Tony Blair was elected leader of the Labour Party in October 1994 and immediately set about reforming and preparing his party for government.
Tony and Cherie Blair walked along Whitehall to Downing Street on 2 May 1997. Aged 43, he became the youngest prime minister since 1812.
After becoming prime minister, Tony Blair invited a host of celebrities to functions at 10 Downing Street. Among them was singer-songwriter Noel Gallagher, of Oasis.
Tony Blair played on his youthful image when he cycled through the streets of Amsterdam to an EU summit.
Tony Blair's foreign policy has been closely linked to that of US President George W Bush, since the latter was elected in 2000.
For many, the Iraq war is the defining act of the Blair premiership. On a visit in 2003, the prime minister was kissed by schoolboy Abbas Adnan.
Tony Blair's wife Cherie became a celebrity in her own right, once singing the Beatles' When I'm 64 on a trip to China.
The Blairs, who already had three children in 1997, produced another son, Leo, in 2000.
The relationship between Tony Blair and his Chancellor Gordon Brown has been a source of media intrigue and gossip for the past decade.
Tony Blair insists he wants to keep a 'meaningful' political role after leaving Downing Street.