Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev was a Russian politician and former Soviet leader. From 1985 to 1991, he was the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, the Soviet Union’s eighth and final leader.
According to reports Mikhail Gorbachev is no more and has left the world at an age of 91 years. The infamous incident of Chornobyl happened during his time of reign.
| 1931: | March 2, born, Privolnoye, Krasnogvardeisky District, Stavropol territory in the North Caucasus, to a peasant family in a small village, his father an agricultural mechanic on a collective farm. |
| 1942: | German army occupies the Privolnoye area. |
| 1945: | Begins work as assistant to combine harvest operator. |
| 1949: | Awarded Order of Red Banner of Labour. |
| 1950: | Enrolled in Faculty of Law, Moscow University. |
| 1952: | After having been a member of Komsomol (Communist Youth Organisation), now joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU). |
| 1955: | Marries Raisa Maximovna Titorenko, philosophy student. Receives degree in law. |
| 1955-60: | Appointed First Secretary, Komsomol Territorial Committee, then moves up to higher posts, finally becoming top Komsomol official in Stavropol. |
| 1956: | Daughter Irina born. |
| 1961: | Delegate from Stavropol to 22nd Communist Party Congress in Moscow. |
| 1962: | Appointed to key position in Stavropol Communist Party, responsible for personnel in administration, farms and industry. |
| 1964-67: | Studies for second degree at Stavropol Agricultural Institute. |
| 1970: | Appointed First Secretary for Stavropol territory, governing an area of 2.4 million people. |
| 1971: | Member CPSU Central Committee. |
| 1978: | Moves to Moscow as Secretary of Agriculture in Central Committee. |
| 1980: | Becomes youngest full member of Politburo. |
| 1985: | March, Elected by Central Committee as General Secretary of CPSU. |
| 1989: | Elected by new parliament as Executive President of Soviet Union. |
| 1991: | August, abortive coup of hardliners, resigns as General Secretary of CPSU, dissolves Central Committee. |
| 1991: | December 25, resigns as President when Soviet Union disintegrates. |
| 1992: | Head of Foundation for Social, Economic and Political Research, think-tank founded after August coup. |
