Childhood and Education Journey of Celine Dion in Timeline

Discover the defining moments in the early life of Celine Dion. From birth to education, explore key events.

Céline Dion is a highly successful Canadian singer, often called the "Queen of Power Ballads." Known for her powerful and technically proficient vocals, she has made a substantial impact on popular music through her commercially successful songs and albums. She is one of the best-selling music artists of all time with record sales of over 200 million worldwide.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles

1923: Birth of Adhémar Dion

In 1923, Adhémar Dion, Celine Dion's father, was born. He lived until 2003.

1927: Birth of Thérèse Tanguay

In 1927, Thérèse Tanguay, Celine Dion's mother, was born. She lived until 2020.

March 1968: Céline Dion's Birth

In March 1968, Céline Marie Claudette Dion was born. Later in her career, Dion would be referred to as the "Queen of Power Ballads", and her powerful vocals would have a significant impact on popular music.

August 1973: First Public Performance

On August 13, 1973, Céline Dion performed publicly for the first time at her brother Michel's wedding, singing "Du fil, des aiguilles et du coton".

1980: First meeting with René Angélil

In 1980, Celine Dion, at the age of 12, first met René Angélil, who was 38 at the time, after her brother sent him a demonstration recording.

1981: Angélil Funds First Record

In 1981, René Angélil mortgaged his home to fund Celine Dion's first record, "La voix du bon Dieu", which became a local hit in Quebec.

1982: Support for the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

Since 1982, Celine Dion has supported the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CCFF).

1985: Dissolution of Angélil's second marriage

Around 1985, after the dissolution of Angélil's second marriage, he and Dion took a break from each other professionally. He spent time in Las Vegas while Dion learned English and took lessons in Montreal.

1989: Vocal Injury and Training

In 1989, during a concert on the Incognito tournée, Céline Dion injured her voice. She chose vocal training with William Riley over immediate surgery.

1990: Establishment of Nickels franchise restaurant

In 1990, Celine Dion established the franchise restaurant Nickels, marking her entry into entrepreneurship.

1992: Near revelation of relationship

In 1992, Celine Dion nearly revealed her romance with René Angélil in an interview with journalist Lise Payette.

March 1993: Engagement to René Angélil

On 30 March 1993, which was Celine Dion's 25th birthday, she and René Angélil became engaged.

1993: National Celebrity Patron for CCFF

In 1993, Celine Dion became the National Celebrity Patron for the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CCFF).

1993: Public Declaration of Feelings

In 1993, Céline Dion publicly announced her feelings for her manager, René Angélil, by declaring him "the colour of [her] love" in the dedication section of her album, "The Colour of My Love".

December 1994: Wedding to René Angélil

On 17 December 1994, Celine Dion married René Angélil at Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal, Quebec.

1994: Interview with People Magazine

In a 1994 interview with People, Céline Dion recalled her childhood dream of becoming a singer, stating she didn't regret losing her adolescence to pursue her dream.

1997: Divestment from Nickels restaurant chain

As of 1997, Celine Dion divested her interests in the Nickels restaurant chain and was no longer affiliated with it.

January 2000: Renewal of wedding vows

On 5 January 2000, Celine Dion and René Angélil renewed their wedding vows in Las Vegas.

May 2000: Fertility operations

In May 2000, Celine Dion underwent two small operations at a fertility clinic in New York to improve her chances of conceiving via in vitro fertilization.

2000: Lawsuit against The National Enquirer

In 2000, Celine Dion sued The National Enquirer for misquoting her in a false story about being pregnant with twins. The magazine printed an apology and donated money to the American Cancer Society.

2000: Release of "My Story, My Dream" autobiography

In her 2000 autobiography "My Story, My Dream", Celine Dion shared personal feelings and experiences about her relationship with René Angélil.

Celine Dion : My Story, My Dream

Check it on Amazon

January 2001: Birth of René-Charles Angélil

On 25 January 2001, Celine Dion and René Angélil's first son, René-Charles Angélil, was born.

December 2001: Publication of autobiography, My Story, My Dream

In December 2001, Celine Dion published her autobiography, My Story, My Dream, which chronicled her life story.

Celine Dion : My Story, My Dream

Check it on Amazon

March 2002: Release of A New Day Has Come album

In March 2002, Celine Dion released A New Day Has Come, marking her return to the music scene after a three-year sabbatical. The album, focusing on motherhood and maturation, debuted at No. 1 in several countries and on the Billboard 200 in the United States.

2002: Announcement of residency show "A New Day..."

In 2002, Celine Dion announced a three-year, 600-show contract for "A New Day..." at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. The move was seen as risky but also as a smart business decision. Dion conceived the show after seeing O by Franco Dragone.

2003: Purchase of Henderson, Nevada house

Celine Dion reportedly purchased a house in Henderson, Nevada, in 2003 for US$1.5 million.

2003: Death of Adhémar Dion

In 2003, Adhémar Dion, Celine Dion's father, passed away.

2003: Support for "World Children's Day"

In 2003, Celine Dion joined other celebrities to support "World Children's Day", a global fundraising effort sponsored by McDonald's.

2003: Deal with Coty to release Celine Dion Parfums

In 2003, Celine Dion signed a deal with Coty to release Celine Dion Parfums, expanding her entrepreneurial ventures.

