History of Jim Lovell in Timeline
James "Jim" Lovell is a retired American astronaut, naval aviator, and mechanical engineer. He is renowned for his pivotal role in space exploration, notably as the command module pilot of Apollo 8 in 1968, making him one of the first humans to orbit the Moon alongside Frank Borman and William Anders. Lovell is most famously known for commanding the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission in 1970. Despite a critical equipment failure during the mission, Lovell and his crew successfully navigated their spacecraft around the Moon and safely returned to Earth. Beyond his astronautical achievements, Lovell has also made minor appearances in films.
July 11, 1930: Marilyn Lovell Born
Marilyn Lovell, Jim Lovell's wife, was born on July 11, 1930.
1933: Death of James Lovell Sr.
In 1933, James Lovell's father, James Lovell Sr., who was a furnace salesman, died in a car accident.
1946: University of Wisconsin
In 1946, James Lovell attended the University of Wisconsin in Madison for two years, studying engineering under the United States Navy's "Flying Midshipman" program.
July 1948: Entered the United States Naval Academy
In July 1948, James Lovell entered the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, after securing a nomination from his local U.S. Representative, John C. Brophy.
1948: Continued Studies at University of Wisconsin
In 1948, James Lovell continued studying engineering at the University of Wisconsin, under the United States Navy's "Flying Midshipman" program
October 1952: Flight training at Naval Air Station Pensacola
From October 1952 James Lovell underwent flight training at Naval Air Station Pensacola.
1952: Graduation from the United States Naval Academy
In 1952, James Lovell graduated from the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and subsequently flew F2H Banshee night fighters, being deployed in the Western Pacific aboard the aircraft carrier USS Shangri-La.
1952: Graduation and Marriage
In 1952, James Lovell graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree and was commissioned as an ensign in the Navy. On June 6, 1952, he married Marilyn Lillie Gerlach.
February 1, 1954: Designated a Naval Aviator
On February 1, 1954, James Lovell was designated a naval aviator upon completion of pilot training.
February 1954: Assigned to VC-3 at Moffett Field
In February 1954, James Lovell was assigned to VC-3 at Moffett Field near San Francisco, California.
1956: Reassigned to provide pilot transition training
In 1956, upon returning to shore duty, James Lovell was reassigned to provide pilot transition training for the North American FJ-4 Fury, McDonnell F3H Demon and Vought F8U Crusader.
January 1958: Test Pilot Training
In January 1958, James Lovell entered a six-month test pilot training course at the Naval Air Test Center at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, graduating at the top of his class.
1960: McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II program manager
In 1960, James Lovell became the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II program manager.
1960: F-4 Phantom II program manager
In 1960, James Lovell became the Navy's McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II program manager.
1961: Flight instructor and safety engineering officer
In 1961, James Lovell became a flight instructor and safety engineering officer at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and completed Aviation Safety School at the University of Southern California.
September 1962: Accepted into NASA's second group of astronauts
In September 1962, James Lovell was accepted into NASA as one of the second group of astronauts for the Gemini and Apollo programs, after initially being rejected as one of the Mercury Seven astronauts due to a temporarily high bilirubin count.
October 1962: Moved to Houston area
In October 1962, James Lovell and the new astronauts moved to the Houston area, where Lovell and Conrad built houses in Timber Cove.
July 29, 1964: Selected as backup pilot for Gemini 4
On July 29, 1964, James Lovell was selected as backup pilot for Gemini 4, positioning him for his first space flight three missions later.
July 1, 1965: Selection for Gemini 7 mission announced
On July 1, 1965, James Lovell and Frank Borman were officially announced as the crew for the Gemini 7 mission, with Edward White and Michael Collins as their backup crew.
October 15, 1965: Agena target vehicle explosion
On October 15, 1965, James Lovell was present at the Launch Control Center at Cape Kennedy when the Agena target vehicle that Gemini 6 was supposed to rendezvous with exploded soon after takeoff.
December 4, 1965: Gemini 7 Liftoff
On December 4, 1965, Gemini 7, carrying James Lovell and Frank Borman, lifted off and reached its intended near-circular orbit.
1965: Gemini 7 mission
In 1965, James Lovell flew in space on the Gemini 7 mission with Frank Borman.
