Jerry Seinfeld is an acclaimed American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer, best known for creating and starring in the iconic sitcom "Seinfeld." The show, co-written with Larry David, aired on NBC for nine seasons (1989-1998) and achieved immense popularity and critical acclaim. Seinfeld's comedic style focuses on observational humor, drawing humor from everyday life experiences. His stand-up success earned him recognition as one of the greatest comedians of all time by Comedy Central in 2004.
April 29, 1954: Birth of Jerry Seinfeld
Jerry Seinfeld was born in Brooklyn, New York City.
1955: Seinfeld Owns a Porsche 550 Spyder
Seinfeld's car collection includes the 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder, the same model and pearl-grey color that actor James Dean had been driving before he crashed that car and subsequently died.
1967: Seinfeld Acquires Fiat 500
This is the implied year when Seinfeld acquired the 1967 Fiat 500 that was in the accident in 2008.
1976: Start of Stand-Up Career
After graduating from college, Jerry Seinfeld began performing stand-up comedy at open-mic nights.
1976: Graduation from Queens College
Jerry Seinfeld graduated from Queens College, City University of New York, with a degree in communications and theater.
1980: Role on Benson
Jerry Seinfeld had a small recurring role on the sitcom Benson, playing Frankie, a mail-delivery boy. He was later fired from the show due to creative differences.
January 1981: Performance at An Evening at the Improv
Jerry Seinfeld performed stand-up comedy on An Evening at the Improv.
1984: Relationship with Carol Leifer
Years before Seinfeld was created, Seinfeld dated Carol Leifer, a fellow comedian who inspired the character Elaine Benes. Seinfeld revealed on national television with Dr. Ruth Westheimer that he was engaged in 1984 but called it off.
September 5, 1987: Stand-Up Confidential Premiere
Jerry Seinfeld's first one-hour stand-up comedy special, Stand-Up Confidential, aired live on HBO.
1988: Creation of The Seinfeld Chronicles
Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David created the sitcom The Seinfeld Chronicles, later renamed Seinfeld, for NBC.
1989: Premiere of Seinfeld
The sitcom Seinfeld, created by and starring Jerry Seinfeld, premiered on NBC.
May 1993: Relationship with Shoshanna Lonstein
Jerry Seinfeld met 17-year-old Shoshanna Lonstein in Central Park, days after his 38th birthday. Seinfeld and Lonstein dated for approximately four years.
October 1993: Public Reactions to Relationship with Lonstein
In an interview with Playboy, Seinfeld described the range of reactions to his relationship with Lonstein as "from horrified to just busting buttons with pride."
March 1994: Seinfeld Defends Age Difference
Seinfeld defended the age difference between him and Lonstein in an interview with People, stating that "Shoshanna is a person, not an age."
1997: Breakup with Shoshanna Lonstein
Seinfeld and Lonstein's four-year relationship ended. Lonstein cited constant press coverage and missing New York City as reasons for the relationship ending.
August 1998: Meeting Jessica Sklar
Seinfeld met Jessica Sklar, a public relations executive for Tommy Hilfiger, at a Reebok Sports Club. He invited her out, unaware that she had just returned from her honeymoon.
1998: Seinfeld Finale and Return to Stand-Up
After the final episode of Seinfeld aired, Jerry Seinfeld declined a $110 million offer from NBC for a tenth season and decided to return to stand-up comedy.
1998: I'm Telling You for the Last Time Tour and Special
Jerry Seinfeld went on tour and recorded a comedy special titled I'm Telling You for the Last Time after ending his sitcom.
1998: Julia Louis-Dreyfus Supports Relationship
Julia Louis-Dreyfus expressed her support for Seinfeld's relationship with Lonstein in a New York interview, stating that she felt it was a happy relationship for him.
1998: End of Seinfeld
The final episode of Seinfeld aired, marking the end of the show's run.
