History of James Bond in Timeline
James Bond is a fictional British Secret Service agent created by Ian Fleming in 1953. Featured in twelve novels and two short-story collections by Fleming, the character's adventures have been continued by eight other authors since Fleming's death. These authors have penned authorized Bond novels and novelizations, expanding the Bond universe with new stories and perspectives. Recent contributions include a novel by Charlie Higson, published in May 2023, and series focusing on a young James Bond. Kate Westbrook has also added to the lore with novels based on the diaries of Moneypenny.
1957: Ian Fleming agrees to adapt James Bond stories into comic strips
In 1957, the Daily Express approached Ian Fleming with an offer to adapt his James Bond novels into comic strips for £1,500 per novel plus a share of syndication takings. After initial reluctance, Fleming agreed to the adaptation.
July 1958: Publication of 'Casino Royale' comic strip
In July 1958, the Daily Express began publishing the comic strip adaptation of 'Casino Royale'. The strip was written by Anthony Hern and illustrated by John McLusky, marking the beginning of James Bond's journey into the world of comic strips.
December 1958: End of 'Casino Royale' comic strip publication
In December 1958, the Daily Express concluded the publication of the comic strip adaptation of Ian Fleming's 'Casino Royale', which had started in July of the same year. The comic strip was written by Anthony Hern and illustrated by John McLusky.
1958: Publication of 'Dr. No' novel
In 1958, Ian Fleming's novel 'Dr. No' was published. It served as the basis for the first James Bond film, released in 1962.
October 1962: Release of 'Dr. No' comic book adaptation
In October 1962, coinciding with the release of the film '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: Release of 'Dr. No', the first James Bond film
In 1962, Eon Productions released 'Dr. No', the first cinema adaptation of an Ian Fleming novel. The film, based on the 1958 novel of the same name, starred Sean Connery as James Bond.
1962: L'Osservatore Romano Condemns 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: "Bond ... James Bond" became a catch phrase
In 1962, following the release of the film Dr. No, the line "Bond ... James Bond", became a catch phrase that entered the lexicon of Western popular culture.
1962: Premiere of the "James Bond Theme" in 'Dr. No'
In 1962, the "James Bond Theme," written by Monty Norman and orchestrated by the John Barry Orchestra, premiered in the film 'Dr. No'.
1962: Release of Dr. No
In 1962, the film Dr. No was released, marking a major influence within the spy genre.
January 1963: US reprint of 'Dr. No' comic book adaptation
In January 1963, the comic book adaptation of 'Dr. No', previously published in Britain in October 1962, was reprinted in the United States by DC Comics as part of its Showcase anthology series, marking James Bond's first American comic book appearance.
1963: Court case allows Kevin McClory to remake Thunderball
In 1963, a court case in the High Court in London allowed Kevin McClory to produce a remake of Thunderball.
1964: Shirley Bassey performs "Goldfinger"
In 1964, Shirley Bassey performed the song "Goldfinger" for the James Bond film of the same name.
1964: Initiation of Bondmania
In 1964, following the enormous success of Goldfinger, "Bondmania" began, describing the clamour for Bond films and their related products.
1964: Increased use of gadgets in 'Goldfinger'
In 1964, following the success of 'Goldfinger', the use of spy equipment and gadgets from Q Branch became more prominent in the James Bond series.
1964: Release of Carry On Spying
In 1964, the film Carry On Spying, the first parody of James Bond, was released. It featured agents who included James Bind and Daphne Honeybutt overcoming the villain Dr. Crow.
1965: Release of The Ipcress File
In 1965, The Ipcress File, the first film in the Harry Palmer series starring Michael Caine, was released. The film reacted against the portrayal of James Bond.
1965: Time Magazine Observation
In 1965, Time magazine observed that "James Bond has developed into the biggest mass-cult hero of the decade".
1966: Yaroslav Horak replaces John McLusky as artist
In 1966, Yaroslav Horak replaced John McLusky as the artist for the James Bond comic strip adaptations after the Fleming and Amis material had been adapted.
1966: Bond Franchise Popularity and Success
In 1966, a total of 22 secret agent films were released, all attempting to capitalise on the James Bond franchise's popularity and success. Also, the Matt Helm film series starring Dean Martin began releases and the Flint series starring James Coburn also released one film.
1967: Release of 'Casino Royale' parody film
In 1967, 'Casino Royale' was adapted into a parody Bond film starring David Niven as Sir James Bond and Ursula Andress as Vesper Lynd.
1967: Queen Elizabeth Met Sean Connery
In 1967, Queen Elizabeth II met Sean Connery at the world premiere of You Only Live Twice.
1967: Sean Connery leaves the role of James Bond after 'You Only Live Twice'
In 1967, Sean Connery left the role of James Bond after starring in the film 'You Only Live Twice'.
