Chronology of Jimmy Carter's Presidency

1977  |  1978  |  1979  |  1980  |  1981

1977

• January 20
  Inaugurated President
  
  
• February 2
  Signs Emergency Natural Gas Act; "Fireside Chat"
  
  
• March 30
  Soviet Union rejects SALT II proposals
  
  
• April 4
  Sadat and Carter meet in Washington
  
  
• April 6
  Carter signs Reorganization Act
  
  
• April 18
  Second Address to the Nation on Energy
  
  
• May 7
  London Economic Summit
  
  
• June 30
  Carter halts B-1 Bomber Production
  
  
• July 19
  Begin and Carter meet in Washington
  
  
• August 4
  Department of Energy established
  
  
• September 7
  Panama Canal Treaty signing
  
  
• September 21
  Bert Lance resigns
  
  
• September 27
  Agreement with Soviet Union on SALT II
  
  
• October 5
  Signs International Covenant on Human Rights
  
  
• November 19
  Sadat visits Israel

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1978

• March 16
  Senate ratifies first Panama Treaty
  
  
• September 4
  Camp David Summit begins
  
  
• September 17
  Camp David Accords signed
  
  
• October 13
  Civil Service Reform Act Signed
  
  
• October 15
  Congress passes first energy package
  
  
• December 15
  Announces normalization of relations with People's Republic of China
  
  

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1979

• January 16
  Shah leaves Iran
  
  
• January 19
  Deng Xiaoping visits Washington
  
  
• February 1
  Khomeini returns to Iran
  
  
• March 8
  Trip to Egypt and Israel
  
  
• March 26
  Egyptian-Israeli Peace Treaty signing
  
  
• March 28
  Three Mile Island nuclear incident
  
  
• April 5
  Address to the Nation on Energy
  
  
• June 12
  Carter proposes National Health Plan to Congress
  
  
• June 18
  Signing of SALT II Treaty in Vienna with Brezhnev
  
  
• July 3
  Cancels energy speech; begins meetings at Camp David on state of the administration
  
  
• July 15
  Address to the Nation--the "malaise" speech
  
  
• July 17
  Announces Cabinet and senior staff changes
  
  
• August 15
  Andrew Young resigns as Ambassador to the United Nations
  
  
• August 31
  Soviet troops reported in Cuba
  
  
• October 17
  Department of Education established
  
  
• October 20
  Decision to admit the Shah to the United States for medical treatment
  
  
• November 4
  American Embassy in Teheran overrun
  
  
• December 27
  Soviet invasion of Afghanistan begins
  
  

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1980

• January 4
  Address to the Nation on Soviet invasion of Afghanistan; sanctions announced
  
  
• January 20
  First caucuses in Iowa
  
  
• January 21
  State of Union Message outlining "Carter Doctrine"
  
  
• February 20
  Decision to boycott 1980 Summer Olympic Games in Moscow
  
  
• March 14
  Anti-inflation program announced; balanced budget sent to Congress
  
  
• April 11
  Decision to attempt hostage rescue mission
  
  
• April 21
  Vance resigns as Secretary of State
  
  
• April 24
  Rescue Mission fails
  
  
• May 18
  Mount St. Helens erupts
  
  
• July 16
  Republicans nominate Ronald Reagan
  
  
• July 22
  Carter statement on Billy Carter's relations with Libya
  
  
• August 13
  Democratic Convention nominates Jimmy Carter
  
  
• September 22
  Iraq invades Iran
  
  
• October 28
  Carter - Reagan debate
  
  
• November 4
  Reagan defeats Carter in election
  
  
• December 2
  Carter signs Alaska Lands Bill
  
  
• December 7
  Carter warns Soviets against military intervention in Poland
  
  
• December 11
  Carter signs Superfund Bill to clean up toxic waste dumps
  
  

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1981

• January 16
  Final terms for release of American hostages negotiated
  
  
• January 20
  12 noon - Ronald Reagan inaugurated as President
  12:20pm EST - hostages released in Teheran
  
  
• January 21
  President Reagan sends Carter to Germany to welcome hostages home

1977  |  1978  |  1979  |  1980  |  1981

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