1979: Enlisted in the U.S. Navy, where she served as a Jet Mechanic before being selected for the Enlisted Commissioning Program and became an Aviation Maintenance Officer.
1985: Graduated with B.A. in political science from the University of New Mexico.
1986: Moved to Florida.
1995: Received an MBA from Kensington University, which is unaccredited and now defunct.
2001: Appointed to the Commission on Presidential Scholars by President George W. Bush.
2003: Elected to the Florida House of Representatives in the 13th House District, making her the first African-American female Republican elected to the Florida Legislature. She won again in 2004, 2006 and 2008.
2003: Appointed Deputy Majority Leader from 2003-2004, served as Majority Whip in 2004-2006.
2004: Resigned from Commission of Presidential Scholars after a CBS investigation raised questions about her MBA from Kensington University, which some had characterized as a diploma mill.
2008: Earned an MBA from St. Leo University.
September 2010: Rick Scott, who had won the Republican primary in the Florida gubernatorial race, selects her as his running mate, calling her the "embodiment of the American Dream." Carroll was the first black woman to be a major party candidate for lieutenant governor in the general election in Florida's election, and the first black woman on any statewide Republican ticket.
November 2010: Scott and Carroll win the gubernatorial election, and she becomes the first woman and first African-American elected to serve as lieutenant governor.
October 2011: Aide Carletha Cole was fired and arrested on charges that she illegally taped a conversation with Carroll's chief of staff, then allegedly gave the recording to a newspaper reporter for the Florida Times-Union. Cole has been charged with illegal taping, a third-degree felony.
July 2012: Documents filed in court shed light on allegations about improper relationships, widespread illegal taping and other incidents inside Carroll's office. The allegations include statements that Carroll was involved in a relationship with a female travel aide, and that a trash can in Cole's office might have been deliberately set on fire following a disagreement between Cole and the aide. Carroll denied all of the allegations.
July 2012: Carroll apologized for a remark in which she said "black woman that look like me don't engage in relationships like that." The remark was made in response to a question about Cole's allegation that she walked in on Carroll and a female travel aide in a compromising position.
July 2012: Carroll's brother-in-law, New Port Richey pharmacist Edward Beckles, was arrested and charged with filling fake prescriptions for oxycodone. Investigators said he was the supplier for two different drug rings.
October 2012: Judge decides Carroll can be part of a criminal case involving former aide Cole.
March 2013: Carroll resigns amid fallout from an investigation into Internet cafes that are fronts for gambling. Officials from the Internet cafe company had recently been arrested on racketeering charges.