| 1926 |
2/08 |
Neal Cassady is born in Denver, CO |
| 1931 |
1/08 |
Wolfgang Grajonza (Bill Graham) is born in Berlin, Germany |
| 1935 |
9/17 |
Ken Kesey is born in La Junta, CO |
| 1940 |
3/15 |
Phillip Chapman Lesh is born in Berkeley, CA |
| 1941 |
6/23 |
Robert Hunter is born in Arroyo Grande, CA |
| 1942 |
8/01 |
Jerome John Garcia is born in San Francisco |
| 1943 |
9/11 |
Michael (Mickey) Hart is born in Brooklyn, NY |
| 1944 |
3/19 |
Tom Constanten is born in Long Branch, NJ |
|
~ |
Phil gets turned on to Brahms First Symphony at age 4 |
| 1945 |
~ |
Mickey entertains his parents with drums at age 2 |
|
8/22 |
Donna Jean Thatcher is born in Muscle Shoals, AL |
|
9/08 |
Ron McKernan is born in San Bruno, CA |
| 1946 |
5/07 |
Bill Kreutzmann is born in Palo Alto, CA |
| 1947 |
10/03 |
John Perry Barlow is born in Jackson Hole, WY |
|
10/16 |
Robert Hall Weir is born in Atherton, CA |
| 1948 |
|
Jerry loses a fingertip in a wood-chopping accident at age 5  |
|
|
Jerry's father drowns while on a camping trip |
|
~ |
Phil takes up the violin at age 8 |
|
7/19 |
Keith Godchaux is born in Concord, CA |
| 1949 |
~ |
Jerry takes piano lessons |
| 1951 |
2/21 |
Vince Welnick is born in Phoenix, AZ |
| 1952 |
10/21 |
Brent Mydland is born in Munich, West Germany |
| 1954 |
~ |
Phil takes up the trumpet at age 14 |
|
~ |
Bill keeps the beat for his mother's dance class at age 8 |
|
11/25 |
Bruce Hornsby is born in Williamsburg, VA |
| 1957 |
~ |
Bill is kicked out of the orchestra in 6th grade for not keeping time |
|
8/?? |
Jerry starts playing guitar at age 15 |
| 1958 |
~ |
Bill takes private drum lessons at age 12 |
| 1959 |
|
Ken Kesey tests legal LSD at a Palo Alto clinic |
|
|
San Mateo College Jazz Band formed |
|
~ |
Jerry joins the Army at age 17 |
| 1960 |
4/~ |
Hunter meets Jerry at Commedia Theater in Palo Alto |
|
|
Mickey drops out of high school and joins the Air Force |
|
~ |
Jerry is thrown from a rolling car in an accident, breaking his collarbone |
|
~ |
Legends are joined by Bill at YMCA dances |
|
~ |
Southern Comfort joined by Donna |
| 1961 |
|
Bob & Jerry formed |
|
|
Garcia, Hunter & Albin formed |
|
~ |
Jerry Garcia and Friends formed |
|
7/~ |
Garcia, Leicester & Hunter formed |
|
11/~ |
Jerry Garcia formed |
| 1962 |
~ |
John Barlow meets Bobby at prep school |
|
|
Asphalt Jungle Boys formed |
|
|
Pigpen meets Jerry on the San Mateo Peninsula coffeehouse circuit |
|
~ |
Bill hears Jerry, Pigpen, & Hunter play at the Tangent in Palo Alto |
|
|
Bill meets Jerry at Dana Morgan's music store in Palo Alto |
|
|
Jerry starts playing banjo, purchased from Bill |
|
~ |
Tom Constanten meets Phil |
|
|
Phil and Tom study with avant-garde classical composer Luciano Berio |
|
|
Phil hears Jerry play at a party at the Chateau |
|
6/~ |
Sleepy Hollow Hog Stompers formed |
|
~ |
The Uncalled Four formed |
|
10/?? |
Bobby meets Jerry backstage at the Tangent in Palo Alto |
|
11/~ |
Jerry Garcia & David Nelson formed |
|
11/~ |
Hart Valley Drifters formed |
|
12/~ |
Thunder Mountain Tub Thumpers formed |
|
12/31 |
Bobby jams with Jerry at Dana Morgan's music store |
| 1963 |
2/~ |
The Wildwood Boys formed |
|
5/~ |
Jerry & Sarah formed |
|
7/~ |
The Merry Pranksters formed |
