Fred Thompson Chronology

Fred Thompson Chronology

1942
Fred Dalton Thompson is born in Sheffield, Alabama on August 19th, 1942 and soon moved across the state line with his family to Lawrenceburg Tennessee. Fred Thompson grew up in the picturesque town, Lawrenceburg Tennessee just south of Nashville, with his parents Fletcher and Ruth along with brother Kenny.
The family lived in a one-story home within walking distance of the town square and just down the road was the local public school in which he attended. His grandparents also lived in Lawrenceburg and ran a small diner just off of the square.

1959
While still in high school Fred marries his high school girlfriend Sarah Elizabeth Lindsey in Lawrenceburg in September of 1959.

1960
-Son Fred Dalton "Tony" Thompson Jr. is born in April of 1960.
-Graduates from Lawrence County High School in 1960.

1963
Daughter Elizabeth "Betsy" Thompson was born on March 13, 1963.

1964
Graduates from Memphis State University in 1964.

1965
Son Dan Thompson is born in April of 1965.

1967
-Graduates from Vanderbilt Law School.
-Admitted to the Tennessee bar.
-Joins wife's uncle's law practice in Lawrenceburg.

1969
Named assistant U.S. attorney in Nashville and serves until 1972.

1972
Directs U.S. Sen. Howard Baker's re-election campaign in Middle Tennessee in 1972.

1973
Serves as minority council of Senate Watergate committee, into 1974, and appears several times on national TV.

1975
In 1975, Fred publishes "At this Point", a book on his Watergate investigative experience.

1977
Represents the chairman of the state's Board of Pardons and Paroles, Marie Ragghianti, who was the whistleblower who exposed Governor Ray Blanton's Clemency For Cash scandal.

1980
For the next couple of years, he serves as special counsel for various committees including Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, the Senate Intelligence Committee as well as to Tennessee Governor Lamar Alexander, who would later, in 2003, fill the Senate seat that Fred vacated.

1985
-Is divorced from Sarah Lindsey Thompson in 1985.
-For the next two years he is a Member of Tennessee Appellate Court Nominating Commission.
-Launches his acting career in film adaptation of "Marie", starring Sissy Spacek in which he plays himself. He would later go on to be in some 35 films and television roles.

1987
Plays CIA director in the film "No Way Out"

1988
Fred can be seen in the film "Feds"

1989
Fred can be seen in the film "Fat Man and Little Boy"

1990
Fred plays a Navy rear admiral in the film "The Hunt for Red October" starring Sean Connery and Alec Baldwin. That same year he is also seen in "Days of Thunder", and "Die Hard 2: Die Harder."

1991
In 1991, Fred is seen in "Flight of the Intruder", "Class Action", "Necessary Roughness", "Curly Sue", and "Cape Fear."

1992
In 1992 Fred is seen in "Aces: Iron Eagle III", "Thunderheart", and "White Sands."

1993
Fred plays a White House chief of staff in "In the Line of Fire" as well as in "Born Yesterday" and "Barbarians at the Gate."

1994
-This year he performs in "Celsius 41.11" and also in "Baby's Day Out" as the FBI agent Dale Grissom the later being in his last role before entering the U.S. Senate.
-During the summer, he drives his red pickup truck across state of Tennessee and ultimately wins U.S. Senate seat later that year in a special election, a seat that was vacated by Al Gore after he was named as vice president elect.
-Over the next two years, it is rumored in Nashville that Fred is romantically linked to country music icon, Lorrie Morgan. The rumor is later confirmed when Lorrie releases her auto-biography in 1998.

1996
He wins re-election to U.S. Senate and is elected to a full term in November -he received more votes than any previous candidate for any office in Tennessee history.

1997
He Begins service as chairman of hearings in July on alleged Clinton-Gore campaign fundraising violations.

2001
- Serves as chairman of Committee on Governmental Affairs.
- Fred announces in Nashville, he'll seek re-election to the Senate on the 24th of September.

2002
-Daughter Elizabeth "Betsy" Thompson Panici dies of accidental prescription drug overdose on January 30th.
-On March 8th, Thompson reverses himself, cites personal reasons for not seeking re-election.
-Marries Jeri Kehn on June 29th. This is his second marriage.
-In August during a Senate recess, Fred begins filming in the television show Law & Order in what would become one of his most well known roles.

2003
Daughter Hayden Victoria is born in October.

2005
Fred is seen performing again in "Racing Stripes", "Last Best Chance", and "Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World."

2006
In 2006, Fred signed on with ABC News Radio and is also the vacation replacement for Paul Harvey.

2007
- In early spring, a grassroots movement started in East Tennessee by a former political aide formed the Draft Fred committee and launched a Web site with talks of possible presidential bid, but so far Fred has not yet formally announced his intentions.
In late March the A March 23, 2007, The Rasmussen Reports poll had him statistically tied at 44% to U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton's 43 % later in the month a Fox News poll had Thompson at 34% to Clinton's 51%.
-In an April Fred states in a Fox TV interview that he has Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a treatable, but incurable form of cancer normally that has no debilitating side effects.
- Another report from the Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll released in mid-April indicated, that among the Republicans polled, Fred Thompson was sitting in the number two spot garnering 15% with Rudolph Giuliani leading at 29% and Arizona Senator John McCain seated in the number three spot at 12%. Freddie Thompson still has not announced himself as a formal candidate for the Presidency.
-At the end of May, Fred Thompson said during an interview that he plans on making a Presidential bid.
-In the last days of August, officials in Fred Thompson's Camp announce that Fred will be announcing his intention to run for President of the United States on September 6th via a webcast.
-Fred Dalton Thompson officially enters the 2008 Presidential Campaign on September 6th.
2008
- After a good run Fred Thompson withdrew from the 2008 Presidential Race on January 22nd, 2008.

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