David Lynch is a celebrated American filmmaker, visual artist, musician, and actor known for his surrealist and experimental films. His distinctive style has earned him widespread recognition as a visionary in cinema. Over a career spanning five decades, Lynch has garnered numerous awards, including the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement and an Academy Honorary Award, solidifying his legacy as one of the greatest filmmakers of all time.
In 1915, Donald Walton Lynch, David Lynch's father, was born. He later worked as a research scientist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
In 1919, Edwina "Sunny" Lynch (née Sundholm), David Lynch's mother, was born. She later worked as an English language tutor.
In 1943, Maya Deren's experimental film Meshes of the Afternoon was released. The film has also been recognized as a possible influence on Lynch.
On January 20, 1946, David Keith Lynch was born in Missoula, Montana. This marks the beginning of the life of the American filmmaker, visual artist, musician, and actor.
David Lynch cited Billy Wilder's Sunset Boulevard, released in 1950, as one of his favorite films.
In 1952, David Lynch watched his first film, Henry King's "Wait till the Sun Shines, Nellie".
In 1953, Jacques Tati's "Monsieur Hulot's Holiday" was released. David Lynch expressed admiration for Monsieur Hulot's Holiday.
In 1954, Alfred Hitchcock's "Rear Window" was released. David Lynch expressed admiration for Rear Window.
In 1962, Stanley Kubrick's "Lolita" and Herk Harvey's "Carnival of Souls" were released. David Lynch expressed admiration for Lolita. David Lynch cited Herk Harvey's Carnival of Souls (1962) as influences on his work.
In 1963, David Lynch was the first in his school to hear about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, as he was working on a display case rather than attending class.
In 1963, Federico Fellini's "8½" was released. David Lynch expressed admiration for 8½.
In 1965, Dino de Laurentiis asked David Lynch to create a film adaptation of Frank Herbert's science fiction novel Dune. Lynch agreed to direct and was contractually obliged to produce two other works for the company.
In 1967, David Lynch began a relationship with and married Peggy Reavey, a fellow student at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.
In 1967, David Lynch made his first short film, "Six Men Getting Sick (Six Times)", at the Pennsylvania Academy.
In January 1968, David Lynch married Peggy Reavey. They had one child, Jennifer Lynch.
In 1968, David Lynch produced the four-minute short film "The Alphabet", starring his wife Peggy Lynch. Inspired by Peggy's niece's tormented recitation of the alphabet in her sleep, the film depicts a character known as The Girl singing the alphabet to a series of images before hemorrhaging blood all over her bed sheets.
In September 2024, David Lynch made his last published broadcast speech at Meditate America 2024, discussing the Beatles' practice of TM in India in 1968 and playing a cover of "Across the Universe".
In 1970, David Lynch moved with his family to Los Angeles and began studying filmmaking at the AFI Conservatory.
In 1970, Jerzy Skolimowski's "Deep End" was released. David Lynch cited Jerzy Skolimowski's Deep End as influences on his work.
On May 29, 1972, filming began for David Lynch's film "Eraserhead" at night in some abandoned stables, with a team including Sissy Spacek, Jack Fisk, Frederick Elmes, and Alan Splet.
In July 1973, David Lynch was initiated into Transcendental Meditation and consistently practiced the technique thereafter.
In 1973, David Lynch started developing ideas that would eventually become the film Blue Velvet. Lynch had been working on a script. The initial inspiration came from his thoughts and dreams related to lawns and neighborhoods, as well as the song "Blue Velvet."
In 1973, David Lynch's sister suggested that he try Transcendental Meditation, which he has practiced ever since.
In 1974, David Lynch and Peggy Reavey filed for divorce, ending their marriage.
In 1974, during a break in the filming of "Eraserhead", David Lynch made "The Amputee", a two-minute, one-shot film to test different types of film stock for AFI.
In 1975, David Lynch first met Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the founder of the Transcendental Meditation movement, at the Spiritual Regeneration Movement center in Los Angeles.
In 1976, David Lynch completed his film "Eraserhead", a black and white film about Henry, who cares for a deformed baby in a dystopian industrial wasteland.
In June 1977, David Lynch married Mary Fisk. They later had a child named Austin Jack Lynch in 1982.
In 1977, Ben Barenholtz of the Elgin Theater helped distribute David Lynch's film "Eraserhead" around the United States, leading to its popularity on the midnight movie circuit.
