How education and upbringing influenced the life of Gavin Newsom. A timeline of key moments.
Gavin Newsom is an American politician and businessman currently serving as the 40th governor of California since 2019. A Democrat, he previously served as the 49th Lieutenant Governor of California from 2011 to 2019 and as the 42nd Mayor of San Francisco from 2004 to 2011. He has held prominent political positions within California, shaping policies and leading the state.
October 10, 1967: Gavin Newsom's Birth
On October 10, 1967, Gavin Christopher Newsom was born. He is currently serving as the 40th governor of California.
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1971: Parents' Divorce
In 1971, Gavin Newsom's parents divorced when he was three years old.
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1985: Graduated from Redwood High School
In 1985, Gavin Newsom graduated from Redwood High School, where he played basketball and baseball.
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1985: Elbow surgery
In late 1985, Gavin Newsom had elbow surgery, which ended his baseball aspirations.
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1989: Graduated from Santa Clara University
In 1989, Gavin Newsom graduated from Santa Clara University with a Bachelor of Science degree in political science.
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1989: Graduation from Santa Clara University
In 1989, Gavin Newsom graduated from Santa Clara University with a Bachelor of Science degree in political science.
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1999: District System Adopted
In 1999, San Francisco voters chose to abandon at-large elections to the board for the previous district system.
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December 2001: Newsom Marries Kimberly Guilfoyle
In December 2001, Gavin Newsom married legal commentator Kimberly Guilfoyle at Saint Ignatius Catholic Church.
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August 2004: Newsom Directs Issuance of Same-Sex Marriage Licenses
In August 2004, Gavin Newsom, then mayor of San Francisco, directed the city-county clerk to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, violating state law and bringing national attention to the issue.
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October 27, 2004: Joined Hotel Workers' Picket Line
On October 27, 2004, Gavin Newsom joined UNITE HERE union members on a picket line in front of the Westin St. Francis Hotel during a strike by hotel workers.
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2004: Newsom and Guilfoyle Separate
In 2004, Gavin Newsom and Kimberly Guilfoyle separated, leading to their divorce filing in January 2005.
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January 2005: Newsom and Guilfoyle File for Divorce
In January 2005, Gavin Newsom and Kimberly Guilfoyle jointly filed for divorce, citing "difficulties due to their careers on opposite coasts".
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February 2006: Purchased Russian Hill Residence
In February 2006, Gavin Newsom paid $2,350,000 for his residence in the Russian Hill neighborhood of San Francisco.
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February 28, 2006: Newsom's Divorce from Kimberly Guilfoyle Finalized
On February 28, 2006, Gavin Newsom's divorce from Kimberly Guilfoyle was finalized, with Guilfoyle expecting a child with Eric Villency at the time.
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September 2006: Newsom Briefly Dated Brittanie Mountz
In September 2006, Gavin Newsom, then 38, briefly dated 19-year-old Brittanie Mountz, a model and restaurant hostess.
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September 2006: Hotel Contract Dispute Settled
In September 2006, the contract dispute between hotel workers and a dozen San Francisco hotels was settled.
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October 2006: Newsom Begins Dating Jennifer Siebel
In October 2006, Gavin Newsom began dating film director Jennifer Siebel.
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February 2007: Newsom Announces He Will Seek Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder
In February 2007, Gavin Newsom announced that he would seek treatment for alcohol use disorder.
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December 2007: Newsom and Siebel Announce Engagement
In December 2007, Gavin Newsom and Jennifer Siebel announced their engagement.
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July 2008: Newsom and Siebel Get Married
In July 2008, Gavin Newsom and Jennifer Siebel were married in Stevensville, Montana.
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2008: Newsom Describes Himself as an "Irish Catholic Rebel"
In 2008, Gavin Newsom described himself as an "Irish Catholic rebel" who maintains a strong faith and admiration for the Church, despite acknowledging the crisis within the Catholic Church at the time.
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2008: Newsom Opposes Proposition 8
In 2008, Gavin Newsom opposed Proposition 8, a ballot initiative to reverse the Supreme Court of California ruling on same-sex marriage. Footage of Newsom saying "This door's wide open now. It's going to happen, whether you like it or not," was used in a commercial by Proposition 8 supporters, potentially influencing the amendment's passage.
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April 2009: Listed Russian Hill Residence for Sale
In April 2009, Gavin Newsom put his residence in the Russian Hill neighborhood on the market for $3,000,000.
