Childhood and Education Journey of Dianne Feinstein in Timeline

Discover the defining moments in the early life of Dianne Feinstein. From birth to education, explore key events.

Dianne Feinstein was a prominent American politician who served as a U.S. Senator for California from 1992 until her death in 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, she was a trailblazer for women in politics, known for her moderate stance and focus on gun control, national security, and environmental protection. Prior to her Senate career, she served as the Mayor of San Francisco from 1978 to 1988, navigating the city through challenging times. Her long career in public service left a lasting impact on California and the nation.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

June 22, 1933: Dianne Feinstein Born

On June 22, 1933, Dianne Emiel Feinstein (née Goldman) was born. She would later become a U.S. Senator from California and Mayor of San Francisco.

1951: Graduated High School

In 1951, Dianne Feinstein graduated from Convent of the Sacred Heart High School.

1955: Fellow at Coro Foundation

From 1955, Dianne Feinstein was a fellow at the Coro Foundation in San Francisco.

1955: Graduated from Stanford University

In 1955, Dianne Feinstein graduated from Stanford University with a Bachelor of Arts in history.

1955: Graduated from Stanford University

In 1955, Dianne Feinstein graduated from Stanford University.

1956: End of fellowship at Coro Foundation

In 1956, Dianne Feinstein was no longer fellow at the Coro Foundation in San Francisco.

1956: Marriage to Jack Berman

In 1956, Feinstein married Jack Berman, who was then working in the San Francisco District Attorney's Office.

1957: Birth of daughter Katherine Feinstein Mariano

In 1957, Feinstein's daughter, Katherine Feinstein Mariano, was born.

1960: Appointed to California Women's Parole Board

In 1960, Governor Pat Brown appointed Dianne Feinstein to the California Women's Parole Board.

1962: Marriage to Bertram Feinstein

In 1962, Feinstein married her second husband, neurosurgeon Bertram Feinstein, shortly after beginning her career in politics.

1966: End of term on California Women's Parole Board

In 1966, Dianne Feinstein's term on the California Women's Parole Board ended.

1969: Elected to San Francisco Board of Supervisors

In 1969, Dianne Feinstein was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

1969: Elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors

In 1969, Dianne Feinstein was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

1970: First Female President of the Board of Supervisors

In 1970, Dianne Feinstein became the first female president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

1970: Appointed President of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors

In 1970, Dianne Feinstein was appointed as the first female president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

1971: Unsuccessful Mayoral Run

In 1971, Dianne Feinstein unsuccessfully ran for mayor of San Francisco against Mayor Joseph Alioto.

1971: End of term as president of San Francisco Board of Supervisors

In 1971, Dianne Feinstein's term as first female president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors ended.

1974: Term as president of San Francisco Board of Supervisors

In 1974, Dianne Feinstein served another term as president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

1975: Lost Runoff Slot in Mayoral Race

In 1975, Dianne Feinstein lost the contest for a runoff slot in the mayoral race to Supervisor John Barbagelata.

1975: End of term as president of San Francisco Board of Supervisors

In 1975, Dianne Feinstein's term as president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors ended.

1976: Targeted by NWLF

In 1976, Dianne Feinstein was targeted by the New World Liberation Front, including a bomb placed at her home.

June 4, 1977: Honorary Degree from Golden Gate University

On June 4, 1977, Dianne Feinstein was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws from Golden Gate University in San Francisco.

November 27, 1978: Became Acting Mayor of San Francisco

On November 27, 1978, Dianne Feinstein became acting mayor of San Francisco after the assassinations of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk.

December 4, 1978: Inaugurated as Mayor of San Francisco

On December 4, 1978, Dianne Feinstein was inaugurated as San Francisco's first female mayor.

December 1978: End of term as president of San Francisco Board of Supervisors

In December 1978, Dianne Feinstein's term as president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors ended.

1978: Succeeded Moscone as Mayor of San Francisco

In 1978, Dianne Feinstein became the Mayor of San Francisco after the assassination of Mayor George Moscone.

1978: Death of Bertram Feinstein

In 1978, Feinstein's second husband, Bertram Feinstein, died of colon cancer.

1979: Cable Car System Shutdown

In 1979, Dianne Feinstein faced the challenge of the San Francisco cable car system being shut down for emergency repairs.

1980: Marriage to Richard C. Blum

In 1980, Feinstein married investment banker Richard C. Blum.

