This chronology, from "Groucho Marx and Other Short Stories and Tall Tales: Selected Writings of Groucho Marx," copyright © 1993 by Robert S. Bader, is reprinted here by permission of the author.
October 2, 1890 - Julius Henry Marx born, New York City
circa 1901 - leaves P.S. 86 after sixth grade, completing formal education
summer 1905 - first job in show business with the Leroy Trio
February 3, 1906 - first notice in Variety with review of singing act Lady Seville and Master Marx
April 23, 1906 - joins Gus Edwards' Postal Telegraph Boys, Alhambra Theater, New York City
August 2, 1906 - first performance of The Man of Her Choice, Colonial Theater, Annapolis, Maryland-Groucho's first dramatic role
June 24, 1907 - debut performance of Ned Weyburn's Nightingales (Groucho, Gummo and Mabel O'Donnell), Atlantic Garden, Atlantic City, New Jersey (they would soon be known as the Three Nightingales)
June 1, 1908 - Harpo becomes the fourth Nightingale, Henderson's Theater, Coney Island, New York
late 1909/early 1910 - Marx family moves to Chicago; the Four Nightingales become the Six Mascots
summer 1910 - first performances of "Fun in Hi Skule"
September 26, 1912 - Chico joins the act for the first performance of "Mr. Green's Reception," Family Theater, Lafayette, Indiana
May 15, 1914 - the Marx Brothers get their nicknames from comic Art Fisher, Galesburg, Illinois
September 7, 1914 - first performance of "Home Again," Windsor Theater, Chicago, Illinois
February 22, 1915 - the Marx Brothers appear at the Palace Theater, New York City for the first time performing "Home Again"
1918 - Gummo leaves the act and joins the army; Zeppo replaces him
1919 - Marx family moves back to New York
February 4, 1920 - Groucho marries Ruth Johnson
July 21, 1921 - Groucho and Ruth's first child, Arthur, born
1923 - first published writings begin to appear in Franklin P. Adams' New York World column "The Conning Tower"
May 19, 1924 - I'll Say She Is opens on Broadway
February 21, 1925 - first magazine piece published in Judge
April 4, 1925 - first New Yorker piece published
December 9, 1925 - The Cocoanuts opens on Broadway
May 19, 1927 - Groucho and Ruth's second child, Miriam, born
October 23, 1928 - Animal Crackers opens on Broadway
May 23, 1929 - filmed version of The Cocoanuts premieres in New York City
1929-30 - numerous essays and articles published in The New Yorker, the Saturday Evening Post, the New York Times, Collier's, College Humor and other publications
September 13, 1929 - mother Minnie Marx dies
early 1930 - Groucho collaborates with Arthur Sheekman on sketches for Max Gordon's Broadway revue, Three's a Crowd
August 25, 1930 - filmed version of Animal Crackers premieres in Chicago
September 1930 - first installment of Beds appears in College Humor
November 1930 - Beds published by Farrar & Rinehart
February 1931 - the Marx Brothers move to California
September 19, 1931 - Monkey Business released
1931-34 - essays and articles published in Redbook, the Saturday Evening Post, Variety, the New York Times, Liberty and the Hollywood Reporter
August 10, 1932 - Horse Feathers released
November 28, 1932 - first broadcast of "Flywheel, Shyster and Fly-wheel" starring Groucho and Chico on NBC radio network
May 11, 1933 - father Sam "Frenchy" Marx dies
November 22, 1933 - Duck Soup released
March 4, 1934 - first broadcast of "The Marx of Time" starring Groucho and Chico on CBS radio network
March 30, 1934 - Zeppo quits the team
October 6, 1934 - the Marx Brothers sign a contract with MGM
November 1, 1935 - A Night at the Opera released
December 1936 - The Kalmar and Ruby Songbook, featuring an essay by Groucho, published by Random House
March 27, 1937 - The King and the Chorus Girl, with a screen-play by Groucho and Norman Krasna, released
June 11, 1937 - A Day at the Races released
1937 - Groucho collaborates with Ken Englund on unproduced screenplay, "Madcap Mary Mooney"
September 21, 1938 - Room Service released
October 20, 1939 - At the Circus released
