"for his leading role in the peace process which today characterizes important parts of the international community"

Mikhail Gorbachev

1931:
March 2, born, Privolnoye, Krasnogvardeisky District, Stavropol territory in the North Caucasus, to a peasant family in a small village, his father an agricultural mechanic on a collective farm.
1942:
German army occupies the Privolnoye area.
1945:
Begins work as assistant to combine harvest operator.
1949:
Awarded Order of Red Banner of Labour.
1950:
Enrolled in Faculty of Law, Moscow University.
1952:
After having been a member of Komsomol (Communist Youth Organisation), now joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU).
1955:
Marries Raisa Maximovna Titorenko, philosophy student. Receives degree in law.
1955-60:
Appointed First Secretary, Komsomol Territorial Committee, then moves up to higher posts, finally becoming top Komsomol official in Stavropol.
1956:
Daughter Irina born.
1961:
Delegate from Stavropol to 22nd Communist Party Congress in Moscow.
1962:
Appointed to key position in Stavropol Communist Party, responsible for personnel in administration, farms and industry.
1964-67:
Studies for second degree at Stavropol Agricultural Institute.
1970:
Appointed First Secretary for Stavropol territory, governing an area of 2.4 million people.
1971:
Member CPSU Central Committee.
1978:
Moves to Moscow as Secretary of Agriculture in Central Committee.
1980:
Becomes youngest full member of Politburo.
1985:
March, Elected by Central Committee as General Secretary of CPSU.
1989:
Elected by new parliament as Executive President of Soviet Union.
1991:
August, abortive coup of hardliners, resigns as General Secretary of CPSU, dissolves Central Committee.
1991:
December 25, resigns as President when Soviet Union disintegrates.
1992:

Head of Foundation for Social, Economic and Political Research, think-tank founded after August coup.

Link to Mikhail Gorbachev's Nobel Lecture:
http://nobelprize.org/peace/laureates/1990/gorbachev-lecture.html