History of Dave Chappelle in Timeline
Dave Chappelle is a highly acclaimed American stand-up comedian and actor, best known for co-creating and starring in the satirical sketch comedy series *Chappelle's Show*. Despite its popularity, he famously left the show during its third season. Following a break, Chappelle resumed his stand-up career, earning widespread recognition. He has been lauded as a comic genius and one of the best stand-up comedians of all time.
1915: People's Infirmary Founded
Around 1915, Dave Chappelle's grand-uncle, W. D. Chappelle Jr., opened the People's Infirmary, a small hospital and surgery practice in Columbia, South Carolina.
2001: Marriage to Elaine Mendoza Erfe
In 2001, Dave Chappelle married Elaine Mendoza Erfe. Together, they have two sons and one daughter.
2004: Donation to Seeds of Peace International Camp
In 2004, Dave Chappelle donated his time to Seeds of Peace International Camp, located in Otisfield, Maine, an organization bringing together young leaders from communities in conflict.
May 2005: Interview with Time Magazine
In May 2005, Dave Chappelle spoke to Time magazine about converting to Islam when he was 17.
September 2006: Dave Chappelle addresses Yellow Springs residents
In September 2006, Dave Chappelle addresses Yellow Springs' residents
2010: Subject of "American Stand-Up and Sketch Comedy"
In 2010, Dave Chappelle's work, along with that of Margaret Cho, was examined in the book "American Stand-Up and Sketch Comedy" by Canadian dramaturg Elizabeth Ludwig.
August 2013: Oddball Comedy & Curiosity festival performance and heckling incident
In August 2013, Dave Chappelle co-headlined the Oddball Comedy & Curiosity festival with Flight of the Conchords. During a performance in Hartford, Chappelle walked off stage due to intense heckling from the crowd, which included chants of "White Power." Later, audio was released of Chappelle responding to the incident, blaming "young, white, alcoholic[s]" and expressing negative sentiments towards Hartford.
June 2014: New York City appearance
In June 2014, Dave Chappelle performed for ten nights at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, marking his first major appearance in the city in eleven years. He promoted these dates with appearances on 'The Today Show', 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon', and 'Late Show with David Letterman'.
August 2014: Surprise appearance at Oddball Festival in Hartford
In August 2014, Dave Chappelle made a surprise appearance at the Oddball Festival in Hartford. This performance was a return to the city after a previous heckling incident in 2013, and he received standing ovations during his set.
2015: Appearance in Chi-Raq
In 2015, Dave Chappelle appeared in Spike Lee's film 'Chi-Raq', marking his first film role in 13 years.
March 2016: "The Age of Spin" filmed at the Hollywood Palladium
In March 2016, Dave Chappelle filmed "The Age of Spin" at the Hollywood Palladium, which was later released on Netflix in March 2017.
November 12, 2016: Hosting Debut on Saturday Night Live
On November 12, 2016, Dave Chappelle hosted 'Saturday Night Live' for the first time, the weekend after Donald Trump won the 2016 presidential election. The show featured A Tribe Called Quest as the musical guest. Chappelle's opening monologue addressed Trump and the election, and he received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his appearance, which he later donated to his former high school.
November 21, 2016: Netflix announces stand-up comedy specials
On November 21, 2016, Netflix announced a deal to release three new stand-up comedy specials from Dave Chappelle in 2017, paying him $20 million per special.
March 21, 2017: Release of "Deep in the Heart of Texas" and "The Age of Spin" on Netflix
On March 21, 2017, Netflix released two stand-up comedy specials from Dave Chappelle's personal comedy vault: "Deep in the Heart of Texas," filmed in April 2015, and "The Age of Spin," filmed in March 2016. Netflix announced a month later that they were the most viewed comedy specials in Netflix's history.
September 2017: Filming of 'Equanimity'
In September 2017, Dave Chappelle filmed the stand-up special 'Equanimity' at the Warner Theater in Washington, D.C.
November 20, 2017: Filming of 'The Bird Revelation'
On November 20, 2017, Dave Chappelle filmed a fourth stand-up special, 'The Bird Revelation', at The Comedy Store in Los Angeles.
December 22, 2017: Netflix announces expansion of deal to include The Bird Revelation
On December 22, 2017, Netflix announced the expansion of their deal with Dave Chappelle to include 'The Bird Revelation', which was released with 'Equanimity' on December 31.