December 25, 1999: Marriage to Jessica Sklar
Seinfeld married Jessica Sklar after she filed for divorce from her previous husband. Comedian George Wallace served as the best man.
1999: Seinfeld's Porsche 959 Made U.S. Street Legal
Seinfeld imported a Porsche 959 "for exhibition purposes," on the stipulation that it may never be driven on U.S. roads, because the car was "not street legal." The car was made U.S. street legal in 1999 under the "Show or Display" federal law.
1999: Breitling Chronomat Watch Auction
Seinfeld's Breitling Chronomat watch was auctioned for $11,000 as part of the "Famous Faces, Watch Auction For Charity" event in New York City.
2000: Purchase of Billy Joel's House
After news broke about their interest in the property, Jerry and Jessica Seinfeld purchased Billy Joel's house in Amagansett, Long Island for $32 million.
2000: Political Contributions
Jerry Seinfeld made political contributions to George W. Bush and Al Gore's presidential campaigns. He also donated to four Democratic party primary candidates in 2000 and 2004.
2001: Establishment of The Good+Foundation
After the birth of their first child, Jerry and Jessica Seinfeld founded The Good+Foundation, a charitable organization that donates products and services to programs addressing family poverty.
2002: Seinfeld Builds Garage for Porsche Collection
In 2002, Seinfeld purchased property on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City where he built a $1.4 million two-story garage to store part of his Porsche collection on the East Coast.
2002: Release of Comedian Documentary
The documentary Comedian, directed by Christian Charles, chronicled Jerry Seinfeld's process of developing and performing new stand-up material after the end of his sitcom.
February 2004: Seinfeld Reviews Porsche Carrera GT in Automobile Magazine
Seinfeld wrote an article for the February 2004 issue of Automobile, reviewing the Porsche Carrera GT.
November 18, 2004: Seinfeld Donates "Puffy Shirt" to National Museum of American History
Jerry Seinfeld donated the iconic "puffy shirt" from the Seinfeld episode of the same name to the National Museum of American History. He gave a humorous speech, calling it the "most embarrassing moment of my life."
2004: Recognition as a Top Stand-Up Comedian
Comedy Central named Jerry Seinfeld the 12th-greatest stand-up comedian of all time.
2004: Seinfeld Tops Celebrity Earnings List
According to Forbes magazine, Seinfeld's cumulative earnings from Seinfeld as of 2004 was $267 million, placing him at the top of the celebrity earnings list that year. He also earned $100 million from syndication deals and stand-up performances in 2004.
2004: Political Contributions
Jerry Seinfeld made political contributions to four Democratic party primary candidates in 2000 and 2004.
May 13, 2006: Seinfeld Cameos on Saturday Night Live
Seinfeld made a cameo appearance on Saturday Night Live as Julia Louis-Dreyfus' assassin, playing on the "Seinfeld curse."
2006: Seinfeld Earns $60 Million
Seinfeld earned $60 million in 2006.
February 25, 2007: Seinfeld Presents at the 79th Academy Awards
Seinfeld presented the award for Best Documentary at the 79th Academy Awards, delivering a monologue about the unspoken agreement between movie theater owners and movie patrons.
October 4, 2007: Seinfeld Guest Stars on 30 Rock
Seinfeld made a guest appearance as himself in the 30 Rock episode "SeinfeldVision."
2007: Release of Bee Movie
Jerry Seinfeld co-produced, co-wrote, and starred in the animated film Bee Movie, which was nominated for a Golden Globe Award.
February 24, 2008: Seinfeld Voices Bee Movie Character at 80th Academy Awards
Seinfeld, as his Bee Movie character Barry, presented the award for Best Animated Short Film at the 80th Academy Awards, showing a bee-themed montage he jokingly claimed was his early work.
June 2, 2008: Seinfeld Performs Stand-Up for Charity
Seinfeld performed a one-night-only stand-up show in New York City to benefit Stand Up for a Cure, a charity aiding lung cancer research.
