As she steps down as the Chancellor of Germany after 16 years, Angela Merkel is being remembered as one of the exceptional world leaders. First female chancellor of Germany, she has been dubbed as the defacto leader of the European Union and voted most powerful woman in the world several time during her leadership by popular news organisations. A look at her life and times:

• 1954:  Born in Hamburg 
• 1964-84: Studied in Perleberg, East Germany 
• 1986: PhD in Quantum Chemistry 
• 1986-89: Research Scientist in East Germany
• 1990: Elected to German Parliament Bundestag 
• 1991: Minister of Women and Youth Affairs in Unified Germany
• 1994: Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Energy
• 1998: General Secretary of CDU
• 2000: Leader of the CDU 
• 2005: Chancellor of Germany
• 2007: President of the European Council
• 2021: Steps Down before General Elections