Published: Fri, Jul. 04, 2008 11:37AM

Modified Fri, Jul. 04, 2008 11:45AM

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1962: Helms and his wife adopt a son, Charles, after reading a Greensboro newspaper story saying he suffered from cerebral palsy and wanted a mother and father for Christmas.

1970: At his daughter Nancy’s prompting, Helms switches from Democrat to Republican.

1972: Capitalizing on the statewide fame his commentaries have brought, Helms enters the U.S. Senate race and easily wins the Republican primary. In the general election against Democratic U.S. Rep. Nick Galifianakis, Helms pledges to “resist with all the strength I can muster the destructive tactics of the Teddy Kennedys, the Hubert Humphreys, the Muskies and the McGoverns.” Helms uses the slogan, “Elect Jesse Helms — He’s One of Us!” Aided by the GOP landslide, Helms wins with 54 percent of the vote.

1972: Helms’ chief political lieutenants, Tom Ellis and Carter Wrenn, form the National Congressional Club and begin building it into a formidable political and fund-raising machine.

1975: Becomes chairman of Ronald Reagan’s presidential campaign in North Carolina and, in early 1976, helps deliver an important primary victory that revives Reagan’s challenge to President Ford.

1978: In his bid for re-election, Helms faces state Insurance Commissioner John R. Ingram. Helms spends more than $8 million on his campaign, a national record at the time for a Senate race. He wins with 54.5 percent of the vote — the highest percentage he would ever get.

Going global
1978: As a vigorous opponent of the Panama Canal Treaty, regarded by critics as a Carter administration giveaway, Helms makes headlines around the world.

1980: Readers of Conservative Digest name Helms the “most admired conservative in Congress.” He wins the same honor in 1981 and 1983.

1981: In a sign of his growing interest in foreign affairs, Helms puts a hold on several Reagan nominees for state department posts.

1982: With Congress ready to adjourn for Christmas, Helms leads a filibuster against a gasoline-tax increase supported by President Reagan. A fellow Republican, Sen. Alan Simpson of Wyoming, says, “Seldom have I seen a more obdurate, more obnoxious performance.”

1983: Leads a filibuster against the establishment of a national holiday in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. “The legacy of Dr. King was really division, not love,” Helms says. “Dr. King’s action-oriented Marxism … is not compatible with the concepts of this country.” The filibuster is a prominent issue in Helms’ re-election campaign.

1984: Seeking a third term, Helms faces his toughest opponent yet, Democratic Gov. Jim Hunt. The bitter, highly negative campaign sets another national record for spending ($16.5 million by Helms). Aided by Reagan’s coattails, Helms wins with 51.7 percent of the vote.

1985: The Senate overwhelmingly defeats an effort by Helms to remove federal court jurisdiction over prayer in public schools. Helms is one of 12 senators to vote against imposing economic sanctions against South Africa’s apartheid regime.

1987: Senate Republicans make Helms the ranking Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee. “I propose to be as near a model of civility as possible,” Helms says. “But there are some things you can’t compromise on.”

1990: Wins a fourth term, defeating former Charlotte Mayor Harvey Gantt, with 53 percent of the vote. During the campaign, the Helms camp airs what came to be known as the “white hands ad.” It shows the the hands of a white man crumpling a rejection letter as a narrator intones: “You needed that job, and you were the best qualified. But it had to go to a minority because of a racial quota.”