Calgary Mayor Ralph Klein gives his daughter Theresa a hug on March 21, 1989, after winning a seat in the Alberta Legislature with the Progressive Conservative Party.Bruce Stotesbury
Nov. 1, 1942 – Ralph Philip Klein is born in Calgary. He dropped out of high school to join the Royal Canadian Air Force, where he spent 18 months. He would go on to finish high school and later enroll at Athabasca University.
1963 to 1969 – Worked in public relations for the Alberta division of the Canadian Red Cross as well as the local United Way office.
1969 to 1980 – Reporter with CFCN-TV in Calgary, where he showed gumption and a flair for municipal politics. He announced in August, 1980, he would run for mayor, to which his father replied; "Are you nuts? Are you sober?"
October, 1980 – Elected as Calgary's 32nd mayor, re-elected in 1983 and again in 1986.
January, 1989 – With the success of Calgary's 1988 Winter Olympic Games under his belt, he resigned as mayor to move into provincial politics.
March, 1989 – Elected as provincial Progressive Conservative MLA for Calgary-Elbow and within a month was appointed Minister of Environment.
December, 1992 – Elected leader of the Alberta Progressive Conservative Party and sworn in as Alberta's 12 th premier.
June, 1993 – Elected to his first full term as premier, winning 51 of the 83 seats.
March, 1997 – Re-elected to a second term by even larger majority with 63 of the 83 seats.
March, 2001 – Re-elected to a third term by the second-largest majority in Alberta history with 74 of the 83 seats.
November, 2004 – Re-elected to a fourth term with another, but slightly smaller, majority of 62 of the 83 seats.
March, 2006 – Announced his intention to step down as premier in October, 2007.