January 24, 1966: Named backup command pilot of Gemini 10
On January 24, 1966, James Lovell was named as the backup command pilot of Gemini 10, with Aldrin as the pilot.
1966: Gemini 12 mission
In 1966, James Lovell flew in space on the Gemini 12 mission. He was the first person to fly into space four times.
1966: Harmon International Trophy Awarded
In 1966, the Gemini 6 and 7 crews were awarded the Harmon International Trophy.
January 27, 1967: Attended Outer Space Treaty signing
On January 27, 1967, James Lovell attended the signing of the Outer Space Treaty in Washington, D.C., along with other astronauts.
1967: Second Harmon International Trophy Awarded to Lovell
In 1967, Jim Lovell and Buzz Aldrin received a second Harmon International Trophy for their Gemini 12 flight.
April 1968: Apollo command module seaworthiness test in Gulf of Mexico
In April 1968, Jim Lovell, along with Stuart Roosa and Charles Duke, spent 48 hours in the redesigned Apollo command module CM-007A, bobbing in the Gulf of Mexico to test its seaworthiness. The crew assessed the spacecraft's ability to right itself from an upside-down position, with the NASA research vessel MV Retriever standing by.
July 1968: Lovell Replaces Collins on Apollo 9 Prime Crew
In July 1968, Jim Lovell replaced Michael Collins as the Command Module Pilot on the prime crew for Apollo 9 after Collins required surgery for a bone spur. This change reunited Lovell with Frank Borman, his commander from Gemini 7, and William Anders as LMP.
August 10, 1968: Apollo 8 and Apollo 9 Missions Swapped
On August 10, 1968, the Apollo 8 and Apollo 9 prime and backup crews were swapped in the flight schedule due to construction delays with the Lunar Module. This decision meant the crew trained for the low-orbit test would fly it as Apollo 9 when the LM was ready, and the lunar orbital flight became Apollo 8.
December 21, 1968: Apollo 8 Launched
On December 21, 1968, Apollo 8, carrying Jim Lovell, Frank Borman, and William Anders, launched. This mission marked the first time a crew traveled to the Moon and rode the Saturn V rocket.
1968: Apollo 8 mission
In 1968, Jim Lovell, as command module pilot of Apollo 8, along with Frank Borman and William Anders, became one of the first three astronauts to fly to and orbit the Moon.
1968: Apollo 8 Crew Wins Awards
In 1968, the Apollo 8 crew won the Robert J. Collier Trophy and the General Thomas D. White USAF Space Trophy.
January 3, 1969: Lovell Featured on Time Magazine Cover
On January 3, 1969, Jim Lovell was featured on the cover of Time magazine.
August 1969: Anders Accepts Job, Mattingly Trains as Backup
In August 1969, William Anders accepted a job with the National Aeronautics and Space Council and announced his retirement as an astronaut. Consequently, Ken Mattingly was moved into parallel training as backup CMP for Apollo 11 in case the mission was delayed past its intended launch date.
1969: Apollo 8 Crew Awarded Dr. Robert H. Goddard Memorial Trophy
In 1969, President Richard Nixon awarded the Apollo 8 crew the Dr. Robert H. Goddard Memorial Trophy. In the same year, Lovell was awarded his third Harmon International Trophy for his role in the Apollo 8 mission. The Apollo 7, 8, 9, and 10 crews were awarded the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Special Trustees Award.
April 11, 1970: Apollo 13 Launched with Lovell Aboard
On April 11, 1970, Jim Lovell launched aboard Apollo 13 with Fred Haise and Jack Swigert. The mission aimed to land near the Fra Mauro crater to gather material from the Imbrium basin for dating, which would provide insights into the early history of the Earth and Moon.
April 24, 1970: Lovell Featured on Life Magazine Cover
On April 24, 1970, Jim Lovell was featured on the cover of Life magazine.
April 27, 1970: Lovell Featured on Time Magazine Cover
On April 27, 1970, Jim Lovell was featured on the cover of Time magazine.
1970: Crater on Moon Named After Lovell
In 1970, a small crater on the far side of the Moon was named Lovell in Jim Lovell's honor.
1970: Apollo 8 Crew Wins AIAA Haley Astronautics Award
In 1970, the Apollo 8 crew was awarded the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Haley Astronautics Award. Jim Lovell was also awarded the 1970 City of Houston Medal for Valor and his second Haley Astronautics Award for his role on Apollo 13.