|
|
The Second Story Men formed |
|
|
Zodiacs formed |
| 1964 |
|
Hunter tests LSD in government-run tests at Stanford |
|
|
Furthur bus goes On The Road with Neal Cassady at the wheel |
|
3/~ |
Black Mountain Boys formed |
|
5/~ |
Phil Lesh and Tom Constanten formed |
|
|
Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions formed |
|
~ |
David Grisman meets Jerry on a bluegrass quest in West Grove, PA |
| 1965 |
4/?? |
Warlocks formed |
|
5/05 |
Magoo's Pizza Parlor first paid Warlocks gig |
|
6/0? |
Phil takes up the bass 2 weeks before his first gig with Warlocks |
|
6/18 |
Phil joins the Warlocks on bass, finalizing the future Grateful Dead lineup |
|
11/06 |
Warlocks meet Bill Graham at a Family Dog benefit for the Mime Troupe |
|
12/01 |
Acid Tests organizer Ken Kesey enlists Warlocks as house band |
|
12/0? |
Grateful Dead founded in San Francisco |
|
12/04 |
San Jose Acid Test first Grateful Dead show |
| 1966 |
1/?? |
Ken Kesey is busted |
|
2/11 |
Owsley meets Grateful Dead formally at The Fillmore and soon becomes soundman |
|
2/?? |
Hunter writes his first lyrics for Grateful Dead |
|
6/?? |
Soundman Dan Healy meets Grateful Dead at The Fillmore |
|
9/?? |
710 Ashbury Street becomes the band's residence |
|
10/?? |
Owsley leaves soundman position with Grateful Dead |
| 1967 |
9/29 |
Mickey joins the band on drums & percussion |
|
10/02 |
Busted in marijuana raid at 710 Ashbury Street |
|
|
Mickey meets Bill at a Dead show at the Fillmore |
|
|
Mickey becomes Bill's drum teacher, using hypnosis to get him to practice more |
|
|
Dan Healy becomes soundman for Grateful Dead |
| 1968 |
2/03 |
Neal Cassady dies in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico at age 41 |
|
3/08 |
Fillmore East opens in NYC |
|
3/?? |
Who's Who In America lists Grateful Dead |
|
3/?? |
Grateful Dead move out of 710 Ashbury in San Francisco |
|
6/0~ |
Dan Healy leaves to do sound for Quicksilver |
|
7/?? |
Owsley takes over sound again for Grateful Dead |
|
10/08 |
Mickey and the Hartbeats formed |
|
11/23 |
Tom Constanten joins the band on piano |
| 1969 |
6/~ |
New Riders of the Purple Sage formed |
|
|
Bobby Ace and the Cards from the Bottom of the Deck formed |
|
|
Merl Saunders meets Jerry |
|
|
Bill Graham books Grateful Dead throughout the country |
| 1970 |
|
Grateful Dead manager Lenny Hart takes off with $70,000 in proceeds |
|
1/?? |
Busted down on Bourbon Street, New Orleans |
|
1/30 |
Tom leaves the band |
|
2/?? |
Owsley leaves soundman position after bust |
|
5/18 |
Jerry Garcia and Howard Wales formed |
|
9/20 |
David Grisman sits in with the Dead at the Fillmore East |
|
9/~ |
Jerry Garcia & Friends formed |
|
~ |
Incredible String Band joined by Tom Constanten |
|
~ |
Planet Earth Rock and Roll Orchestra formed |
| 1971 |
|
Barlow writes his first lyrics for the Dead |
|
2/18 |
Mickey takes a break from Grateful Dead |
|
2/~ |
Garcia/Saunders formed |
|
8/26 |
Pigpen takes a break from touring for health reasons |
|
10/19 |
Keith joins the band on keyboards |
|
12/01 |
Pigpen returns to touring |
|
12/?? |
Dan Healy rejoins the Dead as soundman |
|
12/31 |
Donna sits in with Grateful Dead |
| 1972 |
|
John Kahn meets Jerry at a Monday night session at the Matrix |