1967: Release of second and last Flint Film
In 1967, the Flint series starring James Coburn released its second and last film.
1968: Milk Tray Man Advertisements Began
From 1968 to 2003, the Cadbury chocolate box Milk Tray has been advertised by the 'Milk Tray Man', a tough James Bond–style figure who undertakes daunting 'raids' to surreptitiously deliver a box of Milk Tray chocolates to a lady.
1969: Matt Helm film series ended
Between 1966 and 1969, the Matt Helm film series starring Dean Martin, released a total of four films, with the last being released in 1969.
1969: George Lazenby takes over as James Bond in 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service'
In 1969, George Lazenby took over the role of James Bond from Sean Connery, starring in 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service'.
1973: Roger Moore's debut as James Bond in 'Live and Let Die'
In 1973, Roger Moore took on the role of James Bond, debuting in 'Live and Let Die'.
May 1977: End of original Bond stories in Daily and Sunday Express
In May 1977, original James Bond stories, published after the adaptation of Fleming and Amis's material, ceased publication in the Daily Express and Sunday Express.
1981: Marvel publishes 'For Your Eyes Only' comic adaptation
In 1981, with the release of the film 'For Your Eyes Only', Marvel Comics published a two-issue comic book adaptation of the film.
1983: Release of 'Never Say Never Again'
In 1983, Kevin McClory released 'Never Say Never Again', a remake of Thunderball starring Sean Connery as James Bond, but not part of the Eon series.
1983: Release of 'James Bond 007' video game
In 1983, Parker Brothers developed and released the first Bond video game, 'James Bond 007', for various platforms including Atari 2600, Atari 5200, Atari 8-bit computers, Commodore 64, and ColecoVision.
1983: Publication of 'James Bond 007: Role-Playing In Her Majesty's Secret Service'
In 1983, Victory Games published 'James Bond 007: Role-Playing In Her Majesty's Secret Service', a licensed tabletop role-playing game designed by Gerard Christopher Klug.
1983: Marvel publishes 'Octopussy' comic book adaptation
In 1983, upon the release of the movie 'Octopussy', Marvel Comics released a comic book adaptation of the film to accompany the cinema release.
1987: Continued publication of 'James Bond 007: Role-Playing In Her Majesty's Secret Service'
In 1987, Victory Games continued the publication of 'James Bond 007: Role-Playing In Her Majesty's Secret Service', a licensed tabletop role-playing game.
1989: New Bond stories published through Marvel, Eclipse, Dark Horse, and Dynamite
From 1989 onwards, new and original James Bond comic stories were published through various comic book publishers, including Marvel Comics, Eclipse Comics, Dark Horse Comics, and Dynamite Entertainment.
1995: Pierce Brosnan cast as James Bond in 'GoldenEye'
In 1995, after a six-year hiatus, Pierce Brosnan was cast as James Bond, making his debut in 'GoldenEye'.
December 1997: MGM announces purchase of 'Never Say Never Again' rights
On December 4, 1997, MGM announced its acquisition of the rights to 'Never Say Never Again' from Taliafilm, Jack Schwartzman's production company.
1997: Release of 'GoldenEye 007' for Nintendo 64
In 1997, Rare developed and released the first-person shooter video game 'GoldenEye 007' for the Nintendo 64, based on the film 'GoldenEye'.
1998: 'GoldenEye 007' wins BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Award
In 1998, the video game 'GoldenEye 007' won the BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Award for UK Developer of the Year.
December 1999: Electronic Arts releases 'Tomorrow Never Dies'
On December 16, 1999, Electronic Arts released the video game 'Tomorrow Never Dies'.
October 2000: Electronic Arts releases 'The World Is Not Enough' for Nintendo 64
In October 2000, Electronic Arts released the video game 'The World Is Not Enough' for the Nintendo 64.
November 2000: Electronic Arts releases '007 Racing' for PlayStation
On November 21, 2000, Electronic Arts released the video game '007 Racing' for the PlayStation.
2001: "best-loved one-liner in cinema"
In 2001, "Bond ... James Bond" was voted as the "best-loved one-liner in cinema" by British cinema goers.
2001: Monty Norman wins libel case over "James Bond Theme" authorship
In 2001, Monty Norman won £30,000 in libel damages from The Sunday Times newspaper, which had suggested that John Barry was entirely responsible for the composition of the "James Bond Theme".
2002: Pierce Brosnan's final Bond film released
In 2002, Pierce Brosnan appeared in his fourth and final James Bond film.
2003: Milk Tray Man Advertisements Ended
From 1968 to 2003, the Cadbury chocolate box Milk Tray has been advertised by the 'Milk Tray Man', a tough James Bond–style figure who undertakes daunting 'raids' to surreptitiously deliver a box of Milk Tray chocolates to a lady. The advertisements ended in 2003.