In 1977, David Lynch married Mary Fisk, the sister of Jack Fisk.
In 1977, Werner Herzog's "Stroszek" was released. David Lynch expressed admiration for Stroszek.
In 2009, David Lynch signed a petition supporting Roman Polanski after his detention for 1977 sexual abuse charges, arguing the arrest undermined film festivals as safe places for works to be shown.
In 1980, Lynch received critical acclaim and a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Director for his biographical drama, "The Elephant Man".
In 1982, David Lynch and Mary Fisk welcomed their child, Austin Jack Lynch.
In 1983, David Lynch began writing and drawing a comic strip, The Angriest Dog in the World, featuring unchanging graphics of a tethered dog alongside cryptic philosophical references.
In 1984, David Lynch directed the space opera film "Dune".
In 1984, David Lynch voted for Ronald Reagan in the presidential election.
In 1985, David Lynch and Mary Fisk separated.
In 1986, David Lynch began a relationship with actress Isabella Rossellini; they lived together until 1991.
In 1986, David Lynch released the mystery thriller "Blue Velvet", which earned him critical acclaim and a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Director.
In 1987, David Lynch and Mary Fisk divorced, finalizing the end of their marriage.
In 1988, David Lynch directed the short film The Cowboy and the Frenchman as part of The French as Seen by..., a series sponsored by the French newspaper Le Figaro.
In 1989, David Lynch and Badalamenti created a theatrical piece, Industrial Symphony No. 1: The Dream of the Broken Hearted, which was performed twice as part of the New Music America Festival.
In 1989, David Lynch produced and wrote lyrics for Julee Cruise's album Floating into the Night, in collaboration with Angelo Badalamenti.
In 1989, David Lynch started a series of one-man exhibitions that would continue until 1991, which emphasized his roots in fine art and painting.
1990 was David Lynch's 'year of miracles' (annus mirabilis): Wild at Heart won the Palme d'Or at Cannes, and the television series Twin Peaks was a smash hit.
In 1990, David Lynch and Mark Frost created the ABC surrealist horror-mystery series "Twin Peaks".
In 1990, David Lynch produced a 50-minute video of the performance of Industrial Symphony No. 1: The Dream of the Broken Hearted.
In 1990, David Lynch received the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival for his romantic crime drama, "Wild at Heart".
In 1990, David Lynch's film Wild at Heart won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Despite winning the prize, audience members booed Lynch and the film.
In 1990, Twin Peaks premiered on ABC and became a smash hit, mixing a police investigation with the ordinary lives of the characters. The pilot was directed by David Lynch and was well received by critics.
In 1991, David Lynch continued a series of one-man exhibitions that had started in 1989, which emphasized his roots in fine art and painting.
In 1991, David Lynch directed a 30-second teaser trailer for Michael Jackson's album Dangerous at Jackson's request.
In 1991, David Lynch's relationship with actress Isabella Rossellini ended after living together since 1986.
The ABC surrealist horror-mystery series Twin Peaks, created by David Lynch and Mark Frost, airs until 1991. David Lynch receives five Primetime Emmy Award nominations for his work on the show.
In 1992, David Lynch and his editor, Mary Sweeney, had a son named Riley Sweeney Lynch.
In 1992, David Lynch co-wrote and directed "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me", which is the film prequel to the Twin Peaks series.
In 1992, the comedy series On the Air, created by David Lynch and Mark Frost, was canceled after only three episodes were aired.
The Angriest Dog in the World was published from 1983 to 1992 in The Village Voice, Creative Loafing, and other tabloid and alternative publications.
In 1993, David Lynch collaborated with Japanese musician Yoshiki on the video for X Japan's song "Longing ~Setsubou no Yoru~". The video was never officially released.
In 1993, David Lynch produced and wrote lyrics for Julee Cruise's album The Voice of Love, in collaboration with Angelo Badalamenti.
In April 1997, David Lynch presented a furniture collection at the prestigious Milan Furniture Fair.
In 1997, David Lynch directed the neo-noir film "Lost Highway".
In 1998, David Lynch worked on the Jocelyn Montgomery album Lux Vivens (Living Light), The Music of Hildegard von Bingen.
In 1999, David Lynch approached ABC with ideas for a television drama which would later become Mulholland Drive. The network commissioned Lynch to shoot a two-hour pilot but disputes over content and running time led to the project being shelved indefinitely.
In 1999, David Lynch directed the road movie "The Straight Story".
