History of Mark Kelly in Timeline
Mark Kelly is an American politician, currently serving as a U.S. Senator for Arizona since 2020. A member of the Democratic Party, Kelly is also a retired astronaut and U.S. Navy officer. Before entering politics, he gained prominence as a NASA astronaut, participating in four spaceflights. His career reflects a blend of military service, space exploration, and political engagement.
1953: First Time Since 1953
Mark Kelly's election marked the first time since 1953 that Arizona has had two Democratic senators.
1962: First Democrat Senator
In 2020, Mark Kelly became the first Democrat to win the Arizona Senate seat since 1962.
February 21, 1964: Mark Kelly Born
Mark Kelly was born on February 21, 1964, in Orange, New Jersey.
1982: Graduated High School
In 1982, Mark Kelly graduated from Mountain High School.
1982: Entered US 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 honors in marine engineering and nautical science from the United States Merchant Marine Academy.
December 1987: Became Naval Aviator
In December 1987, Kelly became a naval aviator and received initial training on the Grumman A-6E Intruder attack aircraft.
January 7, 1989: Kelly married 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.
1994: Received MSc in aeronautical engineering
In 1994, Mark Kelly received a MSc 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. His identical twin brother, Scott Kelly, also became a NASA astronaut that year.
December 5, 2001: Launched on STS-108
After several delays, on December 5, 2001, Endeavour lifted off on STS-108, Mark Kelly's first trip into space and the final Shuttle mission of 2001.
2001: First Space Mission
In 2001, Mark Kelly flew his first space mission as pilot of STS-108.
February 2003: Loss of Columbia
In July 2006, Kelly piloted STS-121 Discovery, the second "Return to Flight" mission after the loss of Columbia in February 2003.
2003: Kelly met Gabby Giffords on a trip to 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: Kelly divorced 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, Kelly piloted STS-121 Discovery, the second "Return to Flight" mission after the loss of Columbia in February 2003.
November 10, 2007: Kelly married Gabby Giffords
On November 10, 2007, Mark Kelly married U.S. Representative Gabby Giffords in Tucson, Arizona.
2009: Logged 54 days in space
As of 2009, Kelly had logged over 54 days in space overall.
October 7, 2010: Scott Kelly Went to ISS
On October 7, 2010, Scott Kelly went to the ISS. The potential rendezvous in space of the Kelly brothers would have been a first meeting of blood relatives in space. The delay of STS-134's launch ended that possibility.
January 8, 2011: Gabby Giffords shot in assassination attempt
On January 8, 2011, Gabby Giffords, Mark Kelly's wife, was shot in an assassination attempt in Tucson, which resulted in six deaths and brought national attention to Kelly. On February 4, he described January as the hardest time of his life.
January 12, 2011: Memorial Service for Shooting Victims Held
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 was present, sitting between First Lady Michelle Obama and Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano.
January 2011: Wife Shot in Assassination Attempt
In January 2011, Kelly's wife, Gabby Giffords, was shot and nearly killed in an assassination attempt in Arizona.
February 3, 2011: Kelly Spoke at National Prayer Breakfast
On February 3, 2011, Mark Kelly spoke at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., discussing how the attack on his wife brought him closer to God and prayer. His remarks closed the event, where President Obama also spoke.
February 4, 2011: NASA Announced Kelly to Remain Commander of Mission
After his wife's shooting, on February 4, 2011, NASA announced that Kelly would remain commander of the mission 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 traveled to Florida for the launch, and President Barack Obama visited the Kennedy Space Center.
May 22, 2011: Call to Endeavour by Pope Benedict XVI
On May 22, 2011, Pope Benedict XVI called the Endeavour, extended his blessing to Gabby Giffords, and marked the first time a pope spoke to astronauts during a mission.
June 21, 2011: Announced Retirement from Navy and NASA
On June 21, 2011, Kelly announced his retirement from both the Navy and NASA, effective October 1. He cited Gabby Giffords's needs during her recovery from the attempt on her life that January as the reason.
June 24, 2011: Message from ISS to Wife
On June 24, 2011, a recorded message by Kelly from the ISS wished his wife love using song lyrics from David Bowie's "Space Oddity" and introduced U2's song "Beautiful Day" on the first night of the Glastonbury festival in England.
2011: Delivered paid speeches on behalf of Shaklee
From 2011 to 2016, Kelly delivered paid speeches in the U.S. and in China on behalf of Shaklee.
2011: Co-authored Gabby: A Story of Courage, Love and Resilience
In 2011, Kelly and Giffords coauthored "Gabby: A Story of Courage, Love and Resilience", providing biographical information and detailing the assassination attempt on Giffords.
2011: Kelly Became Advocate for Gun Control After Shooting of Gabby Giffords
In 2011, Mark Kelly became an outspoken advocate for gun control following the attempted assassination of his wife, former U.S. Representative Gabby Giffords, in the Tucson mass shooting.
March 28, 2012: Joined SpaceX Safety Advisory Panel
On March 28, 2012, SpaceX announced that Kelly would be part of an independent safety advisory panel.
2012: Mousetronaut Published
In 2012, Kelly's second book, "Mousetronaut: Based on a (Partially) True Story", a children's book, was published and became a New York Times bestseller.
January 2013: Started Americans for Responsible Solutions
In January 2013, Kelly and Giffords started the nonprofit political action committee Americans for Responsible Solutions to promote solutions to gun violence.
March 31, 2013: Advocated for Universal Background Checks
On March 31, 2013, Kelly stated that any bill that does not include a universal background check is a mistake in preventing criminals from accessing weapons.
