History of Jimmy Fallon in Timeline
Jimmy Fallon is an American comedian, actor, television host, singer, writer, and producer, most notably recognized for his work in television. He gained prominence as a cast member on Saturday Night Live (1998-2004). Later, he hosted Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (2009-2014) before becoming the host of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, solidifying his place in late-night television.
September 19, 1974: Jimmy Fallon's Birth
On September 19, 1974, James Thomas Fallon was born. He later became an American comedian, television host, actor, singer, writer, and producer.
1992: Graduates High School
In 1992, Jimmy Fallon graduated from Saugerties High School, where he participated in stage productions and was a class social director.
1995: Moves to Los Angeles to Pursue Comedy
In 1995, Jimmy Fallon dropped out of college and moved to Los Angeles to pursue a full-time comedy career.
1997: Auditions for Saturday Night Live
In 1997, after working with the Groundlings, Jimmy Fallon auditioned for Saturday Night Live but was unsuccessful.
September 1998: Debuts on Saturday Night Live
In September 1998, Jimmy Fallon debuted on Saturday Night Live as a featured player in the show's twenty-fourth season.
1998: Appears on Spin City
In 1998, Jimmy Fallon had a brief appearance on the show Spin City.
1998: Joins Saturday Night Live
In 1998, Jimmy Fallon had his breakthrough, becoming a cast member on Saturday Night Live.
1999: Releases "I Hate This Place: A Pessimist's Guide to Life"
In 1999, Jimmy Fallon released a book called I Hate This Place: A Pessimist's Guide to Life, which was a compilation of e-mail exchanges with his sister Gloria.
2000: Appears in Blackface on SNL
In 2000, Jimmy Fallon appeared in blackface in a Saturday Night Live episode while impersonating Chris Rock, which he later apologized for.
2000: Appears in Almost Famous
In 2000, Jimmy Fallon played a minor role in the film Almost Famous.
December 2001: Performs Mick Jagger Sketch
In December 2001, Jimmy Fallon considered a sketch where he imitated Mick Jagger in a mirror opposite Jagger to be his favorite performance up to that point.
2001: Co-hosts MTV Movie Awards
In 2001, Jimmy Fallon co-hosted the MTV Movie Awards.
2002: Co-hosts MTV Video Music Awards and Releases Album
In 2002, Jimmy Fallon co-hosted the MTV Video Music Awards and released his debut comedy album, The Bathroom Wall.
2003: Splits Time Between Filming and SNL
In the fall of 2003, Jimmy Fallon divided his time between shooting the film Taxi in Los Angeles and returning to New York City for Saturday Night Live.
May 2004: Signs off from Saturday Night Live
In May 2004, Jimmy Fallon's sixth season at SNL concluded, and he signed off at the end of the show's twenty-ninth season.
2004: Leaves SNL for Film Roles
In 2004, Fallon departed from SNL to pursue roles in films like Taxi.
2004: Pursues Film Career with Taxi
In 2004, Jimmy Fallon began to pursue a film career, signing on for his first lead role in Taxi.
2004: Leaves Saturday Night Live
In 2004, Jimmy Fallon left Saturday Night Live after being a cast member since 1998.
2004: Taxi Premieres
In the fall of 2004, Taxi, starring Jimmy Fallon, premiered as a flop with critics and audiences.
2005: Stars in Fever Pitch
In 2005, Jimmy Fallon starred in the film Fever Pitch.
February 2007: Receives Holding Deal from NBC
In February 2007, NBC gave Jimmy Fallon a holding deal to prevent him from being lured away, with the intention of him taking over the Late Night franchise.
August 2007: Engagement to Nancy Juvonen
In August 2007, Jimmy Fallon proposed to Nancy Juvonen at her family home in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire.
December 2007: Marries Nancy Juvonen
In December 2007, Jimmy Fallon married producer Nancy Juvonen, whom he met during the production of Fever Pitch.
December 22, 2007: Marriage to Nancy Juvonen
On December 22, 2007, Jimmy Fallon married film producer Nancy Juvonen.
May 2008: Announced as Successor to Late Night
In May 2008, Jimmy Fallon was officially announced as the successor to Conan O'Brien's Late Night show.
March 2009: Late Night with Jimmy Fallon Premieres
In March 2009, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon premiered with mixed reviews, eventually finding its comedic style.
May 2009: Receives Bachelor's Degree and Honorary Doctorate
In May 2009, Jimmy Fallon received a Bachelor of Arts in communications and an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from The College of Saint Rose.
2009: Hosts Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
In 2009, Jimmy Fallon became the host of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.
2009: Monty Python Documentary Appearance
In 2009, Jimmy Fallon spoke on the influence of Monty Python when he appeared in the television documentary, Monty Python: Almost the Truth (Lawyers Cut).
