Timeline: Career of U.S. Rep. John Conyers Jr.
Born: May 16, 1929, in Highland Park as the son of a Detroit labor leader
1947: Graduated from Northwestern High School in Detroit
1948-50: Michigan National Guard
1950-54: United States Army
1954-57: U.S. Army Reserve
1957: Received bachelor’s of arts degree from Wayne State University
1958: Received law degree from Wayne State Law School
1958-61: Aide to Michigan U.S. Rep. John Dingell
1959-64: General counsel for three labor locals in Detroit
1961-63: Referee for Michigan workmen’s compensation department
1964: Wins Michigan’s then-1st U.S. House District with 84 percent of the vote
1965: Co-sponsored the Voting Rights Act that became law
1967: Unsuccessfully pleaded for peaceful protests at 12th and Clairmount during Detroit riot
1968: Introduced bill to create federal holiday for the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. after assassination
1969: One of 13 founding members and dean of the Congressional Black Caucus
1971: Makes President Richard Nixon’s “Enemies List”
1974: Voted for three articles of impeachment against Nixon before the president resigned
1978: Chatted with Coretta Scott King during a United Auto Workers conference
1983: President Ronald Reagan signed into law Conyers’ bill for MLK holiday
1987: Pushed Jazz Preservation Act to recognize “jazz as a rare and valuable national treasure”
1988: Appointed one of the managers to conduct impeachment proceedings against Federal Judge Alcee Lamar Hastings
1988: Civil rights activist Rosa Parks retires from Conyers’ Detroit office
1989: Ran for Detroit mayor and loses to incumbent Coleman Young
1989: Began to introduce every session a bill to create a commission study the impact of slavery and weigh reparations to African-Americans
1989 -2004: Chair of the House Committee on Government Operations (now the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform)
1990: Married Monica Esters. Son John III is born.
1993: Helped push for passage of the Motor Voter bill to encourage more voter registration
1993: Ran again for Detroit mayor, finished fourth to winner Dennis Archer
1994: Helped draft and gain passage of the Violence Against Women Act
1995: Son Carl is born
1995-2006: Top Democrat on House Judiciary Committee
2007-10: House Judiciary Committee chairman
2009: Wife Monica pleaded guilty in Synagro bribery scandal, goes to prison
2011: Becomes ranking Democrat on House Judiciary as GOP regains control of House
2012: Monica released from prison after 37 months
2014: Conyers thrown off Democratic primary ballot for lacking enough valid signatures. Federal judge restores him to ballot
2015: Receives Lifetime Achievement Award from Detroit NAACP
Nov. 20, 2017: BuzzFeed publisheds four signed affidavits from former staff members who say the congressman sexually harassed several female employees. Conyers denies the allegations
Nov. 20: U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Zeeland, says Conyers should resign if he used office budget to settle a sexual harassment complaint
Nov. 21: House Ethics Committee opens investigation into allegations against Conyers
Nov. 22: Former House Judiciary Committee counsel Melanie Sloan says Conyers acted abusively toward her
Nov. 22: New York Democratic U.S. Rep. Kathleen Rice becomes first member of Congress to unconditionally urge Conyers to resign
Nov. 28: Former staffer Deanna Maher tells The Detroit News that Conyers sexually harassed her three times from 1997 to 1999. Conyers denies the allegations and flies home to Detroit, missing House votes
Nov. 29: Conyers is hospitalized after symptoms of dizziness, shortness of breath and chest pains.
Nov. 30: Former staffer Marion Brown tells the “Today” show that Conyers “violated my body” and paid her $27,000 after she filed a complaint for being fired for refusing his sexual advances
Nov. 30: House Speaker Paul Ryan and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi call on him to resign. Attorney Arnold Reed says Conyers will decide his next move, not Washington
Dec. 4:Elisa Grubbs, Marion Brown’s cousin, said in an affidavit that Conyers touched her inappropriately “by stroking and rubbing my thighs” and appeared naked before her. Grubbs said she witnessed inappropriate touching of other female employees
Dec. 5: In a radio phone interview, Conyers says he is retiring immediately and endorses his son, John Conyers III, to succeed him