History of Bo Burnham in Timeline

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Bo Burnham

Bo Burnham is an American comedian, musician, actor, filmmaker, and YouTuber known for his unique blend of stand-up comedy, music, and filmmaking. His performances often incorporate elements of sketch comedy and satire, frequently with dramatic or tragic undertones. Burnham's work often leaves the audience to interpret the meaning behind his performances, adding layers of depth and complexity.

1965: Tom Lehrer's "New Math" Release

In 1965, Tom Lehrer released his song "New Math", which Bo Burnham's 2009 song of the same name was written as a tribute to.

August 21, 1990: Robert Pickering Burnham's Birth

On August 21, 1990, Robert Pickering Burnham was born in Hamilton, Massachusetts, to Patricia and Scott Burnham.

August 21, 1990: Bo Burnham's Birth

On August 21, 1990, Robert Pickering Burnham, known professionally as Bo Burnham, was born in the United States. He would later become a stand-up comedian, musician, actor, filmmaker, and YouTuber.

December 2006: YouTube Debut and Viral Success

In December 2006, Bo Burnham posted his songs to YouTube, including "My Whole Family...", which quickly went viral after being shared on Break.com.

2006: Bo Burnham's YouTube Debut

In 2006, Bo Burnham began his career by creating a YouTube channel and uploading comedic songs, quickly gaining popularity as one of the platform's earliest stars.

January 2008: Comedy Central Performance

In January 2008, Bo Burnham recorded a performance for Comedy Central's "The World Stands Up" in London.

June 17, 2008: "Bo fo Sho" EP Release

On June 17, 2008, Bo Burnham's first EP, "Bo fo Sho", was released as an online-only album by Comedy Central Records.

September 2008: Negotiations for Apatow-Produced Comedy Film

In September 2008, Bo Burnham negotiated with Universal Pictures to write and create the music for an Apatow-produced comedy film.

2008: High School Graduation

In 2008, Bo Burnham graduated from St. John's Preparatory School in Danvers, Massachusetts.

2008: Release of "Bo fo Sho"

In 2008, Bo Burnham released his album "Bo fo Sho", featuring his comedic songs.

March 3, 2009: Protest at Westminster College Concert

On March 3, 2009, Bo Burnham's concert at Westminster College was protested due to his use of homophobic and racist terms in performances, sparking controversy.

March 10, 2009: Release of Self-Titled Album

On March 10, 2009, Bo Burnham released his first full album, the self-titled "Bo Burnham".

March 2009: Writing Music and Script for Apatow Film

In March 2009, Bo Burnham was dedicated to writing music and the script for the Apatow-produced comedy film.

May 2009: Viral Marketing for "Funny People" and "Yo Teach!"

In May 2009, viral marketing began appearing for the film "Funny People", in which Bo Burnham starred in an NBC sitcom called "Yo Teach!".

2009: Bo Burnham Addresses Controversy

In 2009, Bo Burnham addressed controversy surrounding his older material, stating his satire is well-intentioned but those intentions have to be hidden to make it comedy.

2009: Release of "Bo Burnham" Album

In 2009, Bo Burnham released his self-titled album, "Bo Burnham", showcasing his musical comedy.

2009: "New Math" Tribute to Tom Lehrer

In 2009, Bo Burnham wrote his song "New Math" as a tribute to Tom Lehrer's 1965 song of the same name.

May 21, 2010: Taping of "Words Words Words" Special

On May 21, 2010, Bo Burnham taped his first one-hour stand-up special, "Words Words Words", for Comedy Central.

August 2010: Edinburgh Comedy Awards Nomination and Panel Prize

In August 2010, Bo Burnham was nominated for "Best Comedy Show" at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards and received the "Panel Prize" for capturing the comedy spirit of the Fringe.

October 2010: Uncertainty Regarding Apatow Film Project

In October 2010, Bo Burnham admitted uncertainty about the future of the Apatow-produced comedy film project.

October 16, 2010: "Words Words Words" Airs on Comedy Central

On October 16, 2010, Bo Burnham's stand-up special "Words Words Words" aired on Comedy Central.

2010: Edinburgh Comedy Awards

At the 2010 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Bo Burnham was nominated for the main Edinburgh Comedy Award and won both the Edinburgh Comedy Awards' panel prize and the Malcolm Hardee "Act Most Likely to Make a Million Quid" Award.

2010: Stand-up Special "Words Words Words" Release

In 2010, Bo Burnham released his first stand-up comedy special, "Words Words Words", which combined his musical comedy with traditional stand-up.