June 2008: Highest-Paid Comedian
Between June 2008 and June 2009, Seinfeld earned $85 million, making him the world's highest-paid comedian during those 12 months.
August 2008: Seinfeld Becomes Pitchman for Windows Vista
Seinfeld was announced as the pitchman for Windows Vista in a $300 million advertising campaign by Microsoft.
September 2008: Windows Vista Advertisements with Seinfeld Air
The Windows Vista advertisements featuring Seinfeld began airing. However, they were short-lived, with Microsoft opting to continue with the "I'm a PC" campaign.
2008: Seinfeld's Fiat 500 Accident
In 2008, Seinfeld was involved in a car accident when the brakes on his 1967 Fiat 500 failed and, to avoid an intersection, he pulled the emergency brake while turning sharply, ultimately causing the car to flip onto its side. No one was hurt.
March 2009: Seinfeld Cast Reunites on Curb Your Enthusiasm
Seinfeld and the entire cast of Seinfeld reunited for a fictional reunion in the seventh-season finale of Larry David's HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm.
June 2009: End of Highest-Paid Comedian Reign
The period between June 2008 and June 2009 marked the end of 12 months in which Seinfeld was the world's highest-paid comedian. He earned $85 million during this period.
September 14, 2009: Seinfeld Guests on The Jay Leno Show Premiere
Seinfeld was the first guest on Jay Leno's talk show The Jay Leno Show.
2009: David Lynch Foundation Benefit
Jerry Seinfeld appeared at a David Lynch Foundation benefit for Transcendental Meditation, which also featured appearances by Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr.
August 30, 2010: Seinfeld Appears on The Howard Stern Show
Seinfeld made a surprise guest appearance on The Howard Stern Show, ending their feud from the early 1990s.
2010: Premiere of The Marriage Ref
The reality series The Marriage Ref, created and hosted by Jerry Seinfeld, premiered on NBC.
July 2011: Seinfeld Appears on The Daily Show
Seinfeld made a surprise guest appearance on The Daily Show, helping Jon Stewart resist telling jokes about Michele Bachmann's husband.
December 2012: Advocacy for Transcendental Meditation
Jerry Seinfeld revealed that he had been practicing Transcendental Meditation for 40 years and promoted its use in treating post-traumatic stress disorder with Bob Roth of the David Lynch Foundation on Good Morning America.
2012: Launch of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee
Jerry Seinfeld created and began hosting the web series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.
2012: Seinfeld Launches Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee
Seinfeld launched his web series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, featuring him driving and having conversations with fellow comedians.
2013: Seinfeld Discusses Coffee Culture on NPR
When NPR asked him about the influence of coffee culture in the U.S., Seinfeld responded in 2013.
2013: Forbes Documents Seinfeld's Annual Income
In 2013, Forbes documented Seinfeld's annual income as $32 million. In mid-2013, Seinfeld disputed Forbes's claims regarding his income and net worth on The Howard Stern Show.
November 5, 2015: "Change Begins Within" Concert
Seinfeld spoke at "Change Begins Within," a benefit concert organized by the David Lynch Foundation at Carnegie Hall to promote transcendental meditation for stress control.
2015: Seinfeld Ranked Highest-Paid Comedian
Seinfeld was ranked by Forbes the highest-paid comedian for 2015.
June 2016: Second Highest-Paid Comedian
Seinfeld was ranked by Forbes the second-highest-paid comedian in 2016.
June 2017: Highest-Paid Comedian Again
Seinfeld was ranked by Forbes the highest-paid comedian in 2017. His income between June 2016 and June 2017 was $69 million.
2019: Conclusion of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee
The web series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee concluded.
2024: Seinfeld Becomes a Billionaire
In 2024, Bloomberg declared Seinfeld a billionaire, with a net worth standing at more than $1 billion, thanks to various syndication deals his sitcom signed, with $465 million coming from those deals.