Angela Merkel

Angela Merkel, also known as Angela Dorothea Kasner, was born on July 17, 1954, in Hamburg, West Germany. She later became the Chancellor of Germany from 2005 to 2021.

Merkel joined the Free German Youth, the official communist youth movement sponsored by the ruling Marxist-Leninist Socialist Unity Party of Germany, like many young people in East Germany at that time.

Helmut Kohl was the only chancellor of the federal republic to be elected to his first term via a constructive vote of no confidence against Helmut Schmidt.

In 1986, Angela Merkel received a doctorate in quantum chemistry.

After the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989, Angela Merkel joined the new political party called Demokratischer Aufbruch (D.A., or “Democratic Beginning” in English). She quickly rose to become the press spokesperson for the party and was later appointed deputy spokesperson of the last pre-unification government under Lothar de Maizière.

In February 1990, Angela Merkel was appointed as the press spokeswoman for the new party Demokratischer Aufbruch, after becoming involved in the growing democracy movement following the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Angela Merkel was elected chairperson of the CDU in 2000, becoming the first woman to lead a German political party.

On April 10, 2000, Angela Merkel made history by becoming the first female chairperson of the CDU, marking a significant milestone for women in German politics.

Since 2001, the official seat of the chancellor has been the Federal Chancellery in Berlin, known as Bundeskanzleramt. This relocation marked a significant shift in the administrative center of the German government.

After the defeat of Edmund Stoiber in 2002, Angela Merkel became the Leader of the Opposition in the Bundestag, in addition to her role as CDU Leader. She supported substantial reform agendas for Germany's economic and social system, advocating for pro-market policies and a strong transatlantic partnership.

In 2004, a villa in Dahlem, a suburban district of southwestern Berlin, was acquired as a pied-a-terre for the chancellors in West-Berlin. This acquisition provided a secondary residence for the chancellors, reflecting the evolving needs of the office.

Angela Merkel, a German politician, became the Chancellor of Germany in 2005. She is one of the most influential leaders in European politics and has been in office for several terms.

On 30 May 2005, Angela Merkel won the CDU/CSU nomination to challenge Chancellor Gerhard Schröder of the SPD in the 2005 federal elections. Her party began the campaign with a lead in national opinion polls, but faced challenges related to economic competence and fiscal policy proposals.

On 18 September 2005, Angela Merkel's CDU/CSU and Gerhard Schröder's SPD competed in the national elections, with the CDU/CSU winning 35.2% of the second votes to the SPD's 34.2%. This resulted in a close contest and the need for coalition negotiations.

On October 10, 2005, Angela Merkel struck a historic deal with Gerhard Schroeder's Social Democrats, paving the way for her to become the first female chancellor of Germany.

On November 22, 2005, Angela Merkel made history by being sworn in as the first female chancellor of Germany, marking a significant milestone for women in politics.

Angela Merkel meets US President George W. Bush at the White House.

Angela Merkel meets Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin.

In 2007, Angela Merkel assumed the position of President of the European Council, playing a significant role in shaping European policies and agreements.

Angela Merkel receives the Charlemagne Prize, the 'Citizens’ Prize for Services to European Unity.'

The German government assisted the mortgage company Hypo Real Estate with a bailout, with German banks contributing €30 billion and the Bundesbank €20 billion to an emergency credit line.

Angela Merkel makes her first visit to the United States under President Barack Obama’s administration.

Received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Obama in 2011.

Was reelected chancellor of Germany in 2013.

Angela Merkel expresses her anger and dissatisfaction towards the US National Security Agency for eavesdropping on her cell phone, stating that 'true change is necessary' and 'spying among friends is never acceptable.'

Angela Merkel is sworn in for a third term as the chancellor of Germany.

Angela Merkel is named Person of the Year by Time magazine.

Angela Merkel makes her first visit to the United States under President Donald Trump’s administration.

On September 24, 2017, Angela Merkel secured her fourth term as the Chancellor of Germany, despite her party's reduced lead in parliament and the rise of far-right support. The hard-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) emerged as the third-largest group in the national parliament.

Angela Merkel led her party to victory for the fourth time in the 2017 federal election. The CDU/CSU and the SPD received a lower proportion of the vote than in 2013, leading to attempts to form a coalition with the FDP and Greens. The negotiations for the coalition were the longest in German post-war history, lasting almost six months.

The Social Democratic Party voted to renew a government coalition with Merkel's Christian Democrats, allowing her to serve a fourth term as chancellor and resolving a prolonged political deadlock.

Angela Merkel made her second state visit to the US during Trump's presidency.

Angela Merkel announced that she will not seek reelection when her term expires in 2021. This decision came after her party and the Social Democrats suffered heavy losses in state elections in Hesse and after the Christian Social Union lost its majority in the Bavarian state parliament.

In June 2019, Queen Elizabeth II and Prime Minister Theresa May welcomed Merkel in Portsmouth, England, ahead of an event commemorating the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion.

Angela Merkel delivered a widely publicized speech on the COVID-19 pandemic, drawing parallels to the challenges faced during the Second World War. The speech received international attention and an award for 'speech of the year'. Merkel's handling of the pandemic and her call for greater solidarity within the European Union received international praise.

Germany's military bestowed their highest civilian ceremony, the Grand Tattoo, upon Chancellor Angela Merkel as she prepared to step down from her 16-year tenure in office.

On December 8, 2021, Angela Merkel left office after serving as Germany's Chancellor for 16 years, leaving a lasting impact on the country's political landscape.

Only 24 hours after the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, Merkel condemned it as a profound break in the history of post-Cold War Europe.

On 1 June 2022, Merkel criticized the blatant violation of international law by Russia, expressed solidarity with Ukraine, and argued for the importance of peace and freedom.

In an interview on 7 June 2022, Merkel defended her past decisions on Ukraine and called Putin's aggression a major mistake from Russia, breaching international laws and threatening peace in Europe.

Angela Merkel receives Germany’s highest federal honor, the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit, for special achievement.