The Marx Brothers
Chronology

This is a list of important dates in the history of the Marx Brothers

1861	Simon Marx, the father of the Marx Brothers is born in Alsace
9 Nov 1864	Minnie Schönberg, the mother of the Marx Brothers is born in Dornum, Germany
20 Oct 1882	Margaret Dumont born in Brooklyn, New York
1885	Manfred born (dies in infancy (1888?) of tubercolosis)
22 Mar 1887	Leonard "Chico" Marx is born
23 Nov 1888	Adolph "Harpo" Marx is born in New York, he later changed his name to Arthur
2 Oct 1890	Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx is born
23 Oct 1892	Milton "Gummo" Marx is born
25 Feb 1901	Herbert "Zeppo" Marx is born
1909	The Three Nightingales: Groucho and Gummo are joined by Mabel O'Donell for this singing trio managed by Minnie Marx
Jan 1910	Harpo joins The Three Nightingales to form The Four Nightingales
Feb 1910	When joined by Minnie Marx and aunt Hannah Schickler The Four Nightingales become The Six Mascots
1912	Fun in Hi Skule is the first musical sketch of the Brothers. This half-hour 'school act' features the four brothers, Paul Yates and others
1913	Mr. Green's Reception is a followup to Fun in Hi Skule
1914	Home Again is developed from the second half of Mr. Green's Reception
22 Mar 1917	Chico marries Betty Carp
1918	In The Cinderella Girl Zeppo replaces Gummo. This musical comedy is written by Jo Swerling with music by Gus Kahn
Jan 1918	Maxine, daughter of Chico and Betty, born
4 Feb 1920	Groucho marries Ruth Johnson
1921	On the Mezzanine Floor (in England: On the Balcony) a musical revue written by Herman Timberg, produced by Benny Leonard
1921	The silent movie Humorisk is made with money raised by a friend. Director is Jo Swerling. It was made in two weeks at Fort Lee, NJ. studios and in a studio at 49th St. and 10th Ave. in New York. No copy exists of this (unfinished?) film.
21 Jul 1921	Arthur, son of Groucho and Ruth, born
19 May 1924	Stage show I'll say she is, scripted by Will B. Johnstone, opens at the Casino Theater in New York
1925	Film Too many kisses is released with Harpo in a supporting role. Details are lacking of how he came to be in this, which even seems to pre-date their first real Broadway play
8 Dec 1925	Stage show The Cocoanuts opens at the Lyric and runs for 275 performances, a full season on Broadway, as well as two years on the road.
6 Jan 1926	Groucho's piece "A Lift From Groucho Marx" is published in the New York Herald Tribune
12 Apr 1927	Zeppo marries Marion Benda
19 May 1927	Miriam, daughter of Groucho and Ruth, born
23 Oct 1928	Stage show Animal Crackers opens at the 44th Street Theater and runs for 191 performances. It was laid off the following summer, went on tour in mid-October.
1 Dec 1928	Alexander Woollcott's tribute to Harpo, "Portrait of a Man with Red Hair" appeared in The New Yorker.
1929	Groucho's first book Beds is serialized in the magazine 'College Humor'
16 Mar 1929	Gummo marries Helen von Tilzer
3 Aug 1929	Film The Cocoanuts released
13 Sep 1929	Minnie Marx (mother of the Marxes) dies.
1930	Robert, son of Gummo and Helen, born
1930	Groucho first book Beds published
6 Sep 1930	Film Animal Crackers released
20 Dec 1930	Groucho's piece, "My Poor Wife" (relating sympathy for his wife's tedious life with a famous comedian), appeared in Collier's.
5 Jan 1931	The Marxes appear at the London Palace Theatre
19 Sep 1931	Film Monkey Business released
31 Aug 1932	Film Horse Feathers released
28 Nov 1932	Groucho's & Chico's radio series "Beagle, Shyster & Beagle" (later: "Flywheel, Shyster & Flywheel") debuts on NBC
