Hillary Clinton won the Washington D.C. Democratic primary on Tuesday night, bringing to an end of one of the longest primary fights in American history.
It has been five months of unpredictable twists and turns within the Republican and Democratic parties that has ultimately resulted in a race for the White House between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.
The two have seen off strong challenges, notably from Bernie Sanders (even though he has refused to concede) and Ted Cruz, whose campaigns both shined brightly at times during the spring.
EVIDENCE
Democrat delegate tracker | 2,383 needed to win
Hillary Clinton (Total: 2,785)
Delegates Superdelegates
2,214571
Bernie Sanders (Total: 1,877)
Delegates Superdelegates Delegates needed to win
1,82849506
Now the fight between the two parties' candidates can begin in earnest, with the July conventions and late summer television debates sure to maintain the excitement in this extraordinary, US election cycle, as we head towards D-Day on November 8.
EVIDENCE
Republican delegate tracker | 1,237 in total needed to win
Donald Trump
Delegates Delegates needed to win
1,4470
Ted Cruz
Delegates Delegates Cruz needed for nomination
560677
John Kasich
Delegates Delegates Kasich needed for nomination
1611086
Here are the key moments from this year's primaries and caucuses:
February 1: And we're off - Iowa caucuses
After all the polls, the punditry and the predictions, Iowa set the election race alight, with Ted Cruz taking first blood in the Republican race and demonstrating to Hillary Clinton that she has an almighty fight on her hands against Bernie Sanders, Rob Crilly writes.
The state also delivered a new sight: humble Trump.
Less than three hours after caucusing began, the supposed Republican front-runner conceded defeat to Mr Cruz, the Texas senator, in his first major test.
The question is whether Mr Trump can overcome his first real set-back or whether his supporters will now look for a more conventional candidate.
That could be Mr Cruz, whose strong appeal among evangelical voters meant a good showing in Iowa was crucial to his strategy.
February 9: World turned on its head (again) - New Hampshire primary
Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders, two maverick candidates from opposite ends of the spectrum, turned the political world on its head by winning key votes in the US presidential race, Nick Allen and Ruth Sherlock write.
Both men rode a wave of anger against traditional politicians and the Washington establishment to record decisive victories in New Hampshire.
It was the second US state to vote, after Iowa, and made clear the level of enthusiasm for figures who want to bring radical change to America.
Mr Trump, the billionaire who aims to ban foreign Muslims from the country and build a "great wall" on the Mexican border, scored double the support of his nearest Republican rival.
Donald Trump proves he is serious with huge win in New HampshirePlay! 01:22
March 1: What a Super Tuesday it was
“What a super Tuesday,” enthused Hillary Clinton at a victory rally in Florida as incoming results showed her racking up a succession of Democratic primary victories in southern states and beyond, Robert Tait writes.
The former US secretary of state has let it be known that she intends to focus more and more on the looming figure of Donald Trump, whose inevitability as the Republican nominee is now increasingly assumed.
Yet for all Mrs Clinton’s presumption of nominee status there is a fly in the ointment - and its name is Bernie Sanders.
Despite Mrs Clinton’s run of seven Super Tuesday victories, the Vermont senator and self-declared “democratic socialist” has not gone away and did well enough in the one-day steeple chase of primary contests - emphatically winning his own state, as well as Oklahoma, Colorado and Minnesota - to easily justify staying in the race.
Super Tuesday winners: Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump Play! 01:44
March 5: Super Saturday wasn't bad either
Ted Cruz spearheaded the start of a Republican fightback against Donald Trump, winning two states and capturing more delegates overall than his rival, Barney Henderson writes.
The Stop Trump campaign - a drive by the Republican establishment to block Mr Trump from the nomination - proved that it could dent his momentum, which after last week's Super Tuesday round of voting had seemed unstoppable.
Mr Cruz's success in winning both Kansas and Maine and running Mr Trump close in Kentucky and the largest state on offer on Saturday, Louisana, showed that he is the only man left that can challenge Mr Trump.
"The scream you hear, the howl that comes from Washington DC, is utter terror at what 'We the People' are doing together," Mr Cruz said.
On the Democrat side, Bernie Sanders won in Nebraska and Kansas, while front-runner Hillary Clinton took Louisiana - another divided verdict from the Democrats.
Ted Cruz begins fight back against Trump as billionaire front-runner calls for "one-on-one"Play! 01:07
March 15: Super Tuesday 2 - Clinton and Trump break from the pack
Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump emerged as dominant forces in the US presidential races after five major states went to the polls on Super Tuesday 2, Nick Allen and Ruth Sherlock report.
The results make a Clinton-Trump contest the most likely line-up for November's general election.
Mrs Clinton took a giant step toward the Democratic nomination by defeating her rival Bernie Sanders in all five states - Florida, Ohio, Illinois, Missouri and North Carolina.
On the Republican side Mr Trump won the biggest prize of the night with a decisive victory in Florida, which forced Marco Rubio to drop out of the presidential race after losing his home state.
In a powerful speech, the senator warned of the political storm in the US as he accepted the country's anger. "Look, people are angry.
“America’s in the middle of a real political storm, a real tsunami,” he said. “And we should have seen this coming.”
Mr Trump also won Illinois, Missouri and North Carolina but he suffered a potentially major setback in Ohio where he was easily defeated by the state's governor John Kasich.
That sets the stage for a long and bitter fight for the Republican nomination.
