Timeline: Political Milestones Since Kennedy's Death

August 25, 2010

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy died on August 25, 2009. Just one year later, the state — and the country — looks very different. We look back at a year of health care reform, GOP gains and changes for the Kennedy family.

Aug. 26, 2009: Gov. Patrick Seeks Power To Appoint Kennedy Successor

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick supports a change in state law that would allow him to appoint an interim successor to Sen. Edward M. Kennedy.

Sept. 3, 2009: Coakley Announces Candidacy For Kennedy’s Seat

Attorney General Martha Coakley announced Thursday she will run as a Democratic candidate in the special election to succeed the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. The 20-year prosecutor said she can continue to be “an effective voice for the people of Massachusetts.”

Sept. 7, 2009: Joe Kennedy Won't Seek Uncle's Senate Seat

Former Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II, the eldest son of Robert F. Kennedy, announced Monday he would not run for the U.S. Senate seat held for nearly 50 years by his late uncle, Edward M. Kennedy.

Sept. 16, 2009: Kennedy's Memoir, 'True Compass,' Released

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy's disposition as a born senator came through clearly in "True Compass," says historian Doris Kearns Goodwin. "Even though he says, 'Yes I wanted to be president,' the rest of the tone of the book makes it so clear that he felt just a natural inclination to like the daily work of the Senate." (AP)

Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer and historian Doris Kearns Goodwin was a long-time family friend of Ted Kennedy’s. She spoke to us from her home about "True Compass" and its insights into Kennedy’s life and legacy.

Sept. 24, 2009: Gov. Patrick Will Name Paul Kirk To Interim Senate Position

Gov. Deval Patrick plans to name a temporary senator Thursday morning to take the place of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. Former Democratic National Committee chairman Paul Kirk, also a former Kennedy aide, is said to be the choice.

Dec. 8, 2009: The Primary Election

Brown Wins Republican Race For Senate Seat

State Sen. Scott Brown reacts as he hears from a campaign staff member in a Newton hotel room that the Associated Press called the primary in his favor. (AP)

Republicans at state Sen. Scott Brown’s Election Night headquarters are doing what Republicans don’t often get do to in Massachusetts: celebrate a victory.

Coakley Wins Democratic Race For Senate Seat

BOSTON — Attorney General Martha Coakley checks the podium at the Sheraton Hotel in Boston on Tuesday. (AP)

Attorney General Martha Coakley has defeated three other candidates to win the Democratic nomination in the race to succeed the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. The 56-year-old Coakley is vying to be the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from Massachusetts.

Dec 25, 2009: Interim Senator Kirk Makes Health Vote In Kennedy’s Stead

Sen. Paul Kirk, D-Mass. speaks about health care reform during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009. (AP)

Though he called it the cause of his life, the late Edward M. Kennedy never got to cast his Senate vote for health care reform. The measure passed early Thursday by a margin of 60-39. Massachusetts interim Sen. Paul Kirk said Kennedy would have been proud that his state “provided the crucial 60th vote to pass this historic legislation.”

Jan. 19, 2010: GOP’s Scott Brown Wins Upset In Mass. Senate Race

State Sen. Scott Brown celebrates with his family in Boston on Tuesday after winning the special election to fill the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by the death of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. (AP)

Feb. 12, 2010: Patrick Kennedy Retirement Marks End Of Era

Rhode Island Rep. Patrick Kennedy announced he will not seek re-election this fall, marking the end of a Kennedy era in Congress that has lasted more than 60 years.

Mar. 23, 2010: Obama Signs Historic Health Care Legislation

President Obama signed his sweeping health care overhaul into law Tuesday, marking the culmination of a yearlong struggle with Congress to make good on the central issue of his administration's domestic policy agenda.

June 14, 2010: New FBI Docs Show Kennedy Death Threats

July 28, 2010: Plans For Kennedy Senate Institute Unveiled

Architectural plans were unveiled Wednesday for the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate, which will sit adjacent to his brother’s presidential library in Boston and include a replica of the chamber where Kennedy served for 47 years until his death last summer.

This program aired on August 25, 2010. The audio for this program is not available.