Early Life and Education of George Clooney: A Complete Timeline

How education and upbringing influenced the life of George Clooney. A timeline of key moments.

George Clooney is a highly acclaimed American actor, filmmaker, and philanthropist. He's celebrated for his leading roles in both major studio and independent films, earning numerous prestigious awards including two Academy Awards, a BAFTA, and four Golden Globes. He has been nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards. Clooney's contributions to the entertainment industry have been recognized with honors such as the Cecil B. DeMille Award, the Honorary César, the AFI Life Achievement Award, and the Kennedy Center Honor.

Sections (4)

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

1977: Tryout for the Cincinnati Reds

In 1977, George Clooney tried out for the Cincinnati Reds baseball team.

1995: Purchase of Los Angeles house

In 1995, George Clooney purchased a 7,354-square-foot house in Los Angeles through his George Guilfoyle Trust.

2005: TV Guide's Sexiest Star

In 2005, TV Guide ranked George Clooney No. 1 on its "50 Sexiest Stars of All Time" list.

April 2006: Travel to Chad and Sudan for TV special

In April 2006, George Clooney and his father spent ten days in Chad and Sudan to create the TV special 'A Journey to Darfur,' highlighting the situation of Darfur's refugees and advocating for action.

2006: Death of Max the pig

In 2006, Max, George Clooney's Vietnamese Pot-bellied pig, died after 18 years with Clooney. Clooney had initially purchased Max as a gift for Kelly Preston during their relationship in the late 1980s.

2006: Remarks at Golden Globe Awards

In 2006, at the 63rd Golden Globe Awards, George Clooney sarcastically thanked Jack Abramoff.

March 25, 2007: Open letter to Angela Merkel

On March 25, 2007, George Clooney sent an open letter to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, urging the European Union to take "decisive action" regarding the situation in Sudan due to President Omar al-Bashir's lack of response to UN resolutions.

June 2007: Dating Sarah Larson

In June 2007, George Clooney started dating reality personality Sarah Larson.

September 21, 2007: Motorcycle accident in New Jersey

On September 21, 2007, George Clooney and then-girlfriend Sarah Larson were injured in a motorcycle accident in Weehawken, New Jersey, when Clooney's motorcycle was hit by a car.

October 9, 2007: Staff suspension for medical record breach

On October 9, 2007, more than two dozen staff at Palisades Medical Center were suspended without pay for looking at George Clooney's medical records in violation of federal law.

November 2007: Appearance in 'Darfur Now'

In November 2007, Clooney appeared in the documentary film 'Darfur Now,' a call-to-action film urging people worldwide to help stop the Darfur crisis.

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December 2007: Summit Peace Award

In December 2007, George Clooney and Don Cheadle received the Summit Peace Award from the Nobel Peace Prize Laureates in Rome for their work on Darfur. In his acceptance speech, Clooney acknowledged their efforts had not yet resolved the atrocities in Darfur.

2007: Time's 100 Most Influential People

In 2007, George Clooney was named one of Time's 100 Most Influential People in the World.

January 18, 2008: Appointment as UN Messenger of Peace

On January 18, 2008, the United Nations announced George Clooney's appointment as a UN Messenger of Peace, effective January 31, to advocate for peace and human rights.

February 2008: Time cover story: The Last Movie Star

In February 2008, George Clooney was featured on the cover of Time magazine, with the headline "George Clooney: The Last Movie Star".

May 2008: Breakup with Sarah Larson

In May 2008, George Clooney and Sarah Larson ended their relationship.

2008: Support for Barack Obama's Presidential Campaign

In 2008, George Clooney supported Barack Obama's presidential campaign.

2008: Release of 'A Journey to Darfur' on DVD

In 2008, the documentary 'A Journey to Darfur' was released on DVD, with sale proceeds donated to the International Rescue Committee. This was part of Clooney's ongoing advocacy for Darfur.

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February 2009: Visit to Goz Beida, Chad

In February 2009, George Clooney visited Goz Beida, Chad, with New York Times columnist Nicholas D. Kristof.

July 2009: Relationship with Elisabetta Canalis

In July 2009, George Clooney began a relationship with Italian actress Elisabetta Canalis.

2009: Time's 100 Most Influential People

In 2009, George Clooney was named one of Time's 100 Most Influential People in the World.

January 2010: Organization of 'Hope for Haiti Now' Telethon

In January 2010, George Clooney organized the telethon 'Hope for Haiti Now', which collected donations for the 2010 Haiti earthquake victims.

October 2010: Initiation of Satellite Sentinel Project

Following an October 2010 trip to South Sudan, George Clooney conceived of and initiated the Satellite Sentinel Project (SSP) with John Prendergast. The SSP aimed to monitor armed activity for signs of renewed civil war between Sudan and South Sudan, and to detect and deter mass atrocities along the border regions.

May 2011: Op-ed in Washington Post

In May 2011, George Clooney and John Prendergast co-wrote a Washington Post op-ed piece titled 'Dancing with a dictator in Sudan'.

June 2011: Split with Elisabetta Canalis

In June 2011, George Clooney and Elisabetta Canalis ended their relationship.

July 2011: Dating Stacy Keibler

In July 2011, George Clooney started dating former WWE personnel Stacy Keibler.

March 2012: Performance in '8' Play

In March 2012, George Clooney starred in a performance of Dustin Lance Black's play '8', which was held at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre.

March 16, 2012: Arrest outside Sudanese Embassy

On March 16, 2012, George Clooney was arrested outside the Sudanese Embassy for civil disobedience during a planned protest against Omar al-Bashir's regime. Martin Luther King III was among the other prominent participants who were also arrested.

