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 former naval officer. His career encompasses service in the military, space exploration with NASA, and now political representation at the federal level.
February 21, 1964: Mark Kelly Born
On February 21, 1964, Mark Edward Kelly was born in Orange, New Jersey.
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 BSc 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.
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 Astronaut
In 1996, Mark Kelly and his twin brother Scott were selected as Space Shuttle pilots, joining the NASA Astronaut Corps in August.
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 during the Gulf War.
December 5, 2001: STS-108 Launch
After several delays, on December 5, 2001, Endeavour launched on STS-108, with Mark Kelly as pilot. This was 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 February 2003, the Space Shuttle Columbia was lost, leading to safety concerns and changes in the space program. In July 2006, Kelly piloted STS-121 Discovery, the second "Return to Flight" mission after the loss of Columbia.
2003: Meeting Gabby Giffords in China
In 2003, Mark Kelly met Gabby Giffords during a trade mission to China 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 had 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 in February 2003. It became the first shuttle mission to launch 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 Tucson, in a ceremony presided over by Rabbi Stephanie Aaron.
2009: Logged Over 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. There was a potential plan for Mark Kelly to meet him in space, but it was later canceled.
January 8, 2011: Attempted assassination of Gabby Giffords
On January 8, 2011, Gabby Giffords was shot in an assassination attempt, which killed six people and brought national attention to Mark Kelly.
January 12, 2011: Memorial service for Tucson 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, where Mark Kelly was present.
January 2011: Wife Shot in Arizona
In January 2011, Kelly's wife, Gabby Giffords, was shot and nearly killed in an assassination attempt in Arizona.
February 3, 2011: Remarks at National Prayer Breakfast
On February 3, 2011, Mark Kelly spoke at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., sharing how the attack on his wife brought him closer to God and increased his awareness of prayer.
February 4, 2011: Kelly to Remain Commander of Mission
On February 4, 2011, NASA announced that Mark Kelly would remain commander of the mission after his wife's shooting due to her progress in recovery.
April 29, 2011: STS-134 Launch 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 also 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, extending 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, Mark Kelly, from the ISS, wished his wife love using 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 in the U.S. and China on behalf of Shaklee, a multi-level marketing distributor of nutritional supplements.
2011: Coauthored "Gabby: A Story of Courage, Love and Resilience"
In 2011, Mark Kelly and Gabby Giffords coauthored "Gabby: A Story of Courage, Love and Resilience," detailing the assassination attempt and her recovery.
2011: Advocacy for gun control
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 composed of leading human spaceflight safety experts.
2012: Published Mousetronaut
In 2012, Mark Kelly's children's book "Mousetronaut: Based on a (Partially) True Story," illustrated by C. F. Payne, became a New York Times bestseller.
January 2013: Started Americans for Responsible Solutions
In January 2013, following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, Mark Kelly and Gabby Giffords started a nonprofit political action committee called Americans for Responsible Solutions (ARS) to promote solutions to gun violence.
March 31, 2013: Kelly's Statement on Universal Background Checks
On March 31, 2013, Mark Kelly stated that "any bill that does not include a universal background check is a mistake," advocating for common-sense measures to prevent criminals and the mentally ill from accessing weapons.
2013: Director of Flight Crew Operations at World View
Beginning in 2013, Mark Kelly served as Director of Flight Crew Operations at World View Enterprises, involved in developing the new craft, its procedures, and operations.
2013: Founded Americans for Responsible Solutions
In 2013, Mark Kelly and Gabby Giffords founded a nonprofit political action committee called Americans for Responsible Solutions, which later merged into Giffords, campaigning for gun control measures.
2014: Coauthored Enough: Our Fight to Keep America Safe from Gun Violence
In 2014, Mark Kelly and Gabby Giffords coauthored "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 who build a space capsule.
2015: Appearance on Celebrity Jeopardy!
In 2015, Mark Kelly appeared on an episode of Celebrity Jeopardy!.
2016: Tencent Invests in World View
Between 2013 and 2016, Chinese company Tencent invested millions into World View Enterprises, where Mark Kelly was involved in flight crew operations.
2016: Delivered Paid Speeches for Shaklee
From 2011 to 2016, Mark Kelly delivered paid speeches in the U.S. and China on behalf of Shaklee, a multi-level marketing distributor of nutritional supplements.
2016: ARS Merged with Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence
In 2016, Americans for Responsible Solutions (ARS), founded by Mark Kelly and Gabby Giffords, 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 and Martha Freeman published the sequel to their first book, titled, "Astrotwins—Project Rescue".
February 12, 2019: Announced Candidacy for U.S. Senate
On February 12, 2019, Mark 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 starting his Senate campaign.
August 4, 2020: Won Democratic Primary
On August 4, 2020, Mark Kelly won the Democratic primary for Arizona's U.S. Senate seat.
November 4, 2020: Associated Press called the race for Kelly
On November 4, 2020, The Associated Press called the race for Kelly. His election marks 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 of Arizona
In 2020, Mark Kelly became the senior United States senator from Arizona, a seat he has held since then.
2020: Ran as a Democrat in the 2020 U.S. Senate special election in Arizona
In 2020, Mark Kelly ran as a Democrat in the 2020 U.S. Senate special election in Arizona.
2020: Kelly ran as a moderate
In 2020, Mark Kelly ran for Senate as a moderate and voiced support for bipartisanship.
2020: Kelly supports pro-choice
In 2020, as a candidate, Mark Kelly stated he was "pro-choice" and received an endorsement from Planned Parenthood. He supports codifying Roe v. Wade into federal law and believes late-stage abortions should be legally protected.
January 3, 2021: Other senators and representatives elected in 2020 took office
On January 3, 2021, other senators and representatives elected in 2020 took office.
February 2021: Vote to convict Trump
In February 2021, Mark Kelly voted to convict Donald Trump for incitement of insurrection during his second impeachment trial.
2021: Kelly Held World View Stocks
As of 2021, Mark Kelly held over $100,000 of World View stocks through a blind trust.
2021: Support for climate action
In 2021, Mark Kelly voiced support for climate action, though he does not favor the Green New Deal. The League of Conservation Voters gave him a 97% score. A Greenpeace exposé in 2021 identified Kelly as one of 11 U.S. senators crucial to ExxonMobil.
October 2022: Voting record in line with Biden's position
As of October 2022, Senator 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 office, defeating Republican challenger Blake Masters.
2022: Kelly Reelected
In 2022, Mark Kelly was reelected, defeating Republican nominee Blake Masters by 125,719 votes.
January 2023: Three Indian tribes bills signed into law
In January 2023, President Joe Biden signed into law three bills introduced by Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema concerning Indian tribes. These bills 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, all aimed at improving water infrastructure and rights for these 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 combat narcotics and human trafficking across the U.S. southern border.
July 2024: Criticism of Trump over border bill
In July 2024, Mark Kelly blamed former President Donald Trump for sinking a bipartisan border bill.
2024: Consideration for Vice Presidential Nomination
In 2024, Mark Kelly was reportedly one of the leading contenders for the Democratic vice presidential nomination, though Kamala Harris ultimately chose Tim Walz.
2025: Kelly Becomes Arizona's Senior Senator
In 2025, Kyrsten Sinema's departure from the Senate made Mark Kelly Arizona's senior senator.
2025: Vote 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.
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