Following are highlights of the life and career of U.S. Sen. John H. Chafee, compiled on March 15, 1999, the day he announced he wouldn't run for a fifth term in next year's election:

*Born Oct. 22, 1922, to a prominent Rhode Island family.

*Served in the Marine Corps during World War II and took part in the invasion of Gaudalcanal in the Pacific.

*Earned his bachelor's degree from Yale University in 1947 and a law degree from Harvard University in 1950.

*Was recalled to active military duty in 1951 and commanded a rifle company in Korea.

*Practiced law from 1952 through 1962 and spent the last six of those years as a member of Rhode Island's part-time General Assembly. He represented part of Warwick. From 1959 through 1962, he led the minority party in the House.

*Elected governor in 1962 by a scant 398-vote margin. He was reelected in 1964 and 1966 - both times by what were the largest margins in the state's history. Seeking a fourth term in 1968, Chafee was defeated by Democrat Frank Licht.

*Appointed secretary of the Navy by President Nixon in January 1969, a post he held until 1972.

*Ran for Senate in 1972 but lost to Claiborne Pell, a Democrat.

*Won an open seat in the Senate in 1976 and was reelected in 1982, 1988 and 1994. He is the only Republican to be elected to the Senate from Rhode Island in the past 68 years.

Chafee's influence in the Senate grew over the years, as he became the dean of moderate Republicans. He spearheaded efforts to protect the environment and expand health care and child care. He helped craft the Clean Air Act of 1990, which strengthened pollution emission standards. He is a long-time advocate for wetlands conservation and open space preservation. An active proponent of free trade, he strongly supported the North American Free Trade Agreement.