22 Nov 1933	New York Premiere of "Duck Soup"
24 Nov 1933	Film Duck Soup released
1934	Groucho appears in a revival of the play Twentieth Century
1934	Harpo tours Russia
15 Nov 1935	Film A Night at the Opera released
7 Dec 1935	Film La Fiesta de Santa Barbara released. Harpo's wig can be seen in Technicolor
24 Jul 1936	Film Yours For the Asking released. Groucho is an uncredited extra in this.
28 Sep 1936	Harpo marries Susan Fleming
1937	The film The King and the Chorus Girl, written by Groucho and Norman Krasna, appears
11 Jun 1937	Film A Day at the Races released
1938	Harpo and Susan adopt William (Billy/Bill) Woollcott
30 Sep 1938	Film Room Service released
8 Nov 1938	Chico appeared on NBC radio's "The Bob Hope Show."
15 Nov 1938	Groucho appeared on NBC radio's "The Bob Hope Show."
1939	The Kellog's Show on radio with Groucho and Chico
20 Oct 1939	Film At the Circus released
1940	In the 1940s Chico and Betty get divorced
6 Dec 1940	Film Go West released
1941	until 1942 Groucho is a regular guest on The Rudy Vallee Show
20 Jun 1941	Film The Big Store released
1942	Groucho's book Many Happy Returns is published. It deals with income taxes
15 Jul 1942	Groucho and Ruth get divorced
8 Nov 1942	Groucho's piece, "Groucho Marx Turns Himself For Scrap," appeared in the New York Herald Tribune Sunday Supplement, This Week.
9 Dec 1942	Groucho appeared on radio on "Mail Call #14".
20 Dec 1942	Chico Marx and his orchestra (with vocalists Mel Torme and Ben Pollack) appeared on "Fitch Bandwagon."
1943	Chico has his own band
12 May 1943	Film Stage Door Canteen released
10 Nov 1943	"Groucho's New Idea" (i.e., a chat show called "Goulash at Groucho's") was revealed in the pages of Variety.
1 Dec 1943	Groucho MCs "Mail Call #67" on radio.
1944	Zeppo and Marion adopt Timothy
1944	Chico appears in the revue Take a Bow
1944	Harpo plays in The Man who came to Dinner
1944	Groucho starts a radio series The Pabst Show but is soon replaced by Danny Kaye
14 Jan 1945	Groucho is a guest on the "Philco Radio Hall Of Fame"
21 Jul 1945	Groucho marries Kay Gorcey
13 Sep 1945	Groucho appears in "Command Performance #191" on Armed Forces Radio.
11 Oct 1945	Groucho appeared on "Bird's Eye Open House."
8 Nov 1945	Groucho appeared on "Bird's Eye Open House."
22 Nov 1945	Groucho appeared on "Bird's Eye Open House"
6 Dec 1945	Groucho appeared on "Bird's Eye Open House."
22 Dec 1945	Groucho's "The Customers Always Write" appeared in the 'Trade Winds' Column of the Saturday Review.
1946	Melinda, daughter of Groucho and Kay Gorcey, born
10 May 1946	Film A Night in Casablanca released
1947	Groucho starts his show You Bet Your Life which runs until the 60's on radio and from 1950 also on TV
12 Jan 1947	Groucho is a guest on "Philco Radio Time"
30 May 1947	Film Copacabana released
20 Jan 1948	Harpo appeared in the "Command Performance" radio show #307
27 Sep 1948	The play Time for Elizabeth by Groucho and Norman Krasna opens on Brodway but only runs for 8 performances
5 Oct 1948	Chico's TV debut on NBC's Texaco Star Theater
12 Dec 1948	Groucho's article "Why Harpo Doesn't Talk" is published in "This Week".
9 Jan 1949	The TV programme "Papa Romani" featuring Chico is broadcast on CBS
13 Jan 1949	Groucho appeared on "Kraft Music Hall," hosted by Al Jolson.
17 May 1949	Chico Marx arrives at Frankfurt/Main, Germany, to begin a five-day tour in which he and a group of English entertainers were to perform at military bases.
29 Nov 1949	Groucho appeared on Armed Forces Radio's "Command Performance #404."
3 Mar 1950	Film Love Happy released
12 May 1950	Groucho and Kay get divorced
9 Dec 1950	Chico's piece, "Here's my All-American Football Selections for 1950," appeared in TV Forecast; the magazine also had an ad for Chico's show "College Bowl"
28 Dec 1950	Mr. Music released. Groucho played himself in this Bing Crosby movie.
11 Nov 1951	Harpo's TV debut on NBC's "Colgate Comedy Hour"
24 Dec 1951	Film Double Dynamite released. It had been held back by producer Howard Hughes for three years.
Jan 1952	Film A Girl in Every Port released
6 Jan 1952	Harpo appears on the programme "Comedy Hour" on NBC TV
20 Jan 1952	Chico is a guest on "Celebrity Time" on CBS TV
11 Oct 1952	Groucho appeared on NBC television's "All Star Revue."
10 Nov 1952	Groucho appeared on the pilot episode of "The Bob Hope Show."
19 Nov 1952	Melinda appeared on "You Bet Your Life" (radio).
1953	The TV series College Bowl features Chico
9 Jan 1954	Harpo appears on the "Spike Jones Show" on NBC TV
31 Jan 1954	Groucho appears on the "Colgate Comedy Hour" on NBC TV
12 May 1954	Zeppo and Marion get divorced
17 Jul 1954	Groucho marries Eden Hartford
16 Oct 1954	The fifth installment of the serialization of Arthur Marx's book, "Life With Groucho," appeared as "My Old Man Groucho" in Saturday Evening Post No. 16.
