Newt Gingrich Through the Years

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich will announce he is taking a formal step towards a run for the White House this week. Click through the gallery to learn about Gingrich's career before, during, and after his time in Congress.

It Begins...

Gingrich meets with reporters in Washington on March 1, 1979. Gingrich joined Congress that January as a freshman Republican from Georgia. He came to the Hill from academia, working as an assistant professor of history at what was then West Georgia College.

Contractual Obligations

Gingrich is widely credited with sweeping Democrats out of congressional power in 1994. Here, he celebrates 100 days of Republican control, highlighting all the accomplishments laid out in the "Contract With America" -- his party's 1994 platform.

Mr. Speaker

Gingrich was elected speaker of the House on January 4, 1995. Here he receives the speaker's gavel from House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt, D-Mo.

Shutdown Saga

Republicans quickly reached stalemates over budget negotiations in late 1995 and early 1996, causing two government shutdowns. Here, Gingrich meets with President Clinton at the White House during negotiations.

Getting Clinton in Hot Water...

Gingrich led the House's successful efforts to impeach Clinton for his role in the Monica Lewinsky scandal. Here, he takes questions from reporters in September 1998 about the House's handling of the report by Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr.

... Getting Himself in Hot Water

The government shutdowns and Clinton impeachement were deeply unpopular with the public. After Republicans suffered losses in the 1998 midterm elections, Gingrich announced he would not seek another term as speaker and would resign his seat. He officially left Congress in January 1999.

Life After Congress

Gingrich has remained a prominent figure in conservative politics. He is a senior fellow at the conservative American Enterprise Institute. He also founded a 527 group, American Solutions for Winning the Future. Here, Gingrich calls on then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi in 2008 to reconvene the chamber so a vote could be held on the American Energy Act, legislation designed to reduce the country's dependence on foreign oil.

Presidential Hopes

While Gingrich declined a presidential bid in 2008, he was frequently mentioned as a contender for the 2012 race. Gingrich will announce that he is taking the firsts steps towards a White House run. Gingrich is pictured at the Conservative Political Action Conference on February 10.

And Just One More

Gingrich inspects a stuffed moose which was wheeled into a June 1995 Republican breakfast in his honor in Keene, N.H.

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