September 2012: Auction for GLSEN

In September 2012, George Clooney offered to take an auction winner out to lunch to benefit the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN).

2012: Support for Barack Obama's Presidential Campaign

In 2012, George Clooney supported Barack Obama's presidential campaign.

July 2013: End of relationship with Stacy Keibler

In July 2013, George Clooney and Stacy Keibler ended their relationship.

2013: Co-founding Casamigos Tequila

In 2013, George Clooney co-founded Casamigos Tequila with Rande Gerber and Michael Meldman.

April 28, 2014: Engagement to Amal Alamuddin

On April 28, 2014, George Clooney became engaged to British-Lebanese human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin.

July 2014: Rejection of Daily Mail apology

In July 2014, George Clooney publicly mocked the British tabloid newspaper Daily Mail after it claimed his fiancée's mother opposed their marriage, and he refused to accept their apology when they retracted the false story.

August 7, 2014: Obtaining marriage licenses

On August 7, 2014, George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin obtained marriage licenses at the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea of the United Kingdom.

September 27, 2014: Marriage to Amal Alamuddin

On September 27, 2014, George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin were officially married at Ca' Farsetti in Venice, Italy, in a ceremony officiated by Clooney's friend Walter Veltroni.

2014: Purchase of Mill House

In 2014, George Clooney and his wife Amal Alamuddin bought the Grade II listed Mill House on an island in the River Thames at Sonning Eye in Oxfordshire, England for approximately £10 million.

May 2015: Statement on Syrian conflict

In May 2015, George Clooney told the BBC that the Syrian conflict was too complicated politically to get involved in and he wanted to focus on helping the refugees.

2015: Adoption of rescue dog

In 2015, George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin adopted a rescue dog, a Basset Hound named Millie, from the San Gabriel Valley Humane Society.

March 2016: Meeting with Syrian refugees and Angela Merkel

In March 2016, George Clooney and his wife Amal met with Syrian refugees living in Berlin to mark the fifth anniversary of the conflict, before meeting with German chancellor Angela Merkel to thank her for Germany's open-door policy.

April 2016: Commemoration of Armenian Genocide

In April 2016, George Clooney visited Armenia to commemorate the 101st anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, reaffirming his support for its recognition.

2016: Endorsement of Hillary Clinton

In 2016, George Clooney endorsed Hillary Clinton for the presidential election.

February 9, 2017: Announcement of pregnancy

On February 9, 2017, the CBS talk show, The Talk, reported that Amal Clooney was pregnant with twins.

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June 6, 2017: Birth of twins

On June 6, 2017, Amal Clooney gave birth to twins, a daughter named Ella and a son named Alexander.

Others born on this day/year

June 2017: Sale of Casamigos Tequila to Diageo

In June 2017, Casamigos Tequila, co-founded by George Clooney, was sold to Diageo for $700 million with a possible additional $300 million.

June 1, 2018: Highest-Paid Actor

According to Forbes annual ranking, between June 1, 2017, and June 1, 2018, George Clooney was the world's highest-paid actor, earning $239 million.

July 10, 2018: Car accident in Sardinia

On July 10, 2018, George Clooney was hit by a car while riding a motorcycle to a film set in Sardinia and was hospitalized with minor injuries.

2018: Pledge to March for Our Lives

In 2018, following the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, the Clooneys pledged $500,000 to the March for Our Lives and said they would be in attendance.

March 28, 2019: Call for boycott of Sultan of Brunei's hotels

On March 28, 2019, George Clooney wrote an open letter calling for the boycott of the Sultan of Brunei's hotels, including The Dorchester, The Beverly Hills Hotel, and Hotel Bel-Air, in response to a new law that punishes homosexual sex and adultery with death by stoning.

April 3, 2019: New law enforced in Brunei

On April 3, 2019, the Sultan of Brunei's new law that punishes homosexual sex and adultery with death by stoning came into force, prompting George Clooney's boycott.

July 2020: Fundraiser for Joe Biden

In July 2020, George Clooney endorsed Joe Biden for the 2020 presidential election and hosted a virtual fundraiser for him with Obama.

August 7, 2020: Donation to Lebanese Charities

On August 7, 2020, George and Amal Clooney donated $100,000 to three Lebanese charities after the Beirut explosion.

2020: Twins speaking Italian

In 2020, George Clooney revealed on talk shows hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and Graham Norton that his twins can speak Italian fluently, despite neither he nor Amal Clooney speaking the language.

February 2021: Docuseries Production Announcement

In February 2021, it was reported that George Clooney's Smokehouse Pictures would produce a docuseries about the Ohio State University abuse scandal.

May 2021: Plans to buy vineyard in France

In May 2021, it was reported that George Clooney plans to buy a vineyard near the village of Brignoles, in France, which includes an 18th-century manor with its own swimming pool and a tennis court.

November 2021: Op-ed about publishing photos of his children

In November 2021, George Clooney wrote an op-ed to British tabloid The Daily Mail, petitioning them to stop publishing photos of his children, citing security concerns due to his wife's work as an international lawyer.

June 2022: HBO Announces Documentary Production

In June 2022, HBO announced the start of production for the documentary about the Ohio State University abuse scandal, with a planned debut on HBO and HBO MAX.

July 2024: Op-Ed Calling for Biden to Withdraw

In July 2024, George Clooney called for Joe Biden to withdraw from the 2024 presidential election citing Biden's performance in a debate.

2025: Statements Regarding Biden Op-Ed

In 2025, George Clooney, while promoting his Broadway play, stated that he stood by his decision to write the op-ed calling for Joe Biden to withdraw from the 2024 election.