2003: Electronic Arts releases 'James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing'
In 2003, Electronic Arts released 'James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing', featuring the likenesses and voices of Pierce Brosnan, Willem Dafoe, Heidi Klum, Judi Dench, and John Cleese.
November 2005: Electronic Arts releases '007: From Russia with Love'
In November 2005, Electronic Arts released a video game adaptation of '007: From Russia with Love', featuring Sean Connery's image and voice-over for Bond.
2005: James Bond Character Recognition
In 2005, the American Film Institute's 100 Years series recognised the character of James Bond himself as the third greatest film hero.
2005: American Film Institute Honour
In 2005, the line "Bond ... James Bond" was honoured 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 for $2.1 million
In January 2006, one of the Aston Martin DB5 cars used in the James Bond films was sold at an auction in the US for $2.1 million to an unnamed European collector.
2006: Daniel Craig debuts as James Bond in 'Casino Royale'
In 2006, Daniel Craig debuted as James Bond in 'Casino Royale', which rebooted the series.
2006: Electronic Arts cancels 'Casino Royale' game
In 2006, Electronic Arts announced a game based on the then-upcoming film 'Casino Royale', but it was cancelled due to development delays.
October 2008: Activision releases '007: Quantum of Solace' game
On October 31, 2008, Activision released the '007: Quantum of Solace' game, based on the film of the same name.
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.
November 2010: Release of 'GoldenEye 007' featuring Daniel Craig for Wii and Nintendo DS
In November 2010, a new version of 'GoldenEye 007' featuring Daniel Craig was released for the Wii, with a handheld version for the Nintendo DS.
2010: Aston Martin DB5 used in 'Goldfinger' sold at auction for $4.6 million
In 2010, another Aston Martin DB5, specifically one used in the film 'Goldfinger', was sold at auction for $4.6 million (£2.6 million).
October 2012: Release of '007 Legends'
In October 2012, '007 Legends' was released, featuring one mission from each of the Bond actors of the Eon Productions' series.
2012: James Bond at the London Olympics
In 2012, James Bond, played by Craig, appeared in the opening ceremony of the London Olympics as Queen Elizabeth II's escort.
2012: L'Osservatore Romano Gives Positive Review to Skyfall
In 2012, Vatican City's official newspaper L'Osservatore Romano gave positive reviews to the film Skyfall, after condemning Dr. No back in 1962.
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. The survey found that all groups selected Sean Connery as their favourite Bond actor.
2014: Franchise Popularity Estimate
In 2014, it was estimated that approximately 20% of the world's population had watched at least one James Bond film.
2015: Eon holds full adaptation rights to all Fleming's Bond novels
As of 2015, Eon Productions holds the full adaptation rights to all of Ian Fleming's James Bond novels.
2016: Milk Tray Man Advertisements Restarted
Since 2016, the Cadbury chocolate box Milk Tray has been advertised by the 'Milk Tray Man', a tough James Bond–style figure who undertakes daunting 'raids' to surreptitiously deliver a box of Milk Tray chocolates to a lady.
2018: Poll on Bond Film Viewership
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 2018, a James Bond museum opened atop the Austrian Alps, constructed on the summit of Gaislachkogl Mountain in Sölden.
March 2020: Royal Mail Bond Series Postage Stamps
In March 2020, Bond was commemorated on a UK postage stamp issued by the Royal Mail, as part of their series to mark the 25th Bond film release.
November 2020: IO Interactive announces new James Bond video game
In November 2020, IO Interactive announced a new original James Bond video game, later titled 'First Light'.
September 2021: Cary Fukunaga's Description of Sean Connery's Bond
In September 2021, No Time to Die director Cary Fukunaga described Sean Connery's version of Bond as 'basically a rapist'.
March 2022: Amazon purchases MGM, acquiring James Bond movie rights
In March 2022, Amazon completed the purchase of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) for $8.5 billion, thus acquiring the distribution rights to MGM's library of films, including the James Bond movies.
February 2023: Ian Fleming Publications Edits Bond Series
In February 2023, Ian Fleming Publications edited the Bond series as part of a sensitivity review.
April 2023: Re-releases of Bond Series Planned
In April 2023, the re-releases of the Bond series are planned to tie into the 70th anniversary of Casino Royale. The new editions will remove a number of references to race, along with some disparagements of women and homosexuality, and include a disclaimer.
2024: MoneyFarm survey results
In 2024, a survey by MoneyFarm found that 70% of Brits associated the word "bond" with James Bond, rather than the savings product.
February 2025: Amazon acquires creative control of James Bond franchise
By February 2025, Amazon MGM Studios paid an additional $1 billion to gain creative control over the future of the James Bond franchise from Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, who are retiring from their oversight roles.
March 2025: Amy Pascal and David Heyman take over James Bond franchise production
In March 2025, Amazon finalized deals with Amy Pascal and David Heyman to replace Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson as producers for the next James Bond installment.
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