History of James Bond in Timeline
James Bond is a fictional British Secret Service agent created by Ian Fleming in 1953, appearing in twelve novels and two short-story collections. After Fleming's death, other authors continued the series, including Kingsley Amis, Christopher Wood, John Gardner, Raymond Benson, Sebastian Faulks, Jeffery Deaver, William Boyd, Anthony Horowitz and Charlie Higson adding to the official series. Higson also penned a series about a young James Bond, and Kate Westbrook authored novels based on Moneypenny's diaries, expanding the Bond universe beyond the original novels.
November 1920: Fictional Birth Date of Bond
John Pearson's fictional biography of Bond, James Bond: The Authorized Biography of 007, gives Bond a birth date on November 1920.
November 1921: Alternative Fictional Birth Date of Bond
A study by John Griswold puts James Bond's date of birth at November 1921.
1953: Creation of James Bond
In 1953, Ian Fleming created the character James Bond, a British Secret Service agent, and featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections.
1953: Fleming Describes Bond's intended character
In 1953, Ian Fleming described his intention for James Bond to be a dull, uninteresting man to whom things happened and a blunt instrument, even considering the name "James Bond" to be the dullest he had ever heard.
1953: Publication of Casino Royale
In 1953, Jonathan Cape published 'Casino Royale' on the recommendation of Ian Fleming's older brother Peter.
1957: Fleming Agrees to Comic Strip Adaptation
In 1957, Ian Fleming agreed to adapt his James Bond stories into comic strips for the Daily Express.
July 1958: Publication of First Comic Strip
From July 7, 1958, the first James Bond comic strip, Casino Royale, written by Anthony Hern and illustrated by John McLusky, was published in the Daily Express.
December 1958: End of Casino Royale Comic Strip
On December 13, 1958, the Casino Royale comic strip concluded its run in the Daily Express.
1958: Publication of Dr. No novel
In 1958, Ian Fleming's novel 'Dr. No' was published, which later became the basis for the first James Bond film.
1958: Moonraker Radio Adaptation
In 1958, the novel Moonraker was adapted for broadcast on South African radio, with Bob Holness providing the voice of Bond.
October 1962: Dr. No Comic Book Adaptation Release
In October 1962, coinciding with the release of 'Dr. No,' a comic book adaptation of the screenplay, written by Norman J. Nodel, was published in Britain as part of the Classics Illustrated anthology series.
1962: "Bond... James Bond" Enters Popular Culture
Following the release of 'Dr. No' in 1962, the line "Bond... James Bond" became a catch phrase that entered the lexicon of Western popular culture.
1962: Release of Dr. No
In 1962, Eon Productions released 'Dr. No', the first cinema adaptation of an Ian Fleming novel, based on the 1958 novel of the same name, featuring Sean Connery as James Bond.
1962: Vatican City condemned Dr. No
In 1962, Vatican City's official newspaper L'Osservatore Romano condemned the film Dr. No, referring to it as "a dangerous mixture of violence, vulgarity, sadism and sex".
1962: "James Bond Theme" First Used
In 1962, the "James Bond Theme," written by Monty Norman and orchestrated by the John Barry Orchestra, was first used in 'Dr. No'.
1962: Influence of Dr. No on Spy Genre
Since the release of 'Dr. No' in 1962, James Bond has been a major influence within the spy genre.
January 1963: US Reprint of Dr. No Comic by DC Comics
In January 1963, the 'Dr. No' comic book adaptation was reprinted in the United States by DC Comics as part of its Showcase anthology series, marking the first American comic book appearance of James Bond. It was also censored for the American market.
1963: Court Case
In 1963, a court case in London allowed Kevin McClory to produce a remake of Thunderball.
1964: Carry On Spying Parody Film
In 1964, 'Carry On Spying' was released as a parody of James Bond films.
1964: Death of Ian Fleming
In 1964, Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond, passed away. Since his death, eight other authors have written authorized Bond novels or novelizations.
1964: Roger Moore appears as James Bond in a TV sketch
In 1964, Roger Moore appeared as James Bond in an extended comedy sketch opposite Millicent Martin in her ATV TV series Mainly Millicent, which also makes reference to 007.