In the 2000 presidential election, David Lynch endorsed the Natural Law Party, known for advocating Transcendental Meditation.
The company CIBY-2000 financed Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, in 2000, and most of the TV series's cast reprised their roles, though some refused and many were unenthusiastic about the project.
On December 10, 2001, David Lynch launched his official website, davidlynch.com, as a distribution channel for new series he created.
In 2001, David Lynch earned critical acclaim and a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Director for his neo-noir mystery thriller, "Mulholland Drive".
In 2001, David Lynch released BlueBob, a blues album performed by Lynch and John Neff.
In 2001, David Lynch won Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival for Mulholland Drive, shared with Joel Coen for The Man Who Wasn't There.
In 2002, David Lynch released the online shorts series DumbLand and the surreal sitcom Rabbits. DumbLand, intentionally crude, was later released on DVD.
In 2002, David Lynch was honored as a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour by the French government, which is the country's top civilian distinction.
In 2003, David Lynch became close with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi during a month-long "Millionaire's Enlightenment Course," which cost $1 million.
In 2004, Edwina "Sunny" Lynch (née Sundholm), David Lynch's mother, passed away.
In July 2005, David Lynch launched the David Lynch Foundation for Consciousness-Based Education and Peace to fund scholarships for students learning Transcendental Meditation and research its effects.
In September 2005, David Lynch, along with John Hagelin and Fred Travis, began a tour promoting Transcendental Meditation on college campuses.
As of December 2005, David Lynch had spent $400,000 of his own money and raised $1 million in donations towards building seven buildings for 8,000 people to practice advanced meditation techniques.
In May 2006, David Lynch married Mary Sweeney, who had worked as his editor, producer, and co-writer.
In December 2006, The New York Times reported that David Lynch continued to pursue his goal of establishing seven buildings for advanced meditation practices.
In 2006, David Lynch described his political philosophy, stating he previously considered himself a libertarian but now identifies as a Democrat due to smoking regulations, despite not fully aligning with either party.
In 2006, David Lynch directed the experimental thriller "Inland Empire".
In 2006, David Lynch received the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Film Festival, acknowledging his significant contributions to the world of cinema.
In 2006, David Lynch wrote "Catching the Big Fish: Meditation, Consciousness, and Creativity", a book describing his creative processes, stories from his career, and the benefits of Transcendental Meditation. The book uses a metaphor from fishing to explain the creative process.
David Lynch's major art retrospective at the Fondation Cartier in Paris, titled The Air is on Fire, concluded on May 27, 2007.
In 2007, Donald Walton Lynch, David Lynch's father, passed away.
In 2007, The Guardian called David Lynch "the most important film-maker of the current era", and AllMovie referred to him as "the Renaissance man of modern American filmmaking".
In 2008, David Lynch attended the funeral of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in India, praising his revolutionary impact on millions of lives.
In 2008, David Lynch started his own record label, David Lynch MC.
On April 4, 2009, David Lynch organized the "Change Begins Within" benefit concert at Radio City Music Hall for the David Lynch Foundation, featuring artists such as Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Donovan, Sheryl Crow, and Eddie Vedder.
In 2009, David Lynch married actress Emily Stofle, who had appeared in "Inland Empire" and the "Twin Peaks" revival.
In 2009, David Lynch produced a documentary Web series, Interview Project, directed by his son Austin Lynch. He also collaborated with Werner Herzog on the film My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done, which stars Grace Zabriskie and features a nonstandard narrative based on a true story.
In 2009, David Lynch signed a petition supporting director Roman Polanski after his detention for 1977 sexual abuse charges, arguing the arrest undermined film festivals as safe places for works to be shown.
In 2009, David Lynch traveled to India to film interviews with people who knew Maharishi Mahesh Yogi as part of a biographical documentary.
In 2009, David Lynch was again honored by the French government, this time as an Officier of the Legion of Honour.
In 2009, David Lynch's book-CD set Dark Night of the Soul was released.
In May 2010, David Lynch released Lady Blue Shanghai, a 16-minute promotional film he wrote, directed, and edited for Dior, on the Internet.
In November 2010, David Lynch released two electropop music singles, "Good Day Today" and "I Know", on the independent British label Sunday Best Recordings.
From 2010 to 2013, David Lynch's acting career included roles on The Cleveland Show.