Donald Trump wins Florida and knocks Marco Rubio out of the presidential racePlay! 01:04
April 6: Cruz and Sanders make a fight of it
Ted Cruz and Bernie Sanders were both celebrating commanding victories against their rivals on Tuesday night in the Wisconsin primaries, Barney Henderson reports.
Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton were both licking their wounds after bruising defeats and must now try to get back on their respective paths to to the White House as the Republican and Democratic races move to New York.
Mr Cruz delivered what he described as a "turning point" victory over Mr Trump, the billionaire businessman whose stock has plummeted since he said women who had abortions should face "some form of punishment".
In the Democrat race, Bernie Sanders kept up the pressure on Mrs Clinton, recording a remarkable seventh victory out of the last eight contests - keeping the race very much alive, even if the former first lady holds onto a commanding lead overall.
Ted Cruz wins Republican presidential primary in WisconsinPlay! 00:50
April 19: Start spreading the news
Front-runners Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton both secured decisive wins in their home state of New York that saw them take big steps towards their party's nomination for the presidency, David Lawler and Barney Henderson report.
The result meant that is was still possible that the billionaire Republican could secure the 1237 delegates needed to avoid a contested convention in July and secure an outright victory.
He said his win meant that his rival Ted Cruz was "just about mathematically eliminated".
"We don't have much of a race anymore based on what I'm seeing on television," Mr Trump said.
"To the people that know me the best - the people of New York - when they give us this kind of a vote it's just incredible," Mr Trump said to his cheering supporters inside his Manhattan Trump Towers skyscraper.
Mr Cruz was pushed into third place by Ohio governor John Kasich.
Mrs Clinton said that "victory is in sight" as she saw off a strong challenge from Bernie Sanders.
Her win in New York followed some of the most heated personal exchanges of her campaign against Mr Sanders, a US senator from Vermont who had won seven of the last eight state-by-state nominating contests.
Trump wins New YorkPlay! 00:51
April 26: They think it's all over
The primary elections in the North-eastern US moved America five steps closer to a Donald Trump versus Hillary Clinton general election showdown, David Lawler reports.
Mr Trump was triumphant in all five contests, securing over 50 per cent across the board and beating rivals Ted Cruz and John Kasich by as many as 40 points.
Hillary Clinton nearly matched the feat, winning four states including Pennsylvania - by far the largest in the balance - but falling short of Bernie Sanders in Rhode Island.
Both candidates used their victory speeches to make the case that it was time for their parties to coalesce behind them, but they did so in different, and characteristic, fashions.
Mr Trump's tone was mocking, and even bullying. Of Mr Kasich the property mogul said, "what is he even doing here?"
Donald Trump: "We've run one of the great campaigns ever"Play! 01:56
May 3: It is now (for the Republicans at least)
Donald Trump's landslide victory in Indiana has sealed the Republican nomination in his favour as Ted Cruz, his chief rival, dropped out of the race, David Lawler reports.
Mr Cruz made no mention of Mr Trump in his lofty concession speech, saying only that his path to victory had "been foreclosed".
The two had exchanged deeply personal attacks earlier on Tuesday, with Mr Trump linking Mr Cruz's father to the JFK assassination based on a dubious tabloid story, and Mr Cruz labelling Mr Trump a "pathological liar" and "narcissist" who would betray his supporters at the first opportunity.
Mr Trump seemed startled by the Texas senator's sudden departure from the field, and attempted to swerve toward graciousness after taking the stage at his victory rally, before saying he was going to "win bigly" the Presidential race.
"Ted Cruz, I don’t know if he likes me or doesn’t like me, but he is one hell of a competitor," he said. "He is a tough, smart guy. And he has got an amazing future."
Ted Cruz ends his White House bid, setting Trump on path to nominationPlay! 01:03
June 7: Clinton declares victory. Sanders declares he's fighting on
Hillary Clinton declared herself the Democratic Party nominee for US president, but Bernie Sanders showed no signs of conceding as he vowed to fight on, Rob Crilly reports.
Embracing her role in history as the first woman to lead a major party in a race for the White House, the former first lady, US senator and secretary of state celebrated her victory in the nominating race at a raucous event with supporters in Brooklyn, New York.
"Thanks to you, we have reached a milestone," Mrs Clinton said in a speech. "We all owe so much to who came before."
Mrs Clinton, 68, spoke shortly after beating Mr Sanders in New Jersey's nominating contest, expanding her lead in the delegates needed to clinch the nomination and setting up a five-month general election campaign against presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump in the November 8 election.
New Jersey was one of six states holding contests on Tuesday, including California, a big prize which Mrs Clinton will have been relieved to have won.
In her speech, Mrs Clinton appealed to her rival's supporters to join her and said the Democratic Party had been bolstered by his campaign for eradicating income inequality, which has commanded huge crowds and galvanised younger voters.
Clinton: 'I really wish my mother could be here tonight'Play! 01:35
Bernie Sanders vows to press on to final primaryPlay! 01:06
What's next?
July 18–21 - Republican National Convention
July 25–28 - Democratic National Convention
September 26 - First presidential general election debate held at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio
October 4 - Only vice presidential general election debate held at Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia
October 9 - Second presidential general election debate held at Washington University in St. Louis in St. Louis, Missouri
October 19 - Third and final presidential general election debate held at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada
November 8 - Election Day
January 20 - Inauguration of the new president and vice president