2011: Comedy Central Stand-up Showdown Victory

In 2011, Bo Burnham finished in first place at the Comedy Central Stand-up Showdown.

December 17, 2013: "what." Special Released

On December 17, 2013, Bo Burnham's second special, "what.", was released on both Netflix and YouTube.

2013: Start of Relationship with Lorene Scafaria

In 2013, Bo Burnham began dating filmmaker Lorene Scafaria.

2013: "what." Special, Zach Stone, and "Egghead" Publication

In 2013, Bo Burnham released his second comedy special, "what.", created and starred in the MTV mockumentary series "Zach Stone Is Gonna Be Famous", and published his poetry book "Egghead: Or, You Can't Survive on Ideas Alone".

2013: "Zach Stone Is Gonna Be Famous" and "Egghead" Release

In 2013, Bo Burnham wrote, executive-produced, and starred in "Zach Stone Is Gonna Be Famous", and released his book of poetry, "Egghead: Or, You Can't Survive on Ideas Alone".

2014: Mother's Work Featured on "This American Life"

In 2014, Bo Burnham's mother's work as a hospice nurse was featured in an episode of "This American Life".

June 3, 2016: "Make Happy" Special Released

On June 3, 2016, Bo Burnham's third special, "Make Happy", was produced by Netflix and released.

2016: "Make Happy" Release and Hiatus Announcement

In 2016, Bo Burnham released his third comedy special, "Make Happy", and announced his decision to step away from performing live due to anxiety and panic attacks.

2017: Directed "8" comedy special for HBO

In 2017, Bo Burnham directed Jerrod Carmichael's comedy special "8" for HBO.

January 2018: "Eighth Grade" Premieres at Sundance

In January 2018, Bo Burnham's film "Eighth Grade" premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, receiving universal acclaim.

2018: Directed Chris Rock's "Tamborine"

In 2018, Bo Burnham directed Chris Rock's comedy special "Tamborine" for Netflix.

2018: Directorial Debut with "Eighth Grade"

In 2018, Bo Burnham made his directorial debut with the release of the critically acclaimed drama film "Eighth Grade".

2018: Awards for Eighth Grade

In 2018, Bo Burnham received several awards and nominations for his writing and directing of the film Eighth Grade.

2018: Concerns About Teenagers' Mistakes Online

In 2018, during press for his film "Eighth Grade", Bo Burnham expressed concerns about the new concept of teenagers' mistakes being immortalized online, drawing from his own experiences.

2019: Contribution to Sesame Street film

In 2019, it was announced Bo Burnham would contribute songs to an upcoming Sesame Street film.

2020: Co-starring in "Promising Young Woman"

In 2020, Bo Burnham co-starred in the dark comedy thriller film "Promising Young Woman".

March 2021: Cast as Larry Bird in "Winning Time"

In March 2021, Bo Burnham was cast as Larry Bird in HBO's "Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty".

April 2021: Announcement of "Inside" Release

In April 2021, Bo Burnham ended his social media hiatus to announce the release of his fourth special, "Inside", which was created alone during the COVID-19 pandemic.

August 2021: Departure from "Winning Time" Series

In August 2021, Bo Burnham left the "Winning Time" series due to scheduling conflicts.

2021: "Problematic" Song in "Inside"

In 2021, Bo Burnham addressed his regret for earlier offensive material in his song "Problematic" from his comedy special "Inside".

2021: Awards for Inside

In 2021, Bo Burnham received several awards and nominations for his writing and directing of the comedy special Inside.

2021: "Inside" Release and Acclaim

In 2021, Bo Burnham released his fourth comedy special, "Inside", created during the COVID-19 pandemic, which received widespread acclaim and numerous awards, including a Peabody Award and Grammy Award.

May 30, 2022: "The Inside Outtakes" Release

On May 30, 2022, Bo Burnham released 63 minutes of unseen footage from "Inside" on YouTube, titled "The Inside Outtakes".

June 2022: "The Inside Outtakes" Album Release

In June 2022, Bo Burnham released "The Inside Outtakes" album, containing songs from the video, and "Inside (Deluxe)", an album containing the entire "Inside" discography.

2022: End of Relationship with Lorene Scafaria

In 2022, Bo Burnham and Lorene Scafaria ended their relationship.

2022: Directed Carmichael's "Rothaniel"

In 2022, Bo Burnham directed, edited, and executive produced Jerrod Carmichael's comedy special "Rothaniel", which received critical acclaim and an Emmy award.

January 2023: Rumored Breakup and New Relationship

In January 2023, rumors surfaced that Bo Burnham had ended his relationship with Lorene Scafaria and was now dating Phoebe Bridgers.

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