In 2010, "David Wants to Fly", a documentary by David Sieveking, was released, following Sieveking's exploration of Transcendental Meditation under David Lynch's influence, ultimately leading to his disillusionment with the movement.
On March 23, 2011, David Lynch directed a Duran Duran concert, streamed live on YouTube from the Mayan Theater in Los Angeles as the kickoff to the second season of Unstaged: An Original Series from American Express.
In April 2011, the animated short film I Touch a Red Button Man, a collaboration between David Lynch and the band Interpol, played in the background during Interpol's concert at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. The short features Interpol's song "Lights".
On September 29, 2011, David Lynch released This Train with vocalist Chrystabell on the La Rose Noire label.
In October 2011, the Silencio nightclub, conceived and designed by David Lynch in collaboration with Raphael Navot, Enia, and Thierry Dreyfus, opened in Paris. Inspired by Mulholland Drive, it offers access to concerts, films, and performances and is open to the public after midnight.
In November 2011, David Lynch released his album Crazy Clown Time, described as an "electronic blues album".
In 2011, "Beyond The Noise: My Transcendental Meditation Journey", an independent project starring David Lynch and directed by Dana Farley, was shown at film festivals, including the Marbella Film Festival.
In 2011, David Lynch began exhibiting his paintings, drawings, and photography with the Kayne Griffin Corcoran gallery in Los Angeles.
In a June 2012 interview, David Lynch stated that he lacked inspiration for a new movie project, but would be willing to work if he fell in love with an idea.
In September 2012, David Lynch appeared in the three-part "Late Show" arc on FX's Louie as Jack Dahl.
In November 2012, David Lynch hinted at plans for a new film while attending Plus Camerimage in Bydgoszcz, Poland.
In 2012, David Lynch and Emily Stofle welcomed their child, Lula Boginia Lynch.
In 2012, David Lynch's acting career included roles on "Louie".
In the 2012 presidential election, David Lynch stated he would vote for Democratic incumbent Barack Obama.
In a January 2013 interview, Laura Dern confirmed that she and David Lynch were planning a new project, with The New York Times reporting that Lynch was working on the script.
In February 2013, Idem Paris, a short documentary film about the lithographic process directed by David Lynch, was released online.
On June 28, 2013, a video David Lynch directed for the Nine Inch Nails song "Came Back Haunted" was released.
In August 2013, David Lynch contributed photography for the Dumb Numbers's self-titled album.
In 2013, David Lynch wrote about Transcendental Meditation, emphasizing its capacity to create a peaceful revolution and a life free of problems.
In 2013, David Lynch's acting career on The Cleveland Show ends.
In 2013, David Lynch's third studio album, The Big Dream, was released and included the single "I'm Waiting Here", with Swedish singer-songwriter Lykke Li.
On September 12, 2014, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts presented an exhibition of David Lynch's work called "The Unified Field".
On October 6, 2014, David Lynch confirmed via Twitter that he and Mark Frost would start shooting a new, nine-episode season of Twin Peaks in 2015, expected to air in 2016 on Showtime.
For Record Store Day 2014, David Lynch released The Big Dream Remix EP, which featured four songs from his album remixed by various artists.
The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts presented an exhibition of David Lynch's work called "The Unified Field", which ran until January 2015.
On April 5, 2015, David Lynch announced via Twitter that he was no longer going to direct the Twin Peaks revival due to budget constraints, though the project was still alive.
On May 15, 2015, David Lynch announced via Twitter that he would return to direct every episode of the Twin Peaks revival after resolving issues with Showtime, which also extended the season to 18 episodes.
By April 2016, filming was completed for the Twin Peaks revival season directed by David Lynch.
In 2016, Mulholland Drive was named the best film of the 21st century in a BBC poll of 177 film critics from 36 countries.
In 2016, during the U.S. presidential election, David Lynch endorsed Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primaries and Gary Johnson, the Libertarian nominee, in the general election.
The two-episode premiere of the Twin Peaks revival, directed by David Lynch, aired on May 21, 2017.
In 2017, David Lynch co-wrote and directed a third season of the television series "Twin Peaks".
In 2017, David Lynch's wife Emily Stofle appeared in his Twin Peaks revival
In 2017, The MacDowell Colony awarded David Lynch The Edward MacDowell Medal for outstanding contributions to American culture.
In June 2018, David Lynch published "Room to Dream," a biography-memoir hybrid written with Kristine McKenna.
