History of Mark Kelly in Timeline
Mark Kelly is an American politician and retired astronaut currently serving as a U.S. Senator for Arizona since 2020. As a member of the Democratic Party, he represents Arizona in the Senate. Prior to his political career, Kelly was a naval officer and a NASA astronaut, having flown four space missions.
February 21, 1964: Mark Kelly Born
Mark Edward Kelly was born on February 21, 1964, in Orange, New Jersey, to Richard and Patricia Kelly.
1982: Graduated High School
In 1982, Mark Kelly graduated from Mountain High School.
1982: Entered United States Merchant Marine Academy
In the summer of 1982, Mark Kelly entered the United States Merchant Marine Academy.
1986: Graduated from United States Merchant Marine Academy
In 1986, Mark Kelly graduated with highest honors in marine engineering and nautical science from the United States Merchant Marine Academy.
December 1987: Became a Naval Aviator
In December 1987, Mark Kelly became a naval aviator and received initial training on the A-6E Intruder attack aircraft.
January 7, 1989: Marriage to Amelia Victoria Babis
On January 7, 1989, Mark Kelly married Amelia Victoria Babis.
1994: Attended U.S. Naval Test Pilot School
From 1993 to 1994, Mark Kelly attended U.S. Naval Test Pilot School. He received a MSc in aeronautical engineering in 1994.
1994: Received MSc in Aeronautical Engineering
In 1994, Mark Kelly received a Master of Science degree in aeronautical engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School.
1996: Selected as NASA Space Shuttle Pilot
In 1996, Mark Kelly was selected as a NASA Space Shuttle pilot after serving as a naval aviator and flying combat missions during the Gulf War.
December 5, 2001: Launched on STS-108
On December 5, 2001, after several delays, Space Shuttle Endeavour launched on STS-108 with Mark Kelly as pilot, marking his first trip into space.
2001: First Space Mission
In 2001, Mark Kelly flew his first space mission as the pilot of STS-108.
February 2003: Space Shuttle Columbia Loss
In February 2003, the Space Shuttle Columbia was lost.
2003: Meeting Gabby Giffords in China
In 2003, Mark Kelly met Gabby Giffords on a trip to China as part of a trade mission sponsored by the National Committee on U.S.–China Relations.
2004: Divorce from Amelia Victoria Babis
In 2004, Mark Kelly divorced Amelia Victoria Babis. They have two daughters, Claudia and Claire Kelly.
July 2006: Piloted STS-121 Discovery
In July 2006, Mark Kelly piloted STS-121 Discovery, the second "Return to Flight" mission after the loss of Columbia. It launched on the Fourth of July due to weather delays.
November 10, 2007: Marriage to Gabby Giffords
On November 10, 2007, Mark Kelly married U.S. Representative Gabby Giffords in a ceremony presided over by Rabbi Stephanie Aaron.
2009: 54 days in space
As of 2009, Mark Kelly had logged over 54 days in space overall.
October 7, 2010: Scott Kelly Went to the ISS
On October 7, 2010, Scott Kelly went to the ISS, but the delay of STS-134's launch ended the possibility of a meeting of blood relatives in space.
January 8, 2011: Assassination Attempt on Gabby Giffords
On January 8, 2011, Gabby Giffords was shot in an assassination attempt that killed six people, bringing national attention to Mark Kelly.
January 12, 2011: Memorial Service for Shooting Victims
On January 12, 2011, a memorial service was held at the University of Arizona for those killed in the assassination attempt on Gabby Giffords. President Obama spoke at the memorial, and Mark Kelly attended, later returning to the hospital to be with his wife.
January 2011: Wife Gabby Giffords Shot
In January 2011, Kelly's wife, Arizona Representative Gabby Giffords, was shot and nearly killed in an assassination attempt in Arizona.
February 3, 2011: Speech at National Prayer Breakfast
On February 3, 2011, Mark Kelly spoke at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., where he shared his newfound awareness regarding prayer following the attack on his wife. He mentioned the makeshift memorials in Tucson filled with Bibles and angels and offered a final prayer adapted by Rabbi Stephanie Aaron.
February 4, 2011: Kelly to Remain Commander of Mission
On February 4, 2011, NASA announced that Mark Kelly would remain commander of the STS-134 mission after his wife's shooting, due to her recovery progress.