2010: Hosts the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards
In 2010, Jimmy Fallon hosted the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards.
2010: "History of Rap" Goes Viral
In 2010, Jimmy Fallon's Late Night show found its footing, scoring its first viral clip with Fallon and Timberlake performing a "History of Rap."
2011: NPR Interview on Religion
In a 2011 interview with NPR, Jimmy Fallon discussed his Roman Catholic upbringing and his fondness for the Latin Mass, noting he was no longer a regular churchgoer.
2012: Releases "Blow Your Pants Off"
In 2012, Jimmy Fallon released his second comedy album, Blow Your Pants Off, featuring musical performances from Late Night.
August 2013: Earns $11 Million Salary
As of August 2013, Jimmy Fallon was earning a salary of $11 million a year for his work on Late Night.
2013: Birth of First Daughter
In 2013, Jimmy Fallon and Nancy Juvonen welcomed their first daughter via surrogate.
2013: Wins Grammy for Best Comedy Album
In 2013, Jimmy Fallon won a Grammy for Best Comedy Album for his album Blow Your Pants Off.
February 17, 2014: The Tonight Show Debut
On February 17, 2014, Jimmy Fallon debuted as the host of The Tonight Show on NBC, engaging 11.3 million viewers.
2014: Birth of Second Daughter
In 2014, Jimmy Fallon and Nancy Juvonen welcomed their second daughter via surrogate.
2014: Becomes Host of The Tonight Show
In 2014, Jimmy Fallon became the anchor of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
June 2015: Releases "Your Baby's First Word Will Be Dada"
In June 2015, Jimmy Fallon's third book, Your Baby's First Word Will Be Dada, a children's book, was released.
June 26, 2015: Ring Avulsion Injury
On June 26, 2015, Jimmy Fallon suffered a ring avulsion injury at home, requiring microsurgery and a 10-day ICU stay.
September 2015: Finger Still Healing
In September 2015, Jimmy Fallon explained that his finger still had limited mobility and that another surgery would be required.
September 20, 2015: Emmy Awards Appearance Post-Injury
On September 20, 2015, Jimmy Fallon attended the 67th Emmy Awards without a bandage on his injured finger for the first time since his accident.
September 15, 2016: Hosts Donald Trump on The Tonight Show
On September 15, 2016, Jimmy Fallon hosted Donald Trump on The Tonight Show during the United States presidential election, receiving criticism for his approach to the interview.
March 2017: Apologizes for Trump Interview
In March 2017, Jimmy Fallon apologized for the interview he conducted with Donald Trump on The Tonight Show.
November 4, 2017: Death of Mother, Gloria Fallon
On November 4, 2017, Jimmy Fallon's mother, Gloria, passed away at the age of 68. He later paid tribute to her on The Tonight Show.
June 2018: Reiterates Apology for Trump Interview
In June 2018, Jimmy Fallon reiterated his apology for his interview with Donald Trump during a podcast with The Hollywood Reporter.
2020: Creates Limited-Edition Pacifiers
In 2020, Jimmy Fallon partnered with WubbaNub to create limited-edition pacifiers based on characters from his children's books.
November 2021: Potentially Purchases NFT
In November 2021, Jimmy Fallon was deduced to have likely purchased an NFT for about $216,000, which later caused controversy when he discussed NFTs on his show.
January 4, 2022: COVID-19 Diagnosis
On January 4, 2022, Jimmy Fallon announced he had tested positive for COVID-19, experiencing mild symptoms thanks to being vaccinated.
January 2022: Criticized for Discussing NFTs on Show
In January 2022, Jimmy Fallon faced criticism for discussing NFTs on his show and promoting one of his own, potentially breaching conflict-of-interest policies.
November 16, 2022: #RIPJimmyFallon Hoax Trends on Twitter
On November 16, 2022, a Twitter hoax using the hashtag #RIPJimmyFallon spread and trended nationwide. Fallon responded humorously to the rumors.
August 30, 2023: Strike Force Five Podcast Launch
On August 30, 2023, Jimmy Fallon joined Stephen Colbert, Seth Meyers, Jimmy Kimmel, and John Oliver to host the comedy podcast Strike Force Five to support staff members affected by the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike.
September 2023: Rolling Stone Exposes "Tonight Show" Workplace Culture
In September 2023, Rolling Stone published an article titled "Chaos, Comedy, and 'Crying Rooms': Inside Jimmy Fallon's 'Tonight Show'", alleging that Jimmy Fallon mistreated his staff and contributed to a toxic workplace culture. Fallon apologized to his staff following the article's publication in September 2023.
