Following are some key dates in the 2008 US presidential campaign:
2007:
January 20: New York Democrat and wife of former President Bill Clinton, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, announces her bid for White House.
February 10: Democrat Senator Barack Obama officially announces his candidacy in Spirngfield, Illinois.
February 28: Republican Senator from Arizona John McCain declares in a television show that he will be running for President.
2008
January 3: The first primary is held in Iowa. Democratic caucus won by Barack Obama, upsetting Hillary. Republican caucus won by Mike Huckabee. Chris Dodd and Joe Biden drop out of the Democratic race.
January 8: Hillary stages comeback, wins Democratic primary in New Hampshire; Republican primary won by McCain.
January 15: The Michigan primaries: Democratic primary won by Hillary; Republican primary won by Mitt Romney.
January 19: Nevada caucuses: Democratic caucus won by Hillary; Republican caucus won by Mitt Romney; South Carolina Republican primary won by McCain.
January 26: South Carolina Democratic primary won by Obama. Florida primary: Republican primary won by McCain, with Romney second; Democratic primary won by Hillary.
January 30: Former Mayor of New York Rudy Giuliani withdraws from the Republican race and endorses McCain. John Edwards drops out of the Democratic race.
February 5: Clinton and Obama fights in 22-state 'Super Tuesday' primaries. Obama gets more states but Clinton gets the bigger, delegate-rich ones. McCain strengthens position but Huckebee holds on.
February 9: Louisiana Democratic primary won by Obama. Louisiana Republican primary ends with Huckabee only slightly ahead of McCain, no delegates assigned. Kansas Republican caucuses won by Huckabee. United States Virgin Islands Democratic territorial convention won by Obama.
February 12: The "Potomac primary": the District of Columbia Democratic primary, Maryland Democratic primary, and Virginia Democratic primary won by Obama; the District of Columbia Republican primary, Maryland Republican primary, and Virginia Republican primary won by McCain.
March 4: Hillary wins in Rhode Island, Ohio and Texas (primary); Obama wins Vermont and Texas (caucus). Huckabee withdraws from race. McCain passes the 1,191-delegate threshold and becomes the presumptive Republican nominee.
March 5: President George W. Bush endorses McCain.
June 3: Final democratic primaries: Obama wins enough delegates to officially become the Democratic nominee. Hillary Clinton does not concede.
June 7: Hillary Clinton endorses Obama, ends her White House bid.
August 23: Obama announces his selection of veteran Senator Joe Biden as his running mate.
August 28: Obama accepts the Democratic Party presidential nomination in a speech delivered at Denver, Colorado, becoming the first African-American presidential nominee of a major party.
August 29: Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is selected by McCain as his choice for the Republican vice-presidential candidate.
September 4: McCain accepts the Republican Party nomination in a speech delivered in St Paul, Minnesota.
November 4: US presidential polls held. Obama elected 44th president of the United States.