2013: Director of Flight Crew Operations
Beginning in 2013, Kelly served as Director of Flight Crew Operations at World View Enterprises.
2013: Founded Americans for Responsible Solutions
In 2013, Kelly and Giffords founded a nonprofit political action committee, Americans for Responsible Solutions, which campaigned for gun control measures.
2014: Coauthored Enough: Our Fight to Keep America Safe from Gun Violence
In 2014, Giffords and Kelly coauthored "Enough: Our Fight to Keep America Safe from Gun Violence."
2015: Co-wrote Astrotwins: Project Blastoff
In 2015, Kelly and Martha Freeman co-wrote "Astrotwins: Project Blastoff", a fictional story about twins Scott and Mark who build a space capsule in their grandfather's backyard and try to send the first kid into orbit.
2015: Kelly appeared 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, the Chinese company Tencent invested millions into World View, where Kelly was a co-founder and director.
2016: Delivered paid speeches on behalf of Shaklee
From 2011 to 2016, Kelly delivered paid speeches in the U.S. and in China on behalf of Shaklee.
2016: Astrotwins—Project Rescue Published
In 2016, "Astrotwins—Project Rescue", the sequel to "Astrotwins: Project Blastoff", was published.
2016: Americans for Responsible Solutions Merged with Law Center
In 2016, Americans for Responsible Solutions merged with the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence to become Giffords, which advocates for background checks and red flag laws.
August 25, 2018: Death of John McCain
The seat for which Mark Kelly ran in 2020 was vacated upon John McCain's death on August 25, 2018.
December 31, 2018: Resignation of Jon Kyl
Jon Kyl resigned from the seat for which Mark Kelly ran in 2020 on December 31, 2018.
February 12, 2019: Announced Senate Run
On February 12, 2019, Kelly announced that he would run as a Democrat in the 2020 U.S. Senate special election in Arizona.
2019: Left World View Enterprises
In 2019, Kelly left World View Enterprises before starting his Senate campaign.
November 4, 2020: Race Called for Kelly
On November 4, 2020, the Associated Press called the race for Kelly.
December 2, 2020: First Senate Vote
On December 2, 2020, 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: Elected to Senate
In 2020, Mark Kelly became the senior United States senator from Arizona, a seat he has held since then. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
2020: Kelly ran as a moderate in 2020
In 2020, Mark Kelly ran as a moderate, voiced support for bipartisanship, and supported abolishing the filibuster and increasing the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour.
2020: Kelly supports codifying Roe v. Wade
In 2020, as a candidate, Mark Kelly expressed being "pro-choice", received endorsement from Planned Parenthood, supported codifying Roe v. Wade into federal law, and stated that late-stage abortions should be legally protected.
2020: U.S. Senate special election
Mark Kelly announced that he would run as a Democrat in the 2020 U.S. Senate special election in Arizona.
January 3, 2021: 117th Congress Opening
On January 3, 2021, the 117th Congress opening.
February 2021: Kelly voted to convict Donald Trump
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, Kelly held over $100,000 of World View stocks through a blind trust.
2021: League of Conservation Voters gives Kelly a 97% score
In 2021, Mark Kelly received a 97% score from The League of Conservation Voters and was identified as "crucial" to ExxonMobil by ExxonMobil Senior Director for Federal Relations Keith McCoy.
October 2022: Kelly voted in line with Biden's position 94.5% of the time
As of October 2022, Mark Kelly had voted in line with President Joe Biden's stated position 94.5% of the time.
2022: Re-elected to a full term in Senate
In 2022, Kelly was reelected to a full term in the Senate.
2022: Kelly Advocated for Expansion of Oil Drilling
In 2022, Mark Kelly advocated for an expansion of oil drilling following rising gas prices.
2022: Kelly Reelected
Kelly was reelected in 2022, defeating Republican nominee Blake Masters.
January 2023: Three bills regarding Indian tribes signed into law
In January 2023, three bills regarding Indian tribes, introduced by Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema, were signed into law by President Joe Biden. These included bills addressing water rights for the White Mountain Apache Tribe, the Colorado River Indian Tribes, and the Hualapai tribe.
2023: Kelly co-sponsors the bipartisan END FENTANYL Act
In 2023, during the 118th Congress, Mark Kelly co-sponsored the bipartisan END FENTANYL Act, which was passed into law. The 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: Kelly Blamed Donald Trump for Sinking Border Bill
In July 2024, Mark Kelly blamed former President Donald Trump for sinking a bipartisan border bill.
November 2025: Kelly Participates in Video Reminding Military of Right to Refuse Illegal Orders
In November 2025, Mark Kelly was among six Democratic lawmakers who participated in a video reminding military service members of their right to refuse "illegal orders".
November 24, 2025: Department of Defense Announces Investigation into Kelly
On November 24, 2025, the United States Department of Defense announced that Mark Kelly was under investigation after receiving "serious allegations of misconduct" related to the "illegal orders" video. Kelly and other lawmakers involved subsequently received threats.
2025: Kelly votes for the Laken Riley Act
In 2025, Mark Kelly was one of 12 Senate Democrats who joined all Republicans to vote for the Laken Riley Act.
January 5, 2026: Pentagon to Pursue Administrative Measures Against Kelly
On January 5, 2026, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced the Pentagon would pursue administrative measures against Mark Kelly, including reducing his retirement pay, because of his participation in the video.
February 2026: Grand Jury Declines to Indict Kelly; Judge Issues Injunction
In February 2026, a grand jury declined to indict Mark Kelly and others for the video. Subsequently, Judge Richard J. Leon issued a temporary injunction against Hegseth's proposed actions on Kelly's rank and pension. Hegseth stated the decision would be appealed immediately.
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