April 29, 2011: First Launch Attempt of STS-134 Scrubbed
On April 29, 2011, the first launch attempt of STS-134 was scrubbed. Gabby Giffords attended. President Barack Obama also visited Kennedy Space Center.
May 22, 2011: Pope Benedict XVI Calls Endeavour
On May 22, 2011, Pope Benedict XVI called the Space Shuttle Endeavour and extended his blessing to Gabby Giffords, marking the first time a pope spoke to astronauts during a mission.
June 21, 2011: Announced Retirement from Navy and NASA
On June 21, 2011, Mark Kelly announced his retirement from both the Navy and NASA, effective October 1, citing Gabby Giffords's needs during her recovery.
June 24, 2011: Message from ISS at Glastonbury Festival
On June 24, 2011, a recorded message by Mark Kelly from the ISS wished his wife love using song lyrics from David Bowie's "Space Oddity" and introduced U2's song "Beautiful Day" at the Glastonbury festival.
2011: Delivered Paid Speeches for Shaklee
From 2011 to 2016, Mark Kelly delivered paid speeches on behalf of Shaklee, a multi-level marketing distributor of nutritional supplements, in the U.S. and in China.
2011: Co-authored "Gabby: A Story of Courage, Love and Resilience"
In 2011, Mark Kelly and Gabby Giffords co-authored "Gabby: A Story of Courage, Love and Resilience", detailing their biographical information and the assassination attempt on Giffords.
2011: Advocacy for Gun Control After Wife's Shooting
In 2011, Mark Kelly became an outspoken advocate for gun control following the attempted assassination of his wife, Gabby Giffords, in the Tucson mass shooting.
March 28, 2012: Joined SpaceX Safety Advisory Panel
On March 28, 2012, SpaceX announced that Mark Kelly would be part of an independent safety advisory panel.
2012: Authored "Mousetronaut: Based on a (Partially) True Story"
In 2012, Mark Kelly authored "Mousetronaut: Based on a (Partially) True Story", a children's book illustrated by C. F. Payne, which became a New York Times bestseller.
January 2013: Started Americans for Responsible Solutions
In January 2013, weeks after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, Mark Kelly and Gabby Giffords started a nonprofit political action committee, Americans for Responsible Solutions (ARS), to promote solutions to gun violence.
March 31, 2013: Called for Universal Background Checks
On March 31, 2013, Mark Kelly advocated for universal background checks, stating it's the most common-sense thing to prevent criminals and the mentally ill from accessing weapons.
2013: Director of Flight Crew Operations
Beginning in 2013, Mark Kelly served as Director of Flight Crew Operations for World View Enterprises.
2013: Founded Americans for Responsible Solutions
In 2013, Kelly and Giffords founded Americans for Responsible Solutions, a political action committee that campaigned for gun control measures.
2014: Co-authored "Enough: Our Fight to Keep America Safe from Gun Violence"
In 2014, Gabby Giffords and Mark Kelly co-authored "Enough: Our Fight to Keep America Safe from Gun Violence".
2015: Co-wrote "Astrotwins: Project Blastoff"
In 2015, Mark Kelly and Martha Freeman co-wrote "Astrotwins: Project Blastoff", a fictional story about twins Scott and Mark.
2015: Appearance on Celebrity Jeopardy!
In 2015, Mark Kelly appeared on an episode of Celebrity Jeopardy!.
2016: Tencent invested millions into World View
Between 2013 and 2016, Chinese company Tencent invested millions into World View.
2016: Delivered Paid Speeches for Shaklee
From 2011 to 2016, Mark Kelly delivered paid speeches on behalf of Shaklee, a multi-level marketing distributor of nutritional supplements, in the U.S. and in China.
2016: ARS Merged with Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence
In 2016, Americans for Responsible Solutions (ARS) merged with the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence to become Giffords, advocating for background checks and red flag laws.
2016: Published "Astrotwins—Project Rescue"
In 2016, Mark Kelly published the sequel to Astrotwins, "Astrotwins—Project Rescue".
August 25, 2018: John McCain's Death
On August 25, 2018, John McCain died, leading to a vacancy in Arizona's U.S. Senate seat.