1964: "Goldfinger" Release
In 1964, Shirley Bassey performed "Goldfinger", which was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2008.
1964: "Bondmania" Initiated
In 1964, following the enormous success of Goldfinger, the term "Bondmania" was initiated, describing the clamour for Bond films and their related products, from soundtrack LPs to children's toys, board games, alarm clocks playing the Bond theme, and 007-branded shirts.
1964: Gadgets Gain Prominence in Goldfinger
In the 1964 film 'Goldfinger', gadgets assumed a higher profile in James Bond films, becoming a motif throughout the series.
1965: Publication of The James Bond Dossier
In 1965, Kingsley Amis wrote a literary study of Fleming's Bond novels in his work 'The James Bond Dossier'.
1965: James Bond as mass-cult hero
In 1965, Time magazine observed that "James Bond has developed into the biggest mass-cult hero of the decade".
1965: Release of 'Thunderball'
In 1965, the Eon-produced film 'Thunderball', starring Sean Connery, was released.
1965: Release of The Ipcress File
In 1965, the first film in the Harry Palmer series, 'The Ipcress File', starring Michael Caine, was released as a reaction against the portrayal of James Bond.
1966: Yaroslav Horak replaces McClusky
In 1966, Yaroslav Horak replaced McClusky as artist for James Bond comic strips.
1966: Rise of Secret Agent Films
In 1966, there were 22 secret agent films released, attempting to capitalize on the popularity and success of the James Bond franchise.
1966: Posthumous Publication of Bond Books
In 1966, two years after Ian Fleming's death, the last two books he wrote, 'The Man with the Golden Gun' and 'Octopussy and The Living Daylights,' were published posthumously.
1967: Connery Leaves Role After You Only Live Twice
After starring in four more films, Sean Connery left the role of James Bond after 'You Only Live Twice' in 1967.
1967: Casino Royale Parody Film
In 1967, 'Casino Royale' was adapted into a parody Bond film starring David Niven.
1967: Queen Elizabeth II met Sean Connery
In 1967, Queen Elizabeth II met Sean Connery at the world premiere of You Only Live Twice.
1967: Release of 'Casino Royale' (spoof)
In 1967, an independent James Bond film production, 'Casino Royale,' a spoof starring David Niven, was released.
1967: Release of the second Flint film
In 1967, the second Flint film starring James Coburn was released. The Flint series with two films were released, one each in 1966 and 1967.
1968: Milk Tray Man Adverts Started
From 1968, the 'Milk Tray Man', a James Bond–style figure who undertakes daunting 'raids' to surreptitiously deliver a box of Milk Tray chocolates to a lady, started advertising Cadbury chocolate box Milk Tray.
1968: Publication of Colonel Sun
In 1968, a continuation novel, 'Colonel Sun,' was written by Kingsley Amis (as Robert Markham) and published.
1969: Lazenby Takes Over for On Her Majesty's Secret Service
In 1969, George Lazenby took over the role of James Bond for 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service' after Sean Connery's departure.
1969: Joanna Lumley appearance
Joanna Lumley appeared in the 1969 film adaptation.
1969: End of the Matt Helm Film Series
The four Matt Helm films starring Dean Martin released between 1966 and 1969 were testaments to Bond's prominence in popular culture.
1973: Moore Appointed as 007
In 1973, Roger Moore was appointed to the role of James Bond for 'Live and Let Die'.
1973: James Bond Featured in BBC Documentary
In 1973, the BBC documentary Omnibus: The British Hero featured Christopher Cazenove playing James Bond in dramatized scenes from Goldfinger and Diamonds Are Forever.
May 1977: End of Original Comic Strip Stories
In May 1977, original James Bond stories in comic strip format ceased publication in the Daily Express and Sunday Express.
1981: Gardner picks up Bond series
In 1981, John Gardner picked up the James Bond series with the novel 'License Renewed'.
1981: Marvel Comics Publishes 'For Your Eyes Only' Adaptation
In 1981, with the release of the film 'For Your Eyes Only,' Marvel Comics published a two-issue comic book adaptation of the movie.
1983: Release of James Bond 007 Video Game
In 1983, 'James Bond 007', the first Bond video game, developed and published by Parker Brothers, was released for various Atari and Commodore systems.