|
|
The Tubes formed |
|
3/25 |
Donna joins the band on vocals |
|
5/26 |
Pigpen sings for the last time, in London |
|
6/17 |
Pigpen leaves the band due to declining health |
| 1973 |
3/02 |
Old & In The Way formed |
|
3/08 |
Pigpen dies in Corte Madera, CA at age 27 |
|
8/~ |
Jerry gets a year's probation in NJ for LSD, marijuana, and cocaine |
|
9/11 |
Bruce attends Grateful Dead shows at William and Mary College |
| 1974 |
|
Phil stops singing due to vocal chord damage from singing above his natural range |
|
3/23 |
Wall of Sound full system debuts |
|
4/20 |
Great American String Band formed |
|
7/~ |
Legion of Mary formed |
|
10/20 |
Mickey returns to play farewell with Grateful Dead |
|
10/20 |
Tour hiatus begins following Winterland farewell |
|
11/08 |
Kingfish joined by Bob |
| 1975 |
4/?? |
Diga Rhythm Band formed |
|
8/05 |
Jerry Garcia Band formed |
|
8/20 |
Keith and Donna Band formed |
|
|
Too Loose To Truck formed |
|
~ |
Silver joined by Brent |
|
~ |
Robert Hunter formed |
| 1976 |
6/03 |
Grateful Dead touring resumes |
|
|
Drumz debut |
|
|
Roadhog formed |
| 1977 |
~ |
Bob Weir Band formed |
|
|
Comfort formed |
| 1978 |
11/2? |
Jerry loses his voice and cancels a tour |
|
|
Bobby and the Midnites formed |
| 1979 |
1/30 |
Reconstruction formed |
|
2/17 |
Keith and Donna's last show with Grateful Dead |
|
4/22 |
Brent joins the band on keyboards |
|
|
The Beast percussion set becomes a concert standard |
|
~ |
Ghosts are joined by Keith and Donna |
| 1980 |
7/23 |
Keith dies in a car accident in Marin County, CA at age 32 |
| 1982 |
~ |
Phil resumes singing, now in his natural range |
|
4/21 |
Garcia/Kahn formed |
|
8/13 |
Dinosaurs formed |
| 1983 |
|
Rex Foundation founded |
| 1984 |
|
Billy Kreutzmann's All-Stars formed |
|
|
Zero formed |
|
|
The Deadhead Hour radio program debuts on KFOG San Francisco |
|
10/27 |
Taping Section established |
| 1985 |
1/?? |
Jerry is busted for heroin and cocaine possession in Golden Gate Park |
|
|
Jerry enters drug treatment program |
|
|
Jerry is confronted by the rest of the band regarding his drug abuse |
|
|
Dick Latvala becomes the official archivist |
|
~ |
Go Ahead formed |
|
|
Bruce Hornsby and the Range formed |
| 1986 |
7/10 |
Jerry lapses into a near-fatal diabetic coma for 5 days |
|
12/15 |
Grateful Dead return to performing 5 months after Jerry emerges from coma |
| 1987 |
|
Cherry Garcia ice cream introduced by Ben & Jerry's |
|
|
Billboard Top Ten first Grateful Dead listing - Touch of Grey |
|
2/2? |
The Way It Is wins Bruce a Grammy Award for Best New Artist of 1986 |
|
7/10 |
Bob Dylan tours with Grateful Dead |
|
8/29 |
Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band formed |
|
9/15 |
In the Dark goes platinum |
| 1988 |
|
Jerry becomes a certified SCUBA diver, partially replacing drug use |
|
6/25 |
Bruce opens for and jams with Grateful Dead in Ohio |
| 1989 |
|
Forbes lists Grateful Dead amongst top-grossing US entertainers |
|
|
Grateful Dead third in concert grosses behind the Rolling Stones and The Who |
|
10/08 |
Formerly the Warlocks play 2 nights at Hampton Coliseum, VA |
| 1990 |
|
Electronic Frontier Foundation founded |
|
2/2? |
