Merkel, Angela Dorothea

1954 - Born in the western port city of Hamburg
- grew up in East German town of Templin as her dad had to pastor a church in that area

1960s
- studied at Templin

1973-1978
- studied physics at the University of Leipzig and earned her doctorate

1977 - married Ulrich Merkel, also a physicist

1980s
- joined the Christian Democratic Union (CDU)  under former Chancellor Helmut Kohl

1982 - divorced with Merkel

1989 - took part in burgeoning democracy movement then worked as government spokeswoman after the first democratic elections

1991-1994

- German women and youth minister 

1994 - head of the environment ministry

1998 - secretary-general of the CDU after Kohl's defeat en the elections

2000 - became the party leader

2005 - became Germany's first woman chancellor after winning the September 18 election

2006 - as of the said year, she is so far the youngest chancellor since WW II
- Forbes Magazine's Most Powerful Woman in the World