1983: James Bond 007: Role-Playing In Her Majesty's Secret Service Publication
In 1983, 'James Bond 007: Role-Playing In Her Majesty's Secret Service', a licensed tabletop role-playing game, was published by Victory Games.
1983: Release of Never Say Never Again
In 1983, 'Never Say Never Again', a remake of Thunderball starring Sean Connery, was released outside of the Eon series.
1983: Marvel and Eclipse Publish 'Octopussy' and 'Licence to Kill' Comics
In 1983, coinciding with the cinema release of 'Octopussy', Marvel published an accompanying comic book. Eclipse also produced a comic for 'Licence to Kill'.
1984: Publication of The James Bond Bedside Companion
In 1984, Raymond Benson's 'The James Bond Bedside Companion' was first published.
1987: End of Publication for James Bond 007: Role-Playing In Her Majesty's Secret Service
In 1987, Victory Games stopped publishing 'James Bond 007: Role-Playing In Her Majesty's Secret Service'.
1989: New Bond Stories Published
From 1989 onwards, new James Bond stories were published through Marvel, Eclipse Comics, Dark Horse Comics, and Dynamite Entertainment.
1990: You Only Live Twice adapted for BBC Radio 4
In 1990, You Only Live Twice was adapted into a 90-minute radio play for BBC Radio 4 with Michael Jayston playing James Bond.
1991: Release of James Bond Jr. animated series
In 1991, a spin-off animated series, James Bond Jr., was produced with Corey Burton in the role of Bond's nephew, James Bond Jr.
1995: Brosnan Cast as Bond
In 1995, after a six-year hiatus, Pierce Brosnan was cast as James Bond in 'GoldenEye'.
1996: Gardner retires from writing Bond
In 1996, John Gardner retired from writing James Bond books due to ill health.
1996: Raymond Benson becomes the author of the Bond novels
In 1996, Raymond Benson became the author of the James Bond novels.
December 1997: MGM Purchases Rights to Never Say Never Again
On December 4, 1997, MGM announced the purchase of the rights to 'Never Say Never Again' from Taliafilm.
1997: Release of GoldenEye 007 Video Game
In 1997, 'GoldenEye 007', a first-person shooter video game developed by Rare for the Nintendo 64 based on the film 'GoldenEye', was released.
1998: GoldenEye 007 Wins Award
In 1998, 'GoldenEye 007' won the BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Award for UK Developer of the Year.
December 1999: Tomorrow Never Dies Game Release
In December 1999, Electronic Arts released the video game 'Tomorrow Never Dies'.
October 2000: The World Is Not Enough Game Release
In October 2000, Electronic Arts released 'The World Is Not Enough' for the Nintendo 64.
November 2000: 007 Racing Game Release
In November 2000, Electronic Arts released '007 Racing' for the PlayStation.
2001: Norman Wins Libel Case
In 2001, Monty Norman won £30,000 in libel damages from The Sunday Times newspaper, which suggested that John Barry was entirely responsible for the composition of the "James Bond Theme".
2001: "Bond... James Bond" Voted Best One-Liner
In 2001, the line "Bond... James Bond" was voted as the "best-loved one-liner in cinema" by British cinema goers.
2002: Benson moves on to other projects
In 2002, Raymond Benson moved on to other, non-Bond related projects.
2002: Brosnan's Last Bond Film
Pierce Brosnan played James Bond in a total of four films, with his last appearance in 2002.
2003: James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing Release
In 2003, Electronic Arts released 'James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing', featuring the likenesses and voices of several actors.
2003: Milk Tray Man Adverts Continued
Until 2003, the 'Milk Tray Man', a James Bond–style figure who undertakes daunting 'raids' to surreptitiously deliver a box of Milk Tray chocolates to a lady, advertised Cadbury chocolate box Milk Tray.
October 2005: Release of Guardian Angel
On October 10, 2005, the first installment of the Moneypenny Diaries trilogy, subtitled 'Guardian Angel', was released in the UK.
November 2005: 007: From Russia with Love Game Release
In November 2005, Electronic Arts released a video game adaptation of '007: From Russia with Love', featuring Sean Connery.
2005: James Bond recognized as third greatest film hero
In 2005, the American Film Institute's 100 Years series recognized James Bond as the third greatest film hero.