The Valley Road wins Bruce & Nitty Gritty Dirt Band a Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Recording of 1989 |
|
7/26 |
Brent dies of a drug overdose in Lafayette, CA at age 37 |
|
9/07 |
Vince joins the band on keyboards |
|
9/15 |
Bruce joins the band as a regular guest on keyboards |
|
12/0? |
25th anniversary of founding of the Grateful Dead |
|
12/17 |
Garcia/Grisman formed |
| 1991 |
|
Grateful Dead Comix published |
|
~ |
Planet Drum formed |
|
|
Grateful Dead become the top-grossing band in the US, with 79 concerts |
|
~ |
Affordables formed |
|
6/~ |
Mickey addresses the US Senate on music therapy for the aged |
|
10/25 |
Bill Graham dies in a helicopter accident near Vallejo, CA at age 60 |
| 1992 |
|
Grateful Dead donate tie-dyed uniforms to Lithuania's bronze-medal-winning Olympic basketball team |
|
~ |
Vortex formed |
|
2/25 |
Planet Drum wins Mickey a Grammy Award for Best World Music Album of 1991 |
|
3/?? |
Bruce leaves the band |
|
7/?? |
J. Garcia ties marketed |
|
8/?? |
Jerry collapses from exhaustion and cancels a tour |
| 1993 |
|
Grateful Dead are the highest grossing concert attraction in the US |
|
~ |
Dead Ringers formed |
| 1994 |
|
Soundman Dan Healy leaves the band |
|
~ |
The Valentines formed |
|
~ |
Second Sight formed |
|
1/19 |
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducts the Grateful Dead |
|
2/2? |
Barcelona Mona wins Bruce and Branford a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance of 1993 |
|
5/15 |
Phil guest conducts the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra |
|
9/~ |
Phil Lesh & Friends formed |
| 1995 |
|
Grateful Dead among top-grossing artists in North American venues |
|
|
Grateful Dead among top-grossing artists in North American tours 1985-1995 |
|
|
Jerry receives a death threat |
|
4/~ |
dead.net goes online |
|
4/22 |
Bob Weir & Rob Wasserman formed |
|
7/09 |
Soldier Field last Grateful Dead show ever |
|
8/05 |
Ratdog formed |
|
8/09 |
Jerry dies in Forest Knolls, CA at age 53 |
|
8/13 |
Jerry is celebrated by family and 25,000 friends in Golden Gate Park |
|
11/07 |
Garcia asteroid named |
|
12/08 |
Grateful Dead put to rest by the remaining personnel |
| 1996 |
5/30 |
John Kahn dies in Mill Valley, CA |
|
5/~ |
Mickey Hart's Mystery Box formed |
|
6/20 |
Furthur Festival debut |
|
7/04 |
Dead Red Unwine marketed |
|
10/11 |
Missing Man Formation formed |
|
|
Dose Hermanos formed |
| 1997 |
|
Backbone formed |
|
11/~ |
Broken Angels formed |
| 1998 |
~ |
Jerry Garcia and Grateful Dead stamps issued |
|
6/05 |
The Other Ones formed |
|
8/?? |
Cumberland Blues stage musical premieres |
|
12/?? |
Phil gets a liver transplant |
| 1999 |
4/15 |
Phil returns to performing |
|
8/06 |
Dick Latvala dies following a heart attack at age 56 |
| 2000 |
5/~ |
Mickey Hart Band formed |
|
8/2? |
Bill returns to touring, with Furthur Festival |
|
|
Madame Tussaud's New York wax museum displays a likeness of Jerry |
| 2001 |
6/28 |
Jammys Hall of Fame inducts Grateful Dead |
|
10/28 |
Mickey Hart and Bembe Orisha formed |
|
11/10 |
Ken Kesey dies of liver cancer complications at age 66 |
|
12/31 |
Bob, Phil, Bill & Mickey play together for the first time since 1995 |
| 2002 |
10/02 |
Jammys Lifetime Achievement Award presented to Grateful Dead |
