MAYOR TOM BRADLEY TIMELINE
1917 - Born in Calvert, Texas
1924 - Moved to Los Angeles
1937 - Elected student body president at the mostly white Polytechnic High School
1937 - Attended UCLA with a major in Education, became a track star, and helped break the color barrier in
college athletics
1938 - Became a member of Kappa Alpha Psi, and later, the fraternity's national President
1940 - Joined the Los Angeles Police Department for $170 a month
1941 - Married Ethel Mae Arnold, a beautician with her own shop
1949 - Volunteered for the successful LA City Council campaign for Edward Roybal
1950 - Formed and headed the first ever LAPD Community Relations Department
1956 - Graduated from Southwestern Law School and passed the California Bar Exam
1958 - Rose to rank of Lieutenant in the LAPD
1962 - Retired from the LAPD and began to practice law
1963 - Elected to the LA City Council representing the Tenth District
1967 - Re-elected to the LA City Council
1969 - Won LA mayoral primary, but lost runoff against Sam Yorty
1973 - Won LA mayoral primary and runoff and made history by becoming the first African American mayor of a major U.S. city elected with an overwhelming white population
1976 - Became co-chair of the Democratic National Convention
1977 - Elected to a second term as Mayor of Los Angeles
1981 - Elected to a third term as Mayor of Los Angeles
1982 - Won Democratic gubernatorial primary, but lost general election to George Deukmejian
1984 - Brought the Summer Olympics to Los Angeles, marking the height of his popularity
1985 - Elected to a fourth term as Mayor of Los Angeles
1986 - Won Democratic gubernatorial primary, but lost general election to George Deukmejian
1989 - Elected to a record fifth term as Mayor of Los Angeles
1992 - Los Angeles civil unrest erupted and exploded for three days, the lowest point of his career
1993 - Retired after five decades of public service as a police officer, City Councilman and Mayor
1996 - Suffered a stroke that left him partially paralyzed and unable to speak for the rest of his life
1998 - Died at the age of 80 after suffering from a heart attack
