Early Life and Education of Gavin Newsom: A Complete Timeline

How education and upbringing influenced the life of Gavin Newsom. A timeline of key moments.

Gavin Newsom is an American politician currently serving as the 40th Governor of California since 2019. A Democrat, he previously held the position of the 49th Lieutenant Governor of California from 2011 to 2019. Before his statewide roles, Newsom was the 42nd Mayor of San Francisco from 2004 to 2011. His career reflects a trajectory of political leadership within California, progressing from municipal to state-level governance.

Sections (5)

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

October 10, 1967: Gavin Newsom Born

On October 10, 1967, Gavin Christopher Newsom was born in San Francisco, California. He is currently an American politician and businessman serving as the 40th governor of California since 2019.

Others born on this day/year

1971: Parents' Divorce

In 1971, when Gavin Newsom was three years old, his parents divorced.

1985: Graduation from Redwood High School

In 1985, Gavin Newsom graduated from Redwood High School in Larkspur, California, where he excelled athletically.

1985: Elbow Surgery

In late 1985, Gavin Newsom underwent elbow surgery, later revealed to be a procedure to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament, which ended his varsity baseball aspirations at Santa Clara University.

1989: Graduated from Santa Clara University

In 1989, Gavin Newsom graduated from Santa Clara University with a Bachelor of Science in political science, after enrolling there on a partial baseball scholarship.

1999: San Francisco voters abandoned at-large elections

In 1999, San Francisco voters chose to abandon at-large elections to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors for the previous district system.

December 2001: Newsom Marries Kimberly Guilfoyle

In December 2001, Gavin Newsom married legal commentator Kimberly Guilfoyle at Saint Ignatius Catholic Church.

2004: Newsom and Guilfoyle Separate

In 2004, Gavin Newsom and Kimberly Guilfoyle separated.

January 2005: Newsom and Guilfoyle File for Divorce

In January 2005, Gavin Newsom and Kimberly Guilfoyle jointly filed for divorce, citing career difficulties.

2005: Newsom Had Affair with Ruby Rippey-Tourk

In 2005, Gavin Newsom had an affair with Ruby Rippey-Tourk, his appointments secretary.

February 2006: Purchased Russian Hill residence

In February 2006, Gavin Newsom paid $2,350,000 for his residence in the Russian Hill neighborhood.

February 28, 2006: Newsom and Guilfoyle's Divorce Finalized

On February 28, 2006, Gavin Newsom and Kimberly Guilfoyle's divorce was finalized.

September 2006: Newsom Briefly Dates Brittanie Mountz

In September 2006, Gavin Newsom briefly dated 19-year-old Brittanie Mountz, a model and restaurant hostess.

October 2006: Newsom Begins Dating Jennifer Siebel

In October 2006, Gavin Newsom began dating film director Jennifer Siebel.

January 31, 2007: Alex Tourk Resigns After Affair Revelation

On January 31, 2007, Alex Tourk resigned as Gavin Newsom's campaign manager and chief of staff after learning about Newsom's affair with his wife, Ruby Rippey-Tourk, in 2005.

February 2007: Newsom Seeks Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder

In February 2007, Gavin Newsom announced he would seek treatment for alcohol use disorder.

December 2007: Newsom and Siebel Announce Engagement

In December 2007, Gavin Newsom and Jennifer Siebel announced their engagement.

July 2008: Newsom Marries Jennifer Siebel

In July 2008, Gavin Newsom married Jennifer Siebel in Stevensville, Montana.

2008: Newsom Discusses His Catholic Faith

In 2008, Gavin Newsom described himself as an "Irish Catholic rebel" with strong faith and admiration for the Church, while acknowledging its crisis. He identifies as a practicing Catholic with a strong connection to a greater purpose.

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.

2011: Jennifer Siebel Newsom launches The Representation Project

In 2011, Jennifer Siebel Newsom launched her nonprofit organization, The Representation Project, and received $2.3 million in salary from it since its inception.

2011: Guilfoyle Gained Prominence on Fox News

In 2011, Kimberly Guilfoyle gained prominence as a Fox News chat show personality.

2012: Newsom Family Moves to Kentfield

In 2012, Gavin Newsom and his family moved to a house they bought in Kentfield, Marin County.

November 2015: Called for Creation of the California College Promise

In November 2015, Gavin Newsom joined Eloy Oakley in calling for the creation of the California College Promise, which would create partnerships between public schools, public universities, and employers and offer a free community college education.

December 2015: Called on UC to Reclassify Computer Science

In December 2015, Gavin Newsom called on the University of California to reclassify computer science courses as a core academic class to incentivize more high schools to offer computer science curricula.

June 2016: Secured $15 Million for Promise Programs

In June 2016, Gavin Newsom helped secure $15 million in the state budget to support the creation of promise programs throughout the state.

September 2016: Legislation Signed for Expanding Computer Science Education

In September 2016, legislation sponsored by Gavin Newsom, that began the planning process for expanding computer science education to all state students, beginning as early as kindergarten, was signed by Governor Brown.

2018: Rippey-Tourk Comments on Affair and #MeToo Movement

In 2018, Ruby Rippey-Tourk stated that she did not believe Gavin Newsom's behavior in 2005 should be associated with the #MeToo movement.

May 2019: Newsom Purchases Home in Fair Oaks

In May 2019, Gavin Newsom's $3.7 million purchase of a 12,000-square-foot home in Fair Oaks was reported as the most expensive private residence sold in the Sacramento region since the year began.

2019: Studied abroad in Rome

During his junior year, Gavin Newsom spent a semester studying abroad in Rome, Italy, an experience he called 'eye-opening' in a 2019 speech, exposing him to global perspectives that influenced his political career.

2019: Newsom's political positions analyzed

In 2019, a CalMatters analysis found that Gavin Newsom's political positions were more moderate than those of almost every Democratic state legislator in California.

2019: Newsom Initially Lists Marin County Home for Sale

In early 2019, Gavin Newsom originally put his Marin County property up for sale for $5.895 million, before eventually removing it from the market after a price reduction.