2017: Shout-out to D.C. Public Schools at Emmy Awards
During his acceptance speech at the 2017 Emmy Awards, Dave Chappelle gave a shout-out to D.C. Public Schools.
2017: "Dave Chappelle Day" declared in Columbia, South Carolina
In 2017, Columbia, South Carolina, Mayor Steven Benjamin declared February 3 "Dave Chappelle Day" when Chappelle spoke at the Chappelle Auditorium at Allen University.
2017: Release of two Netflix specials, touring, and other collaborations
In 2017, Dave Chappelle released two Netflix specials, 'The Age of Spin' and 'Deep in the Heart of Texas'. In 2018, Chappelle and Jon Stewart joined forces for a duo comedy tour in the United States, and across the United Kingdom. He also collaborated with Aziz Ansari for three stand-up shows in Austin, Texas, at the Paramount Theater.
September 2018: Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded)
In September 2018, Dave Chappelle's 'Equanimity' special received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded).
October 2018: Appearance in 'A Star Is Born'
In October 2018, Dave Chappelle appeared in Bradley Cooper's directorial debut, 'A Star Is Born', as "Noodles". He was nominated along with the cast for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Cast in a Motion Picture.
February 2019: Grammy Award for Equanimity and Bird Revelation
In February 2019, Dave Chappelle won the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album for 'Equanimity and Bird Revelation'.
August 26, 2019: Release of 'Sticks & Stones' on Netflix
On August 26, 2019, Dave Chappelle's fifth Netflix special, 'Dave Chappelle: Sticks & Stones', was released. The special garnered controversy and backlash for jokes about abuse allegations and the LGBT community.
October 27, 2019: Mark Twain Prize Ceremony
On October 27, 2019, Dave Chappelle was awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center gala. The Mayor of the District of Columbia, Muriel Bowser, declared it "Dave Chappelle Day" in Washington, D.C.
2019: Awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor
In 2019, Dave Chappelle received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The event, honoring Chappelle, featured Jon Stewart, Bradley Cooper, Aziz Ansari, Sarah Silverman, Chris Tucker, Frederic Yonnet, and Lorne Michaels. A television special of the award ceremony was released on Netflix and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded).
January 7, 2020: Broadcast of Mark Twain Prize ceremony
On January 7, 2020, the ceremony for Dave Chappelle receiving the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor was broadcast on PBS.
June 6, 2020: Private event in Yellow Springs, Ohio
On June 6, 2020, Dave Chappelle held a private, socially distanced stand-up event in Yellow Springs, Ohio, which was later released as the special '8:46' on Netflix's YouTube channel.
June 12, 2020: Release of "8:46" on YouTube
On June 12, 2020, Netflix released '8:46', a video of newly recorded stand-up by Dave Chappelle, on the YouTube channel "Netflix Is a Joke." The performance touches on George Floyd's murder and subsequent protests.
June 2020: Beginning of "Chappelle Summer Camp"
Starting in late June 2020, Dave Chappelle hosted "Chappelle Summer Camp" at Wirrig Pavilion in Yellow Springs, Ohio, featuring live, socially distanced performances with comedians and musicians.
September 25, 2020: "Chappelle Summer Camp" ends due to possible COVID-19 exposure
On September 25, 2020, Elaine Chappelle announced the sudden end of the "Chappelle Summer Camp" series of shows due to a possible COVID-19 exposure within their inner circle.
October 4, 2020: Special variance granted to continue performances
On October 4, 2020, local zoning officials granted a special variance allowing the "Chappelle Summer Camp" performances to continue through October 4th, following neighbors' complaints of noise and disturbances.
December 2020: Purchase of fire station and retrofitting of mechanic's garage
In December 2020, Dave Chappelle's company, Iron Table Holdings, purchased a fire station near his home in Yellow Springs, Ohio, with plans to convert it into a comedy club. He also retrofitted a mechanic's garage into a clubhouse called "The Shack" for podcasting.
2020: Endorsement of Andrew Yang
In 2020, Dave Chappelle endorsed Andrew Yang in the United States presidential election.
2020: Hosting Saturday Night Live after the 2020 election
In 2020, Dave Chappelle hosted 'Saturday Night Live' the weekend of the United States presidential election, delivering a 16-minute opening monologue reflecting on the election results and political climate.