1980: Supported Carter-Mondale Ticket

In the 1980 presidential election, Dianne Feinstein strongly supported the Carter-Mondale ticket.

1982: Proposed Handgun Ban and Faced Recall Attempt

In 1982, Dianne Feinstein proposed banning handguns in San Francisco, leading to a recall attempt which she survived.

1982: Vetoed Domestic Partner Benefits Legislation

In 1982, Dianne Feinstein, as mayor, angered the gay community by vetoing legislation that would have extended city-employee benefits to domestic partners.

1982: Cable Car System Closed for Rebuilding

In 1982, the San Francisco cable car system closed for rebuilding under Dianne Feinstein's leadership as mayor.

1983: Faced recall attempt

In 1983, Dianne Feinstein faced a recall attempt.

1984: Oversaw the 1984 Democratic National Convention

In 1984, Dianne Feinstein, as mayor, oversaw the 1984 Democratic National Convention in San Francisco.

1984: Cable Car System Reopened

In 1984, The San Francisco cable car system rebuilding was completed in time for the Democratic National Convention during Dianne Feinstein's tenure as mayor.

1984: Considered as Mondale's Running Mate

In 1984, there was speculation that Mondale might pick Dianne Feinstein as his running mate, but he chose Geraldine Ferraro instead.

1985: Revealed Sensitive Details about Richard Ramirez Case

In 1985, Dianne Feinstein revealed sensitive details about the hunt for serial killer Richard Ramirez, jeopardizing the investigation.

1987: Named Nation's "Most Effective Mayor"

In 1987, City & State magazine named Dianne Feinstein the nation's "Most Effective Mayor".

1987: Named Most Effective Mayor

In 1987, Dianne Feinstein was named the most effective mayor in the country by City & State.

January 8, 1988: Finished Second Term as Mayor

On January 8, 1988, Dianne Feinstein finished her second term as mayor of San Francisco.

1988: Member of the Trilateral Commission

In 1988, Dianne Feinstein was a member of the Trilateral Commission.

1990: Lost Race for Governor

In 1990, Dianne Feinstein lost the race for governor of California.

1990: Unsuccessful Gubernatorial Bid

In 1990, Dianne Feinstein made an unsuccessful bid for governor of California, losing to Pete Wilson.

1990: Support for Capital Punishment

In 1990, when Feinstein first ran for statewide office, she supported capital punishment.

1991: Wilson Resigned from Senate

In 1991, Wilson resigned from the Senate to take office as governor of California.

November 3, 1992: Elected to the Senate

On November 3, 1992, Dianne Feinstein was first elected to the Senate.

November 1992: Elected to the U.S. Senate

In November 1992, Dianne Feinstein was elected to the U.S. Senate in a special election, becoming California's first female U.S. Senator.

November 1992: Sworn in as Senator

In November 1992, Dianne Feinstein was sworn in as a senator, becoming California's senior senator and the first female Jewish U.S. senator.

1992: Ran for U.S. Senate

In 1992, Dianne Feinstein ran for U.S. Senate in a special election to complete Wilson's term.

1992: Fined for Campaign Finance Violations

In 1992, Dianne Feinstein was fined $190,000 for failure to properly report campaign contributions and expenditures in her 1990 campaign.

January 1993: Boxer took office

In January 1993, Boxer took office.

January 1993: Became Senior Senator

In January 1993, Dianne Feinstein became California's senior senator after Alan Cranston's retirement.

1994: Re-elected to Senate

In 1994, Dianne Feinstein was re-elected to the Senate.

2000: Re-elected to Senate

In 2000, Dianne Feinstein was re-elected to the Senate.

2002: Death of Jack Berman

In 2002, Feinstein's first husband Jack Berman, died.

2003: Vote Against Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act

In 2003, Feinstein voted against the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act, a proposal to ban intact dilation and extraction.

2003: Ranked Fifth-Wealthiest Senator

In 2003, Feinstein was ranked the fifth-wealthiest senator, with an estimated net worth of $26 million.

2004: Called for Death Penalty in Espinoza Case

In 2004, Feinstein called for the death penalty in the case of San Francisco police officer Isaac Espinoza.

2005: Net Worth Increase

By 2005, Feinstein's net worth increased to between $43 and $99 million.

2006: Re-elected to Senate

In 2006, Dianne Feinstein was re-elected to the Senate.

2007: Chaired Senate Rules Committee

In 2007, Dianne Feinstein chaired the Senate Rules Committee (2007-2009).

