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- September 15, 1937: He is born in Cordoba in central Argentina.
- June 1996: A lawyer by profession, he is appointed mayor of Buenos Aires, having already served as a parliamentarian and senator for the Radical Civic Union party.
- October 1999: Wins presidential elections with 48.5 percent of the vote, amid anger over corruption and with Argentina in recession.
- October 2000: His deputy, Carlos "Chacho" Alvarez, quits government criticizing de la Rua for failing to resolve allegations that senators took bribes to pass a key labor reform bill.
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- July 2001: His government approves a seventh austerity plan in an attempt to balance the budget. It includes civil service salary cuts and tax increases. A general strike follows.
- December 2, 2001: A freeze on bank assets sparks protests, pillaging and riots that leave about 30 people dead.
- December 19, 2001: De la Rua declares a state of emergency in response to mounting public unrest.
- December 20, 2001: He resigns and is evacuated by helicopter from the presidential palace, which is surrounded by thousands of protesters. Days later Argentina defaults on nearly $100 billion of debt, the largest default in history at the time.
- December 2013: A court acquits de la Rua of ordering the payment of bribes to senators in 2000.