelet Jeria, Veronica Michelle(Michelle Bachelet)

1951 - Michelle Bachelet was Born 29th of September in Santiago, Chile.

1962 - She left with her family to the United States of America, where her father was assigned to the military mission at the Chilean Embassy in Washington.

1969 - Finished High School at Liceo Nº 1 Javiera Carrera, a prestigious girls-only public school, finishing near the top of her class.

1970 - Studied college in University of Chile, becoming one of the highest national scores in the university admission test. She originally wanted to study sociology but was prevailed upon by her father to study medicine instead. Bachelet became a member of the Socialist Youth.

1973 - Coup happened and General Bachelet, refusing exile, was detained at the Air War Academy under charges of treason.

1975 - Bachelet and her mother were detained, and tortured, at Villa Grimaldi, a notorious secret detention center in Santiago in Chile.

1979 - Returned to Santiago, Chile from East Germany.

1982 - Graduated as an M.D. and one of the best students in her class.

1983-1986 - Her academic performance and published papers earned her a scholarship to specialize in pediatrics and public health at Children's Hospital Roberto del Río.

1990 - Bachelet worked for the Ministry of Health's West Santiago Health Service and was a consultant for the Pan-American Health Organization, the World Health Organization and the German Corporation for Technical Cooperation.

1995 - Became part of the party's Central Committee.

1996 - Bachelet ran against future presidential adversary Joaquín Lavín for the mayorship of Las Condes, and she got defeated.

1997 - Worked as Senior Assistant to the Deputy Health Minister.

2000 - Bachelet-a virtual unknown at the time-was appointed Minister of Health by President Ricardo Lagos.

2004 - Because of her popularity Bachelet was asked to become the Socialists' candidate for the presidency.

2006 - Bachelet faced Piñera, in the election and won the presidency with 53.5% of the vote, thus becoming her country's first female elected president and the first woman who was not the wife of a previous head of state or political leader to reach the presidency of a Latin American nation in a direct election.