1940-48 - essays and articles published with great regularity in This Week, Variety, Liberty, Saturday Review, the Saturday Evening Post and the Hollywood Reporter
December 6, 1940 - Go West released
April 1941 - the Marx Brothers announce their breakup
June 20, 1941 - The Big Store released
January 1942 - Many Happy Returns published by Simon and Schuster
July 15, 1942 - Groucho and Ruth divorce
March 27, 1943 - Groucho's first broadcast as the star of "Pabst Blue Ribbon Town" on CBS radio network
July 21, 1945 - Groucho marries Kay Gorcey
May 10, 1946 - A Night in Casablanca released
August 14, 1946 - Groucho and Kay's daughter Melinda born
May 30, 1947 - Copacabana released
October 27, 1947 - first broadcast of "You Bet Your Life" on ABC radio network
September 27, 1948 - Time for Elizabeth, written by Norman Krasna and Groucho, opens on Broadway
April 1949 - Groucho wins Peabody Award as radio's best entertainer
March 30, 1950 - Love Happy released
May 12, 1950 - Groucho and Kay divorce
July 17, 1950 - Groucho's television debut on CBS's "Popsicle Parade of Stars"
October 5,1950 - first television broadcast of "You Bet Your Life" on NBC
December 20, 1950 - Mr. Music released
January 23, 1951 - Groucho wins Emmy Award as most outstanding television personality of 1950
December 24, 1951 - Double Dynamite released
January 23, 1952 - A Girl in Every Port released
October 1952 - Hooray for Captain Spaulding and Other Songs by Harry Ruby and Bert Kalmar Sung by Groucho Marx LP released by Decca Records
July 17, 1954 - Groucho marries Eden Hartford
July 26, 1957 - Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? released
October 8, 1957 - The Story of Mankind released
March 1958 - Groucho collaborates with Robert Dwan and Hal Kanter on the unproduced television script "Groucho on Laughter"
March 8, 1959 - Groucho, Harpo and Chico give their final performance together on the "GE Theater" in "The Incredible Jewel Robbery" on CBS television network (Groucho's appearance is an unbilled walk-on)
September 1959 - Groucho and Me published by Bernard Geis Associates
September 21, 1961 - final broadcast of "You Bet Your Life" on NBC
October 11, 1961 - Chico dies
January 11, 1962 - premiere of "Tell It to Groucho" on CBS television network
October 1963 - Memoirs of a Mangy Lover published by Bernard Geis Associates
April 24, 1964 - Groucho stars in the televised version of Time for Elizabeth on "The Bob Hope Chrysler Theatre" on NBC
September 28, 1964 - Harpo dies
June 1965 - premiere of "Groucho" (British version of "You Bet Your Life") on BBC
October 1965 - The Library of Congress requests the donation of Groucho's letters and personal papers
February 1967 - The Groucho Letters published by Simon and Schuster
December 19, 1968 - Skidoo released
December 4, 1969 - Groucho and Eden divorce
fall 1971 - Why A Duck?, a book of photos and dialogue from Marx Brothers films, published by Darien House with an introduction by Groucho
May 6, 1972 - Groucho's one-man show at Carnegie Hall, New York City
October 1973 - Richard J. Anobile's interviews with Groucho published as The Marx Brothers Scrapbook by Darien House
April 2, 1974 - Groucho receives a special Academy Award
May 23, 1974 - Animal Crackers re-released after more than thirty years of legal difficulties prevented it from being shown
March 1976 - The Secret Word Is Groucho, written in collaboration with Hector Arce, published by G. P. Putnam and Sons
April 1976 - Beds finally gets a second printing after forty-six years; Groucho writes a new introduction for the edition published by Bobbs-Merrill
November 1976 - The Groucho Phile: An Illustrated Life published by Bobbs-Merrill
January 16, 1977 - The Four Marx Brothers are inducted into the Motion Picture Hail of Fame; Groucho and Zeppo appear at the ceremony at Hollywood's Wilshire Hyatt House hotel; it is Groucho's final public appearance
April 21, 1977 - Gummo dies
August 19, 1977 - Groucho dies
January 1979 - Hector Arce's authorized biography, Groucho, published by Putnam
November 29, 1979 - Zeppo dies
(This page was originally created by Frank Bland for his 'Why A Duck?' website)
