Timeline Description: Frank Sinatra or "Old Blue Eyes" (December 12, 1915 to May 14, 1998) was one of the key figures of music in the 20th century, with his career spanning from the early days of Big Band through the music of the 1990s.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| December 12, 1915 | Birth of Frank Sinatra Frank Sinatra was born weighing 13 1/2 pounds after a difficult delivery that left permanent scars on his cheek and ear. |
| January 1, 1931 | Left School Sinatra dropped out of school at the beginning of 1931. He was already interested in music, but his father only allowed him to leave school if he got a job. |
| 1934 | Met Nancy Rose Barbato(Summer 1934) In the summer of 1934, while visiting family, Frank met 17-year-old Nancy Rose Barbato who was staying at the house across the street. Frank serenaded her with a ukelele. |
| 1935 | Frank Saw Bing Crosby Perform(Summer 1935) In the summer of 1935, Frank took Nancy to a Bing Crosby concert. His life was changed and he knew what he had to do, and had found his calling--music. |
| September 8, 1935 | First Big Break Frank, along with three other musicians, auditioned for a local radio show. They were renamed the Hoboken Four. The four toured in late 1935. For the next few years, Sinatra worked local radio shows and local businesses, including a gig as a singing waiter. |
| July 19, 1939 | First Record Sinatra cut his first record in July 1939, a single featuring "From the Bottom of my Heart". |
| August 31, 1939 | Second Single Sinatra's second single, "All or Nothing at All," recorded for Columbia, was his first hit song. |
| May 1, 1941 | Billboard Top Male Vocalist By May 1941, Sinatra was a hit. He was named Billboard's Top Male Vocalist and was actively recording and performing. |
| 1944 | First Film In 1944, Sinatra, unable to serve in the military due to birth injuries, starred in his first film, a musical comedy called "Anchors Away" alongside Gene Kelly. |
| March 25, 1954 | Oscar Award Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, Sinatra kept recording albums, performing and acting. In 1954, he won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his performance in "From Here to Eternity." |
| 1959 | Three Grammies In 1959, Sinatra received three Grammy Awards for his album, "Come Dance with Me". |
| 1966 | Three Grammies Sinatra continued to produce records and act in films throughout the 1960s. He earned three more Grammy Awards in 1966 for "September of my Years", as well as a lifetime achievement award. |
| June 13, 1971 | Farewell Performance In June 1971, Sinatra said farewell to his fans in a performance in Los Angeles. While he announced his intent to retire, only two years later, he recorded another 11 songs and he performed a number of times in the 1970s. |
| March 26, 1980 | Release of "Trilogy" Sinatra released "Trilogy" in March, 1980. It went to the top of the charts immediately, and received six Grammy nominations. He continued to record and perform occasionally throughout the 1980s, including at Reagan's 1985 inauguration. |
| October 1993 | "Duets" "Duets" featuring Sinatra singing his classic songs with modern singers from a number of different genres was released in 1993 and quickly went multi-platinum. This was followed by "Duets II". |
| May 14, 1998 | Sinatra Died Frank Sinatra died on May 14, 1998. He had remained active, recording and performing through much of the 1990s. |