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April 21, 2009: Newsom Announces Candidacy for Governor
On April 21, 2009, Gavin Newsom announced his candidacy for governor of California in the 2010 election, naming Alex Padilla as his campaign chair.
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February 2010: Newsom Files Paperwork for Lieutenant Governor Run
In February 2010, Gavin Newsom filed initial paperwork to run for lieutenant governor of California, marking the beginning of his campaign for the position.
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2010: Newsom Drops Out of Gubernatorial Race, Runs for Lieutenant Governor
In 2010, Gavin Newsom dropped out of the race for governor due to low poll numbers and instead ran for lieutenant governor.
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January 10, 2011: Newsom Sworn in as Lieutenant Governor
On January 10, 2011, Gavin Newsom was sworn in as the Lieutenant Governor of California, marking the start of his term under Governor Jerry Brown.
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2011: Guilfoyle Gained Prominence via Fox News Chat Show
Kimberly Guilfoyle gained prominence in 2011 via a Fox News chat show. She later became senior advisor to Donald Trump, and was later engaged to Donald Trump Jr.
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2012: Newsom Moves to Kentfield
In 2012, after his time as mayor, Gavin Newsom and his family moved to a house they bought in Kentfield, Marin County.
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November 4, 2014: Newsom Reelected as Lieutenant Governor
On November 4, 2014, Gavin Newsom was reelected as Lieutenant Governor of California, securing 57.2% of the vote against Republican Ron Nehring.
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January 5, 2015: Newsom's Second Term as Lieutenant Governor Begins
On January 5, 2015, Gavin Newsom began his second term as Lieutenant Governor of California, following his reelection in November 2014.
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February 11, 2015: Newsom Opens Campaign Account for 2018 Gubernatorial Election
On February 11, 2015, Gavin Newsom announced that he was opening a campaign account for governor in the 2018 elections, allowing him to raise funds for a campaign to succeed Brown.
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December 2015: Newsom Calls for Reclassification of Computer Science Courses
In December 2015, Gavin Newsom called on the University of California to reclassify computer science courses as core academic classes to incentivize more high schools to offer these courses.
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September 2016: Legislation Sponsored by Newsom Expanding Computer Science Education is Signed
In September 2016, legislation sponsored by Gavin Newsom to expand computer science education to all state students, starting as early as kindergarten, was signed by Governor Brown.
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2016: Newsom Passes Reforms for Student-Athletes at UC
In 2016, Gavin Newsom passed a series of reforms at the University of California aimed at providing student-athletes with additional academic and injury-related support.
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June 5, 2018: Newsom Advances in Gubernatorial Primary
On June 5, 2018, Gavin Newsom finished in the top two in the nonpartisan blanket primary for the California gubernatorial election.
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2018: Expedited Review of Pardon Requests
In 2018, a California law mandated expedited review by the state Board of Parole Hearings for pardon requests from people facing deportation.
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January 7, 2019: Newsom Sworn In as Governor
On January 7, 2019, Gavin Newsom was sworn in as the Governor of California.
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May 2019: Newsom Pardons Formerly Incarcerated People
In May 2019, Gavin Newsom pardoned seven formerly incarcerated individuals, including two Cambodian refugees facing deportation, as one of his first acts of clemency as governor.
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May 2019: Newsom Purchases Home in Fair Oaks
In May 2019, Gavin Newsom purchased a 12,000-square-foot home in Fair Oaks for $3.7 million, making it the most expensive private residence sold in the Sacramento region since the start of the year.
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November 2019: Newsom Pardons Men Facing Deportation
In November 2019, Governor Newsom pardoned three men who were attempting to avoid deportation to Cambodia or Vietnam, all of whom had committed crimes at the age of 19.
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December 2019: Newsom Grants Parole to Cambodian Refugee
In December 2019, Newsom granted parole to a Cambodian refugee held in a California prison for a murder case. Despite immigrant rights groups' requests, the refugee was transferred to federal agents for possible deportation upon release.
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2019: Newsom Initially Lists Marin County Home for Sale
In early 2019, Gavin Newsom initially put his Marin County property up for sale for $5.895 million, but later removed it from the market after a price reduction.
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September 2020: Newsom's High Approval Rating
In September 2020, Newsom had an approval rating of 64%.
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August 2021: Newsom Sells Marin County Home
In August 2021, Gavin Newsom sold a Marin County home for $5.9 million in an off-market transaction.
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