Key dates in the life and career of John Tory, Toronto’s new mayor

TORONTO – John Tory will replace Rob Ford as mayor of Toronto after winning the municipal election on Monday. Here are a few key dates in his life and career:

May 28, 1954: John Tory is born in Toronto to prominent lawyer John Tory and his wife Elizabeth Bacon.

1975: Tory completes his bachelors degree from University of Toronto Trinity College.

1978: Tory completes a law degree at York University’s Osgoode Hall Law School.

1978: Tory marries Barbara Hackett, with whom he has four children.

1980: Tory began work as a lawyer at Torys LLP, the law firm founded by his father.

1982: Tory leaves the firm to work as adviser to Ontario Progressive Conservative Premier Bill Davis.

1986: Following Davis’s retirement, Tory returns to the law firm where he remains for the next decade. During those years, he serves as volunteer campaign chair for Conservative prime ministers Brian Mulroney and Kim Campbell.

1992: Tory joins the board of the Canadian Football League.

Jan. 12, 1995: Tory takes over as chairman of the Board for the president of Rogers Multimedia Inc.

1996: Tory begins his term as commissioner of the CFL, a role he holds until 2000.

1999: Tory becomes president and CEO of Rogers subsidiary Rogers Cable.

Nov. 10, 2003: Tory is defeated in his first effort to become mayor of Toronto, garnering 38 per cent of the vote but falling short of winner David Miller.

Sept. 18, 2004: Tory is named the leader of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party, succeeding Ernie Eves.

Mar. 17, 2005: Tory easily cruises to victory in a byelection in Eves’ old riding of Dufferin-Peel-Wellington-Grey, earning his seat in the Ontario legislature.

Oct. 10, 2007: After a campaign marred by unpopular promises to extend public funding to faith-based schools, Tory and his Conservatives are soundly defeated in the provincial election. Dalton McGuinty’s Liberal government returned to power with a majority mandate, while Tory lost his own seat in the legislature.

Mar. 5, 2009: Tory’s bid to reclaim a seat in the legislature is dashed with a surprising byelection loss in the riding of Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes.

Mar. 6, 2009: Tory announces his resignation as Conservative party leader.

Apr. 23, 2009: Tory announces he is accepting a job as a weekly talk show host on Toronto radio station CFRB 1010.

Oct. 5, 2009: Tory moves to a new and more prominent time slot, hosting a weekday afternoon show on CFRB.

2010: Tory becomes chair of regional think-tank CivicAction Toronto.

Feb. 24, 2014: Tory launches his bid to become mayor of Toronto.

Oct. 27, 2014: Tory wins the Toronto mayoral race.