2005: Start of Young Bond series
In 2005, the Young Bond series of novels was started by Charlie Higson.
2005: "Bond... James Bond" Honored by AFI
In 2005, the line "Bond... James Bond" was honored as the 22nd greatest quotation in cinema history by the American Film Institute as part of their 100 Years Series.
January 2006: Aston Martin DB5 Sold at Auction
In January 2006, one of the Aston Martin DB5s used in the James Bond films was sold at an auction in the US for $2.1 million to an unnamed European collector.
November 2006: Release of Secret Servant
On November 2, 2006, the second volume of the Moneypenny Diaries, subtitled 'Secret Servant' was released in the UK.
2006: Craig Takes the Role
In 2006, Daniel Craig was cast as James Bond for 'Casino Royale', which rebooted the series.
2006: Casino Royale Game Cancelled
In 2006, Electronic Arts cancelled the game based on the film 'Casino Royale' due to development delays. Franchise moved from EA to Activision.
May 2008: Release of Final Fling
On May 1, 2008, the third volume of the Moneypenny Diaries, subtitled 'Final Fling' was released.
May 2008: BBC Radio 4 broadcast of Dr. No
On May 24, 2008, BBC Radio 4 broadcast an adaptation of Dr. No with Toby Stephens playing Bond and David Suchet as Dr. Julius No.
October 2008: 007: Quantum of Solace Game Release
In October 2008, Activision released the '007: Quantum of Solace' game, based on the film of the same name.
October 2008: Release of SilverFin Graphic Novel
On October 2, 2008, the first Young Bond novel, 'SilverFin', was adapted and released as a graphic novel by Puffin Books.
2008: "Goldfinger" inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame
In 2008, Shirley Bassey's 1964 song "Goldfinger" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
2009: Charlie Higson's young Bond series
By 2009, Charlie Higson had published five novels and one short story of the Young Bond series.
April 2010: BBC Radio 4 broadcast Goldfinger
On April 3, 2010, BBC Radio 4 broadcast Goldfinger, with Toby Stephens as Bond, Ian McKellen as Auric Goldfinger, and Rosamund Pike as Pussy Galore.
November 2010: GoldenEye 007 Released for Wii and Nintendo DS
In November 2010, a new version of 'GoldenEye 007' featuring Daniel Craig was released for the Wii and a handheld version for the Nintendo DS.
2010: Another DB5 Sold at Auction
In 2010, another Aston Martin DB5 used in 'Goldfinger' was sold at auction for $4.6 million (£2.6 million).
May 2011: Publication of Carte Blanche
On May 26, 2011, Jeffery Deaver's 'Carte Blanche' was published, turning Bond into a post-9/11 agent.
2011: You Only Live Twice Radio Play Repeated
The BBC Radio 4 production of You Only Live Twice, which originally aired in 1990, was repeated a number of times between 2008 and 2011.
October 2012: 007 Legends Released
In October 2012, '007 Legends' was released, featuring one mission from each of the Bond actors of the Eon Productions' series.
2012: Vatican City gave positive reviews to the film Skyfall
In 2012, Vatican City's official newspaper L'Osservatore Romano gave positive reviews to the film Skyfall.
2012: James Bond appearance at London Olympics opening ceremony
In 2012, the character of James Bond, played by Craig, appeared in the opening ceremony of the London Olympics as Queen Elizabeth II's escort, solidifying his status as a British cultural icon.
2012: From Russia, with Love dramatised for Radio 4
In 2012, the novel From Russia, with Love was dramatised for Radio 4, featuring a full cast again starring Toby Stephens as Bond.
2012: YouGov Survey of American Bond Fans
In 2012, the polling organisation YouGov conducted a survey of American Bond fans, categorising responses by age, sex and political affiliation; all groups selected Sean Connery as their favorite Bond actor.
September 2013: Publication of Solo
On September 26, 2013, William Boyd's 'Solo', set in 1969, was published.
October 2013: Stephen Cole to continue Young Bond series
In October 2013, Ian Fleming Publications announced that Stephen Cole would continue the Young Bond series.
