1964: At age 14, Mark Souder is inspired by Ronald Reagan's speech supporting Barry Goldwater for president. Joins Young Americans for Freedom, a conservative youth movement that helped "plant the seeds of politics in (my) life."

1968: Works in a political campaign for the first time, the re-election campaign of Rep. E. Ross Adair.

1969: Elected student body president at IPFW.

January 1983: Rep. Dan Coats, R-4th, appoints Souder, owner of Souder's Furniture in Grabill, as economic development liaison director in his Fort Wayne office.

1984: Becomes staff director for the House Select Committee on Children, Youth and Families, one of Coats' committee assignments.

1989: Named legislative director, then deputy chief of staff for Coats' Senate office.

1993: Returns to Indiana to run for Congress after 10 years in Washington.

November 1994: Defeats three-term incumbent Democrat Jill Long as part of the "Republican Revolution" that gave the GOP the House majority for the first time in 40 years.

December 1998: Votes for one of the four articles of impeachment against President Clinton; votes against three because he believes perjury was not a high crime and misdemeanor.

May 4: Wins Republican nomination for ninth term over Bob Thomas, an Indiana car dealer, and two other challengers.

May 18: Announces he will resign from Congress, saying he "sinned against God, my wife and my family by having a mutual relationship with a part-time member of my staff."