March 1, 1973: Lovell Retires from Navy and Space Program
On March 1, 1973, Jim Lovell retired from the Navy and the space program.
1973: Lovell's space flight record
In 1973, Jim Lovell's record of 715 hours and 5 minutes in space flights on his Gemini and Apollo missions was surpassed by the Skylab 3 mission. During the Apollo 13 mission, Lovell, Haise, and Swigert set the record for the farthest distance that humans have ever traveled from Earth.
1974: Lovell Awarded Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree
In 1974, Jim Lovell was awarded an honorary doctor of laws degree at William Paterson College's commencement exercises.
1976: Lovell Cameo in "The Man Who Fell to Earth"
In 1976, Jim Lovell made a cameo appearance in the Nicolas Roeg film "The Man Who Fell to Earth".
1977: Lovell Becomes President of Fisk Telephone Systems
In 1977, Jim Lovell became the president of Fisk Telephone Systems.
1982: Lovell Inducted into International Space Hall of Fame
In 1982, Jim Lovell was inducted into the International Space Hall of Fame.
1984: Lovell Joins Federal Signal Corporation Board
In 1984, Jim Lovell joined the board of directors for Federal Signal Corporation in Chicago.
1987: Lovell Joins Centel Board of Directors
In 1987, Jim Lovell served on the board of directors for Centel.
1990: Lovell Joins Astronautics Corporation of America Board
In 1990, Jim Lovell joined the board of directors for the Astronautics Corporation of America in Milwaukee.
January 1, 1991: Lovell Retires as Centel Executive Vice President
On January 1, 1991, Jim Lovell retired from Centel Corporation in Chicago, where he served as an executive vice president.
1991: Lovell Leaves Centel Board of Directors
In 1991, Jim Lovell concluded his service on the Centel board of directors.
1993: Lovell Inducted into U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame
In 1993, Jim Lovell, along with the other 12 Gemini astronauts, was inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame.
1994: Co-authored "Lost Moon"
In 1994, James Lovell co-authored the book "Lost Moon".
1995: "Apollo 13" Film Released
In 1995, the Ron Howard film "Apollo 13" was released, based on the book "Lost Moon: The Perilous Voyage of Apollo 13" co-authored by Jim Lovell.
1999: Lovell Leaves Astronautics Corporation of America Board
In 1999, Jim Lovell concluded his time on the board of directors for the Astronautics Corporation of America in Milwaukee, a role he began in 1990.
2003: Lovell Leaves Federal Signal Corporation Board
In 2003, Jim Lovell ended his service on the board of directors for Federal Signal Corporation in Chicago, a position he had held since 1984.
2006: James Lovell's Son Takes Over Restaurant
In 2006, Jim Lovell's son, James ("Jay") Lovell, took over "Lovell's of Lake Forest" restaurant as executive chef.
October 2010: Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center Completed
In October 2010, the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center was completed, merging the Naval Health Clinic Great Lakes and the North Chicago Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
February 2014: Lovell's of Lake Forest Restaurant Put Up For Sale
In February 2014, "Lovell's of Lake Forest" restaurant was put on the market for sale.
April 2015: Lovell's of Lake Forest Restaurant Closes
In April 2015, "Lovell's of Lake Forest" restaurant closed and the property was auctioned off.
December 2016: Lovell Receives Honorary Degree from UW-Madison
In December 2016, Jim Lovell was granted an honorary doctor of science degree from University of Wisconsin–Madison and spoke at the commencement.
2018: Pablo Schreiber Portrays Lovell in "First Man"
In 2018, Pablo Schreiber portrayed Jim Lovell in the film "First Man", about Neil Armstrong.
August 27, 2023: Marilyn Lovell Died
Marilyn Lovell, Jim Lovell's wife, died of natural causes at the age of 93 on August 27, 2023, at her home in Lake Forest, Illinois.
November 7, 2023: Lovell Becomes Oldest Living Astronaut
Upon the death of Frank Borman on November 7, 2023, Jim Lovell became the oldest living former astronaut.
August 7, 2025: James Lovell's death
On August 7, 2025, James Arthur Lovell Jr. died.
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