2009: Chaired Obama's Inaugural Ceremony

In 2009, Dianne Feinstein chaired the first inaugural ceremony of President Barack Obama and also chaired the Select Committee on Intelligence from 2009 to 2015.

2012: Re-elected to Senate

In 2012, Dianne Feinstein was re-elected to the Senate.

2012: Received Record Votes in Senate Election

In the 2012 election, Dianne Feinstein received 7.86 million votes, which was, until 2024, the most popular votes received by any U.S. Senate candidate in history.

2012: Katherine Feinstein Mariano ends term as judge

Through 2012, Katherine Feinstein Mariano ended her 12 years as presiding judge of the San Francisco Superior Court.

2013: Liberal Lioness

In 2013, The New York Times called Feinstein a "liberal lioness," highlighting her advocacy for gun control, abortion access, environmental protection, and a strong national defense.

2015: End of term as chair of the Select Committee on Intelligence

In 2015, Dianne Feinstein's term as chair of the Select Committee on Intelligence ended.

January 2017: Pacemaker Insertion

In January 2017, Feinstein had an artificial cardiac pacemaker inserted at George Washington University Hospital.

October 2017: Declared Intention to Run for Reelection

In October 2017, Dianne Feinstein declared her intention to run for reelection in 2018.

2017: Became Top Democrat on Senate Judiciary Committee

In 2017, Dianne Feinstein became the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, the first woman to hold that position.

2018: Opposed Capital Punishment

By 2018, Feinstein opposed capital punishment, marking a change from her earlier stance.

2018: Death of John McCain

Feinstein's death marked the first time a sitting senator had died since John McCain died in 2018 of brain cancer.

2018: Re-elected to Senate

In 2018, Dianne Feinstein was re-elected to the Senate.

2018: Reelected to Senate

In 2018, Dianne Feinstein was reelected to the Senate, defeating Kevin de Leon.

2018: Centrism Emphasis

In 2018, the Los Angeles Times reported that Feinstein emphasized centrism when first running for statewide office in the 1990s, and later shifted leftward as California became more Democratic.

October 2020: Cognitive Decline Reports

In October 2020, media reports indicated that Dianne Feinstein was experiencing cognitive decline and short-term memory loss.

2020: Reports of Cognitive Decline

In 2020, investigative journalist Jane Mayer reported that some colleagues and staffers had observed cognitive decline in Feinstein for several years.

2021: Criticism Over Supreme Court Nomination Hearings

In 2021, After her performance at Amy Coney Barrett's October 2020 Supreme Court nomination hearings was criticized, Feinstein did not seek to chair the Senate Judiciary Committee or serve as its ranking member.

October 22, 2022: Not interested in serving as president pro tempore

On October 22, 2022, Dianne Feinstein said that due to family matters, she was not interested in serving as president pro tempore in 2023.

2022: Death of Richard C. Blum

In 2022, Feinstein's husband, Richard C. Blum, died from cancer.

2022: Continued Reports of Cognitive Issues

In 2022, The New York Times reported that Feinstein struggled to remember her colleagues' names, meetings she had attended, and phone calls she had received, amidst continuing stories of her cognitive issues.

2022: Call for Congressional Action on Abortion Rights

In 2022, after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Feinstein called for congressional action to protect abortion rights and supported lifting the Senate filibuster to pass such legislation with a simple majority.

March 2023: Diagnosis of Shingles and Hospitalization

In March 2023, Feinstein was diagnosed with shingles and hospitalized, subsequently suffering complications including encephalitis and Ramsay Hunt syndrome.

May 10, 2023: Returned to the Senate

On May 10, 2023, Dianne Feinstein returned to the Senate amid continuing concern about her capacity to serve.

May 2023: Return to the Senate

In early May 2023, Feinstein returned to the Senate floor after a 10-week absence, using a wheelchair and appearing frail. Her remark about having "been here" raised questions about her memory.

July 17, 2023: Ceded Power of Attorney to Daughter

On July 17, 2023, Feinstein ceded power of attorney to her daughter, Katherine.

August 2023: Hospitalized After Fall

In August 2023, Feinstein was hospitalized after a minor fall at her home in San Francisco, but was subsequently cleared to return home.

2023: Not interested in serving as president pro tempore

In 2023, Dianne Feinstein said that she was not interested in serving as president pro tempore.

2023: Hospitalization and Calls for Resignation

In early 2023, Dianne Feinstein's hospitalization for shingles stalled Biden administration nominees, leading to calls for her resignation, which she resisted.