In a June 2018 interview with The Guardian, David Lynch commented that Donald Trump could potentially be "one of the greatest presidents in history" due to his disruption of the country, although he later clarified that his words were taken out of context and that he did not support Trump's divisive policies.
In November 2018, a collaborative album by David Lynch and Angelo Badalamenti, Thought Gang, was released on vinyl and compact disc. The album was recorded around 1993 but not released at the time.
In 2018, David Lynch wrote in his memoir Room to Dream that some of the frames from the X Japan music video he collaborated on in 1993, for the song "Longing ~Setsubou no Yoru~", were incredibly beautiful despite the video's never being officially released.
On April 17, 2019, a video accompanying the song "Fire is Coming" by Flying Lotus, featuring guest vocals by David Lynch, was released.
In May 2019, David Lynch provided guest vocals on the track "Fire is Coming" by Flying Lotus. He also co-wrote the track that appears on Flying Lotus's album Flamagra.
In 2019, David Lynch received an Academy Honorary Award, celebrating his extensive and influential career in filmmaking.
In a 2019 interview by British artist Alexander de Cadenet, David Lynch discussed Transcendental Meditation as an experience that utilizes the full brain, leading to higher states of consciousness.
In June 2020, David Lynch rereleased his 2002 web series Rabbits on YouTube.
On July 17, 2020, David Lynch's store for merchandise released a set of face masks with his art on them for the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2020, David Lynch expressed support for the Black Lives Matter protests following the murder of George Floyd during one of his daily weather report videos.
In 2020, David Lynch returned to doing weather reports from his apartment in Los Angeles, along with two new series, What is David Lynch Working on Today?, and Today's Number Is....
In August 2024, David Lynch revealed in an interview that he had been diagnosed with emphysema in 2020 due to a lifetime of smoking, leading to being housebound and likely preventing him from directing new projects.
In May 2021, David Lynch produced a track, "I Am the Shaman", by Scottish artist Donovan. The song was released on May 10, Donovan's 75th birthday. Lynch also directed the accompanying video.
In February 2022, it was announced that David Lynch had been cast in Steven Spielberg's semi-autobiographical film The Fabelmans.
In April 2022, David Lynch announced a $500 million transcendental meditation world peace initiative, which aimed to fund transcendental meditation for 30,000 college students.
David Lynch delivered his final weather report on December 16, 2022.
David Lynch quit smoking in 2022 after starting at the age of eight and became reliant on supplemental oxygen for most daily activities.
In 2022, David Lynch had a role in the film "The Fabelmans".
In a 2022 weather report, David Lynch condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine and addressed Vladimir Putin directly, criticizing the absurdity of the situation.
In an April 2023 interview, David Lynch said that the weather reports, What is David Lynch Working on Today?, and Today's Number Is... would not return.
In 2023, David Lynch's wife Emily Stofle filed for divorce.
In August 2024, David Lynch released his final album, Cellophane Memories, a collaboration between him and Chrystabell. He also directed videos for two tracks on the album, "Sublime Eternal Love" and "The Answers to the Questions".
In August 2024, David Lynch revealed in an interview that he had been diagnosed with emphysema in 2020 due to a lifetime of smoking, leading to being housebound and likely preventing him from directing new projects.
In September 2024, David Lynch made his last published broadcast speech at Meditate America 2024, discussing the Beatles' practice of TM in India in 1968 and playing a cover of "Across the Universe".
On December 20, 2024, a divorce settlement agreement was reached between David Lynch and Emily Stofle, although the final divorce decree was not issued before Lynch's death.
In 1967 David Lynch and Peggy Reavey bought a 12-room house for $3,500, equivalent to $33,000 in 2024.
In 1967 H. Barton Wasserman, commissioned David Lynch for $1,000 (equivalent to $9,000 in 2024) to create a film installation in his home
In January 2025, David Lynch died from complications of emphysema after being evacuated from his home due to the Southern California wildfires. He was a life long smoker.
In January 2025, David Lynch was evacuated from his Los Angeles home due to Southern California wildfires. He died at his daughter's home in Los Angeles on the morning of January 16, at the age of 78.
On January 16, 2025, David Keith Lynch passed away due to complications of emphysema after being evacuated from his home due to the Southern California wildfires.
In February 2025, David Lynch's death certificate was publicly reported, citing cardiac arrest due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease as the cause of death, with dehydration as a contributing factor. He was cremated and his ashes were buried at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.
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