June 2021: Premiere of Dave Chappelle: Live in Real Life at Tribeca Film Festival
In June 2021, 'Dave Chappelle: Live in Real Life', a documentary about Chappelle's concerts in Yellow Springs during the COVID-19 pandemic, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival.
October 5, 2021: Release of 'The Closer' on Netflix
On October 5, 2021, Dave Chappelle's sixth Netflix special, 'The Closer', was released. It sparked controversy due to jokes about gay and transgender people, with some considering them transphobic.
November 2021: Saturday Night Live lampoons 'The Closer' controversy
In November 2021, 'Saturday Night Live' lampooned the controversy surrounding Dave Chappelle's Netflix special, 'The Closer', during its Weekend Update segment.
November 2021: Auditorium Renaming Controversy
In November 2021, the Duke Ellington School of the Arts planned to rename its auditorium in Dave Chappelle's honor. Following controversy over jokes made in The Closer, the ceremony was delayed.
November 19, 2021: Theatrical release of Dave Chappelle: Live in Real Life
On November 19, 2021, 'Dave Chappelle: Live in Real Life' received a limited theatrical release, following its premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in June 2021.
December 2021: Opposition to Affordable Housing Project
In December 2021, Dave Chappelle informed the Yellow Springs, Ohio, village council that he would cancel his planned business investments if they approved a zoning change for a multifamily affordable housing project. He expressed concerns about the nature of the development.
February 7, 2022: Continued Opposition to Zoning Change
On February 7, 2022, Dave Chappelle spoke against the zoning change at a council meeting, calling the council "clowns" and emphasizing his business's value. The council deadlocked, failing to approve the change.
April 2022: Auditorium Renaming
In April 2022, the Duke Ellington School of the Arts went forward with renaming its auditorium in Dave Chappelle's honor.
May 4, 2022: Attacked onstage at Hollywood Bowl
In the early hours of May 4, 2022, Dave Chappelle was attacked onstage at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles during the Netflix Is a Joke Festival. The attacker was armed with a replica handgun containing a knife blade and was subdued by security. This 4-night stint tied him with Monty Python for most headlined shows by a comedian at the venue.
November 12, 2022: Third time hosting Saturday Night Live
On November 12, 2022, Dave Chappelle hosted 'Saturday Night Live' for the third time.
2022: Renaming of Duke Ellington School theater
In the summer of 2022, Dave Chappelle announced that he would not give his name to the Duke Ellington School theater, following the controversy surrounding his Netflix special 'The Closer'. He instead insisted it should be named the Theater for Artistic Freedom and Expression.
February 5, 2023: Fourth Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album
On February 5, 2023, Dave Chappelle received his fourth Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album for 'The Closer'.
October 19, 2023: Comments on Israel-Hamas War
During an October 19, 2023, show in Boston, Dave Chappelle described Israel's actions during the Gaza war as war crimes. He also condemned the United States for aiding Israel and condemned Hamas for its October 7th attacks, leading to a mixed audience reaction.
December 31, 2023: Release of 'The Dreamer' on Netflix
On December 31, 2023, Netflix released Dave Chappelle's latest special, 'The Dreamer', which debuted at No. 5 on the chart with 2.2 million views.
2024: Campaign Event for Hill Harper
In 2024, Dave Chappelle headlined a campaign event at Saint Andrews Hall in Detroit for actor Hill Harper, who was running against Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin in the Democratic primary ahead of the Michigan's U.S. Senate election.
January 2025: Commentary on events during SNL Monologue
In January 2025, Dave Chappelle commented on recent events, including the Southern California wildfires, Jimmy Carter's death, and Donald Trump's reelection to the United States presidency, during his Saturday Night Live monologue.
January 18, 2025: Fourth time hosting Saturday Night Live
On January 18, 2025, Dave Chappelle hosted 'Saturday Night Live' for the fourth time. His monologue included commentary on recent events, including the January 2025 Southern California wildfires, Jimmy Carter's death, and Donald Trump's reelection to the United States presidency.
January 19, 2025: Saturday Night Live Monologue
During his January 19, 2025, Saturday Night Live monologue, Dave Chappelle exhorted President Donald Trump to have empathy for displaced people.
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