December 31, 2018: Jon Kyl Resigned Senate Seat
On December 31, 2018, Jon Kyl resigned from the U.S. Senate seat to which he was appointed after John McCain's death.
February 12, 2019: Announced Candidacy for U.S. Senate
On February 12, 2019, Kelly announced his candidacy for Arizona's Class 3 U.S. Senate seat in the 2020 special election.
2019: Kelly Left World View
In 2019, Mark Kelly left World View Enterprises before his Senate campaign.
August 4, 2020: Won Democratic Primary
On August 4, 2020, Mark Kelly won the Democratic primary for Arizona's Class 3 U.S. Senate seat.
November 4, 2020: Elected to Senate
On November 4, 2020, the Associated Press called the race for Mark Kelly, marking the first time since 1953 that Arizona has had two Democratic senators.
December 2, 2020: First Senate Vote
On December 2, 2020, Mark Kelly cast his first Senate vote, a "no" vote on the nomination of Kathryn C. Davis to the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.
2020: Kelly becomes Senator from Arizona
In 2020, Mark Kelly became the senior United States senator from Arizona, a seat he has held since then.
2020: Kelly runs as a moderate
In 2020, Mark Kelly ran as a moderate candidate, voicing support for bipartisanship.
2020: Kelly's stance on abortion
In 2020, as a candidate, Mark Kelly expressed his pro-choice stance and was endorsed by Planned Parenthood. He supports codifying Roe v. Wade into federal law and believes that late-stage abortions should be legally protected.
January 3, 2021: Opening of the 117th Congress
On January 3, 2021, most senators and representatives elected in 2020 took office at the opening of the 117th Congress, but Mark Kelly took office earlier.
February 2021: Vote to Convict Trump and Disdain
In February 2021, Mark Kelly voted to convict Donald Trump for incitement of insurrection in his second impeachment trial and has been outspoken in his disdain for him.
2021: Kelly Held World View Stocks
As of 2021, Mark Kelly held over $100,000 of World View stocks through a blind trust.
2021: Climate Action and ExxonMobil
In 2021, the League of Conservation Voters gave Mark Kelly a 97% score. A Greenpeace exposé revealed that ExxonMobil considered Kelly "crucial" to the company, and he has received funding from ExxonMobil lobbyists.
October 2022: Kelly's Voting Record in Line with Biden
As of October 2022, Mark Kelly has voted in line with President Joe Biden's stated position 94.5% of the time.
2022: Advocacy for Oil Drilling Expansion
In 2022, Mark Kelly advocated for an expansion of oil drilling in response to rising gas prices.
2022: Elected to Full Senate Term
In 2022, Mark Kelly was elected to a full term in the U.S. Senate, defeating Republican challenger Blake Masters.
2022: Re-elected to Senate
In 2022, Mark Kelly was re-elected to the Senate, defeating Republican nominee Blake Masters.
January 2023: Arizona Indian Tribes Bills Signed into Law
In January 2023, President Joe Biden signed into law three bills regarding Arizona Indian tribes, introduced by Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema. These included the White Mountain Apache Tribe Water Rights Quantification Act, the Colorado River Indian Tribes Water Resiliency Act, and the Hualapai Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act, allocating resources and water rights to the respective tribes.
2023: Bipartisan END FENTANYL Act Passed
In 2023, Mark Kelly co-sponsored the bipartisan END FENTANYL Act, which became law. This law mandates that United States Customs and Border Protection refresh its interdiction procedures at least every three years to mitigate narcotics and human trafficking across the U.S. southern border.
July 2024: Blaming Trump for Sinking Border Bill
In July 2024, Mark Kelly blamed former President Donald Trump for sinking a bipartisan border bill.
2024: Considered for Vice Presidential Nomination
In 2024, Mark Kelly was reportedly one of the leading contenders for the Democratic vice presidential nomination but Kamala Harris ultimately chose Tim Walz.
2025: Set to Become Arizona's Senior Senator
In 2025, Mark Kelly is expected to become Arizona's senior senator following Kyrsten Sinema's departure from the Senate.
2025: Kelly Votes for Laken Riley Act
In 2025, Mark Kelly was one of 12 Senate Democrats who joined all Republicans to vote for the Laken Riley Act.
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