Nancy Pelosi Fast Facts

Here's an in-depth look at the life of Congresswoman and former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.

Personal: Birth date: March 26, 1940

Birth name: Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro

Birthplace: Baltimore, Maryland

Father: Thomas D'Alesandro, Baltimore mayor and U.S. congressman

Mother: Annunciata (Lombardi) D'Alesandro, a homemaker

Marriage: Paul F. Pelosi (1963 - present)

Children: Nancy; Christine; Jacqueline; Paul; Alexandra

Education: Trinity College, DC (Now Trinity Washington University), 1962, B.A ,Political Science

Religion: Roman Catholic

Other Facts: First woman to lead a major Congressional party.

First female speaker of the House of Representatives

Timeline: 1977-1981 - Chair, Northern California Democratic Party.

1981-1983 - Chair, California State Democratic Party.

1984 - San Francisco Democratic National Convention Host Committee Chairwoman.

1985-1986 - Finance Chairwoman, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

June 2, 1987 - Wins a special election in California's 5th Congressional District, filling seat of Representative Sala Burton.

1987-1992 - Represents California's 5th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

January 12, 1991 - Votes against authorizing use of force in Iraq (House Resolution 77).

1993-2013 - Represents California's 8th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

2001 - Becomes the first woman to be elected House minority whip.

October 2002 - Votes against authorizing use of military force in Iraq.

November 14, 2002 - Is elected House minority leader by fellow Democrats, and becomes the highest ranking woman in Congressional history.

November 7, 2006 - Democrats win a majority in the House. Pelosi becomes the speaker of the House when the new Congress begins in January 2007. She is the first female speaker of the House and the first woman to be as high in the line of succession to the presidency (second behind the vice president).

January 4, 2007-January 3, 2011 - Speaker of the House

April 1-6, 2007 - Pelosi leads a bipartisan delegation from the House on a trip through the Middle East. The group travels to Israel, Lebanon, Syria, and Saudi Arabia, meeting with heads of state.

November 4, 2008 - Is re-elected with more than 70 percent of the vote.

February 18, 2009 - Meets with Pope Benedict XVI.

February 2009 - Leads a Congressional delegation to Afghanistan and meets with President Hamid Karzai.

March 21, 2010 - Pelosi leads the House in passing the health care reform bill proposed by President Barack Obama.

November 17, 2010 - In a 150-43 vote, Pelosi is elected to serve as minority leader in the next Congress.

November 6, 2012 - Is elected to California's 12th Congressional District.

January 3, 2013 - Pelosi challenges John Boehner for speaker of the House but loses. She instead is re-elected as House minority leader.