7 Dec 1954	Arthur Marx is a guest at 'Art Linkletter's House Party' on CBS
18 Dec 1954	Harpo Marx is a guest on the TV show 'The Christophers'
18 Dec 1954	At the 'Look' TV Awards Groucho is presented with an award
1955	Harpo makes a guest appearance in Lucille Ball's show I love Lucy
13 Jan 1955	Melinda Marx made an appearance on "You Bet Your Life" (television).
18 Jan 1955	Groucho has a cameo in "Shower Of Stars" on CBS TV.
12 Apr 1956	Zeppo Marx purchases the Safeway Stores Inc. building in Redding, CA for $541,000 as an investment.
15 Dec 1956	Groucho, Eden, and Melinda Marx were joined by Gina Lolobrigida, Johnny Ray, and Joe Stafford on an episode of "The Perry Como Show" celebrating NBC's 30th Anniversary.
29 Jul 1957	Film Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? released
8 Nov 1957	Film The Story of Mankind released. Chico, Harpo and Groucho appear in this film, but not together in one scene
1958	TV production Next to No Time with Chico
Aug 1958	Chico marries Mary De Vithas
19 Nov 1958	Groucho was a guest on NBC television's "Jack Paar Show."
1959	Groucho's book Groucho and me is published. A highly fictional autobiography
14 Jan 1959	Harpo is a guest on "Kraft Music Hall" on NBC TV
8 Mar 1959	The TV film The Incredible Jewel Robbery is the last film to have three Marx Brothers
18 Sep 1959	Zeppo marries Barbara Blakely
29 Apr 1960	A TV production of The Mikado has Groucho as Koko
16 Oct 1960	Chico Marx and Ivan Erdos were pitted against John Gerber and Edith Kemp on ABC television's "Championship Bridge," hosted by Charles Goren (Chico lost horribly).
6 Dec 1960	Groucho appeared on "Open End," hosted by David Susskind, with the subject of "Humor and Such" (this was the pilot for "Happy Talk").
22 Dec 1960	Harpo starred in "Silent Panic," an episode of the June Allyson show for CBS television.
1961	Harpo's book Harpo Speaks is published
11 Oct 1961	Chico dies of arteriosclerosis
8 Nov 1963	Groucho appeared on NBC television's "Today Show" with Hugh Downs, Jack Lescoulie, Pat Fountaine, and Frank Blair.
10 Nov 1963	Groucho substitutes for David Susskind in hosting Julie Newmar, Arlene Dahl, and Georgia Brown on "Open End."
28 Sep 1964	Harpo dies after open heart surgery
19 Nov 1964	Groucho was a guest on the "Les Crane Show."
1965	Groucho's book Memoirs of a Mangy Lover published
6 Mar 1965	Margaret Dumont died in Hollywoord, California of a heart attack
1967	Groucho's book The Groucho Letters published
19 Dec 1968	Film Skidoo released
4 Dec 1969	Groucho and Eden Hartford get divorced
20 Dec 1971	Groucho appeared with Erin Fleming on the "Dick Cavett Show" on ABC television.
1972	Solo concert with Groucho in Ames, Iowa
1972	at the Cannes Film Festival Groucho is made 'Commandeur des Arts et Lettres' by the French government
6 May 1972	Solo concert with Groucho at Carnegie Hall in New York
1973	Zeppo and Barbara get divorced. Barbara later marries Frank Sinatra
1974	Groucho receives a Special Academy Award in recognition of a lifetime's achievement
16 Jan 1977	The Marxes are inducted to the Motion Picture Hall of Fame
21 Apr 1977	Gummo dies
19 Aug 1977	Groucho dies
30 Nov 1979	Zeppo dies of lungs cancer
1992	The book "Love, Groucho (Letters from Groucho Marx to his daughter Miriam)" is published
Feb 2000	Harpo Marx's son and Chico Marx's estate sued Groucho Marx Productions and its president. They alleged that Groucho Marx Productions had sold television and merchandising rights to the Marx Brothers to the animation company Global Communications without consulting the estates of Harpo and Chico Marx.
Jan 2007	Bill Marx's book Son of Harpo Speaks is published
Jul 2022	Susan Marx's book Speaking of Harpo is published

This site uses material originally created by Frank Bland for his website Why A Duck?. Frank did kindly give me permission to use this material.

The Marx Brothers - Los Hermanos Marx - האחים מרקס - マルクス兄弟 - Les Freres Marx - 마르크스형제 - Братья Маркс - Bröderna Marx - برادران مارکس - I Fratelli Marx - Братята Маркс - Bracia Marx - Germans Marx - الأخوة ماركس - 馬克思兄弟 - Αδελφοί Μαρξ - Irmãos Marx