CELINE DION by Celine Dion EDT SPRAY 1.7 OZ for WOMEN

Check it on Amazon

2004: Support for Gay Globe Magazine

Since 2004, Celine Dion, alongside her husband René Angélil, has supported the Québec gay community by supporting the publication of health and HIV prevention materials in Gay Globe Magazine.

2005: Criticism of US government's response to Hurricane Katrina

In 2005, following the Hurricane Katrina disaster, Celine Dion appeared on Larry King Live and tearfully criticized the US government's slow response in aiding the victims of the hurricane.

January 2007: Announcement of the end of "A New Day..." show

On January 5, 2007, it was announced that Celine Dion's show "A New Day..." would end on December 15, 2007, with tickets for the period after October 2007 having gone on sale from March 1.

October 2007: Tickets on sale for the final shows of "A New Day..."

In October 2007, tickets went on sale for the final shows of Celine Dion's residency, "A New Day...", leading up to its conclusion in December 2007.

December 2007: End of the "A New Day..." show and release of Live in Las Vegas: A New Day... DVD

In December 2007, Celine Dion's show A New Day... concluded after a successful run. On December 10, 2007, the Live in Las Vegas: A New Day... DVD was released in Europe and the following day in North America.

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2008: Donation to China Children & Teenagers' Fund

After the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, Celine Dion donated $100,000 to the China Children & Teenagers' Fund, showing her support.

2009: Support for Millvina Dean

In 2009, Celine Dion joined an effort with Leonardo DiCaprio, James Cameron, and Kate Winslet to donate money to support the nursing home fees of Millvina Dean, the last living survivor of the sinking of the Titanic.

2009: Miscarriage

In 2009, Celine Dion suffered a miscarriage.

February 2010: Announcement of return to Caesars Palace for Celine residency

In February 2010, Celine Dion announced she would be returning to Caesars Palace for Celine, a three-year residency for seventy shows a year, beginning 15 March 2011, featuring songs from her repertoire and classic Hollywood films.

May 2010: Announcement of pregnancy with twins

In May 2010, Celine Dion announced that she was 14 weeks pregnant with twins after a sixth treatment of in vitro fertilization.

October 2010: Birth of twins Eddy and Nelson

On Saturday, 23 October 2010, Celine Dion gave birth to fraternal twins, Eddy and Nelson, by Caesarean section at St. Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Florida.

December 2010: Appearance on Hello! magazine cover

In December 2010, Celine Dion appeared with her newborn sons on the cover of the Canadian edition of Hello! magazine.

October 2011: Premiere of "Celine: 3 Boys and a New Show" documentary and FlightNetwork.com Poll

In October 2011, the OWN Network premiered a documentary on Celine Dion's life, "Celine: 3 Boys and a New Show". Also, in October, FlightNetwork.com conducted a poll asking 780 participants which celebrity they would most like to sit next to on an airplane. Dion was the top favourite, with 23.7% of the vote.

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January 2016: Death of René Angélil and Daniel Dion

In January 2016, René Angélil died at age 73 of throat cancer. Shortly after, Celine Dion's brother, Daniel, died also of cancer. Following Angélil's death, Dion became the sole owner and president of her companies.

2017: Sale of Jupiter Island, Florida home

In 2017, Celine Dion sold her Jupiter Island, Florida home for US$38.5 million.

March 2018: Hearing Irregularities and Surgical Procedure

On 22 March 2018, Celine Dion's management announced she had been dealing with hearing irregularities due to patulous Eustachian tube and would undergo a surgical procedure to correct the problem.

November 2018: Launch of Celinununu clothing line

In November 2018, Celine Dion launched Celinununu, a gender-neutral clothing line for kids.

2019: Sale of Montreal private island home

In 2019, Celine Dion sold her home on a private island in Montreal for US$25.5 million.

2020: Listing of mother's Laval home

After the death of her mother in 2020, Celine Dion listed her mother's Laval home for US$1.785 million.

2020: Death of Thérèse Tanguay

In 2020, Thérèse Tanguay, Celine Dion's mother, passed away.

August 2022: Official Diagnosis Date

In August 2022, Celine Dion was officially diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome after struggling with symptoms for 17 years.

December 2022: Diagnosis of stiff-person syndrome

In December 2022, Celine Dion disclosed that she had been diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome, a neurological disorder affecting her muscles.

2022: Tour Cancellation due to stiff-person syndrome

In 2022, Céline Dion had to cancel her tour after being diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome.

2023: Sale of Summerlin, Nevada house

In 2023, Celine Dion sold her Summerlin, Nevada house for US$30 million.

June 2024: Public disclosure of 17-year struggle

In June 2024, Celine Dion publicly disclosed in a People magazine cover story that she had struggled with a variety of mysterious symptoms for 17 years before her August 2022 diagnosis.

June 2024: Release of documentary about Dion's life

On June 25, 2024, Amazon MGM Studios released a documentary about Celine Dion's life with stiff-person syndrome, titled I Am: Celine Dion.

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2024: Forbes Net Worth Report and Residency

In 2024, Forbes reported Celine Dion's net worth at US$550 million, ranking her no. 59 on America's Richest Self-Made Women list. As of 2024, Celine Dion resides in a house in Henderson, Nevada.