May 2014: BBC Radio 4 broadcast On Her Majesty's Secret Service
In May 2014, Toby Stephens played Bond in BBC Radio 4's adaptation of On Her Majesty's Secret Service, with Alfred Molina as Ernst Stavro Blofeld and Joanna Lumley as Irma Bunt.
October 2014: Horowitz to Write Bond Continuation Novel
In October 2014, it was announced that Anthony Horowitz was to write a Bond continuation novel.
2014: Global Popularity of James Bond Franchise
In 2014, it was estimated that approximately 20% of the world's population had watched at least one Bond film.
2014: Cole to continue Young Bond series
In Autumn 2014, Stephen Cole was scheduled to release the first edition of the Young Bond series.
September 2015: Release of Trigger Mortis
On September 8, 2015, Anthony Horowitz's 'Trigger Mortis' was released, containing previously unreleased material by Fleming.
2015: Eon Holds Full Adaptation Rights
As of 2015, Eon holds the full adaptation rights to all of Fleming's Bond novels.
2016: Milk Tray Man Adverts Continued
Since 2016, the 'Milk Tray Man', a James Bond–style figure who undertakes daunting 'raids' to surreptitiously deliver a box of Milk Tray chocolates to a lady, has advertised Cadbury chocolate box Milk Tray.
May 2018: Release of Forever and a Day
On May 31, 2018, Anthony Horowitz's second Bond novel, 'Forever and a Day', was released, based on unpublished material from Fleming.
2018: Poll on American Adults who have seen James Bond films
A 2018 poll found that 47% of American adults had seen at least one Bond film, with 27% having seen every film.
2018: James Bond Museum Opened in Austrian Alps
In 2018, a James Bond museum opened atop the Austrian Alps, constructed on the summit of Gaislachkogl Mountain in Sölden at 10,000 ft above sea level.
March 2020: James Bond Commemorated on UK Postage Stamp
In March 2020, James Bond was commemorated on a UK postage stamp issued by the Royal Mail as part of a series to mark the 25th Bond film release.
November 2020: Project 007 Announced
In November 2020, IO Interactive announced 'Project 007', an original James Bond video game in collaboration with MGM and Eon Productions.
September 2021: Cary Fukunaga described Sean Connery's Bond as 'basically a rapist'
In September 2021, No Time to Die director Cary Fukunaga described Sean Connery's version of Bond as 'basically a rapist', contributing to criticisms of misogyny and sexism in the Bond novels and films.
2021: Release of 'No Time to Die'
In 2021, the most recent Bond film, 'No Time to Die,' was released, starring Daniel Craig in his fifth portrayal of Bond.
March 2022: Amazon Purchases MGM
In March 2022, Amazon acquired Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) for $8.5 billion, including distribution rights to the James Bond movies.
May 2022: Publication of 'With a Mind to Kill'
On May 26, 2022, Anthony Horowitz's third Bond novel, 'With a Mind to Kill,' was published.
2022: Release of 007: Road to a Million
In 2022, a reality competition show based on the James Bond franchise, 007: Road to a Million, was released on Amazon Prime Video.
February 2023: Ian Fleming Publications edited the Bond series as part of a sensitivity review
In February 2023, Ian Fleming Publications, which administers all Fleming's literary works, edited the Bond series as part of a sensitivity review, including the removal of references to race, slurs, disparagements of women and homosexuality.
April 2023: Re-releases of the Bond series are planned
In April 2023, the re-releases of the edited Bond series are planned to tie into the 70th anniversary of Casino Royale.
May 2023: Publication of 'On His Majesty's Secret Service'
In May 2023, 'On His Majesty's Secret Service' by Charlie Higson was published.
2024: Survey on Bond Association
A 2024 survey by MoneyFarm found that 70% of Brits associated the word "bond" with James Bond, rather than savings products.
2024: Adjusted amount CBS paid Ian Fleming in 1954 for adapting Casino Royale
In 2024, the $1,000 CBS paid Ian Fleming in 1954 is equivalent to $11,709.
February 2025: Amazon Acquires Creative Control
By February 2025, Amazon MGM Studios paid an additional $1 billion to acquire creative control of the James Bond franchise, leading to the retirement of Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson.
March 2025: New Producers Appointed
In March 2025, Amazon closed deals with Amy Pascal and David Heyman to take over from Broccoli and Wilson as producers for the next James Bond installment.
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