History of Jimmy Kimmel in Timeline
Jimmy Kimmel is an American television host, comedian, writer, and producer best known for hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live! since 2003. He has also hosted major awards shows, including the Primetime Emmy Awards (2012, 2016, 2020) and the Academy Awards (2017, 2018, 2023, 2024).
November 13, 1967: James Christian Kimmel Born
On November 13, 1967, James Christian Kimmel was born. He would later become a well-known American television host, comedian, writer, and producer.
1985: "We Are the World" Video Spoofed
In February 2008, Jimmy Kimmel included scenes spoofing the 1985 video "We Are the World" in the "I'm Fucking Ben Affleck" video.
1989: First Paying Radio Job
In 1989, Jimmy Kimmel landed his first paying job in radio as the morning drive co-host of "The Me and Him Show" at KZOK-FM in Seattle, Washington, alongside Kent Voss.
1990: Fired from KZOK
In 1990, Jimmy Kimmel and Kent Voss were fired from KZOK, marking a setback in his early radio career.
1991: Birth of Daughter Katherine
In 1991, Jimmy Kimmel's daughter, Katherine, was born.
1996: Appears as "Jimmy the Fox Guy"
In spring 1996, Jimmy Kimmel appeared as "Jimmy the Fox Guy" in promos on the Fox Network. This was part of his early television work.
1997: Win Ben Stein's Money Debut
In 1997, Jimmy Kimmel began his television career as the comedic counterpart to Ben Stein on the game show "Win Ben Stein's Money" on Comedy Central.
1999: Co-Host of The Man Show
In 1999, while working on "Win Ben Stein's Money", Jimmy Kimmel co-hosted and co-produced "The Man Show" on Comedy Central with Adam Carolla.
2001: Leaves Win Ben Stein's Money
In 2001, Jimmy Kimmel left "Win Ben Stein's Money". He was replaced by comedian Nancy Pimental.
January 2003: Leaves The Man Show for Jimmy Kimmel Live!
In January 2003, Jimmy Kimmel permanently left "The Man Show" to host his own late-night talk show, "Jimmy Kimmel Live!", on ABC.
2003: Host of Jimmy Kimmel Live!
In 2003, Jimmy Kimmel became the host and executive producer of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!", a late-night talk show.
2003: Hosts American Music Awards
In 2003, Jimmy Kimmel hosted the American Music Awards on ABC.
2003: Uncle Frank Joins Jimmy Kimmel Live!
In 2003, Jimmy Kimmel's uncle, Frank Potenza (known as "Uncle Frank"), became a regular on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" He remained on the show until his death.
2004: Controversial Halftime Show Appearance
During the 2004 NBA Finals, Jimmy Kimmel made a controversial on-air plug for his show during ABC's halftime show, suggesting Detroit would be burned down if the Pistons won. This led to the show being pulled from Detroit's ABC affiliate and the entire network, and Kimmel later apologized.
2004: Jimmy Kimmel Live Stops Airing Live
In 2004, "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" ceased to be broadcast live after censors failed to bleep out swearing from actor Thomas Jane.
2004: Windy City Heat Wins Award
In 2004, the feature film "Windy City Heat", which Kimmel produced and co-wrote, won the Comedia Award for Best Film at the Montreal Comedy Festival.
August 2006: Host of Set for Life Announced
In August 2006, ABC announced that Jimmy Kimmel would be the host of their new game show, "Set for Life".
April 6, 2007: Fills in for Larry King
On April 6, 2007, Jimmy Kimmel filled in for Larry King on Larry King Live, focusing on the topic of paparazzi.
April 2007: Named Biggest Badass on TV
In April 2007, Stuffmagazine.com named Jimmy Kimmel the "biggest badass on TV."
July 8, 2007: Manages National League in Softball Game
On July 8, 2007, Jimmy Kimmel managed the National League in the 2007 Taco Bell All-Star Legends and Celebrity Softball Game in San Francisco.
July 11, 2007: Hosts ESPY Awards
On July 11, 2007, Jimmy Kimmel co-hosted the 2007 ESPY Awards with LeBron James. The show aired on ESPN on July 15.
July 15, 2007: ESPY Awards Airs
On July 15, 2007, The 2007 ESPY Awards, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and Lebron James, aired on ESPN.
July 20, 2007: Set for Life Debuts
On July 20, 2007, the game show "Set for Life", hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, debuted on ABC.
2007: Guest Hosts Live with Regis and Kelly
During the week of October 22-26, 2007, Jimmy Kimmel guest-hosted "Live with Regis and Kelly" and broke the Guinness World Record for the longest distance traveled in one work week (22,406 miles).
February 2008: "I'm Fucking Ben Affleck" Video
In February 2008, Jimmy Kimmel aired a mock music video called "I'm Fucking Ben Affleck" as a response to a similar video by his then-girlfriend Sarah Silverman and Matt Damon. The video featured a large number of celebrities.
July 20, 2008: Guest Performance with The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
On July 20, 2008, Jimmy Kimmel performed with The Mighty Mighty Bosstones on the song "The Impression That I Get" at a concert in Costa Mesa, California, playing the bass clarinet.
2008: Hosts American Music Awards
In 2008, Jimmy Kimmel hosted the American Music Awards for the fifth time on ABC.
March 2009: End of Relationship with Sarah Silverman
In March 2009, Jimmy Kimmel ended his relationship with comedian Sarah Silverman.
October 2009: Beginning of Relationship with Molly McNearney
In October 2009, Jimmy Kimmel started dating Molly McNearney, a co-head writer for Jimmy Kimmel Live.
2009: Co-hosting Los Angeles Feast of San Gennaro
In 2009, Jimmy Kimmel co-hosted the eighth annual Los Angeles Feast of San Gennaro, an annual tradition he co-founded.
January 14, 2010: Appearance on The Jay Leno Show
On January 14, 2010, amid the Tonight Show conflict, Jimmy Kimmel appeared on The Jay Leno Show's "10 at 10" segment and publicly criticized Jay Leno for taking back the 11:35 pm time slot from Conan O'Brien.
2010: Last Appearance on The Late Show
In 2010, Jimmy Kimmel made his most recent appearance on The Late Show, marking his fifth time on the show.
2011: Death of Uncle Frank
In 2011, Jimmy Kimmel's uncle, Frank Potenza, who was a regular on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, passed away.
August 2012: Engagement to Molly McNearney
In August 2012, Jimmy Kimmel and Molly McNearney became engaged.
September 23, 2012: Hosts the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards
On September 23, 2012, Jimmy Kimmel hosted the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards.
2012: Host of the Primetime Emmy Awards
In 2012, Jimmy Kimmel hosted the Primetime Emmy Awards for the first time, marking a significant achievement in his career as a television host.
July 2013: Marriage to Molly McNearney
In July 2013, Jimmy Kimmel married Molly McNearney.
October 2013: "Kids Table" Controversy
In October 2013, a "Kids Table" segment on Jimmy Kimmel's show sparked controversy when a child suggested "killing all the people in China" to resolve the U.S. debt. ABC and Kimmel apologized for the segment after discussions and protests.
July 2014: Birth of Daughter Jane
In July 2014, Jimmy Kimmel's daughter, Jane, was born.
September 18, 2016: Hosts the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards
On September 18, 2016, Jimmy Kimmel hosted the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards.
2016: Trump's Election and Potential Show Exit
During a November 2022 podcast appearance, Jimmy Kimmel revealed he told ABC executives, soon after the 2016 election of Donald Trump, that if he could not tell Trump jokes, then he would leave the show. Kimmel estimated he lost about half of his audience due to jokes about Trump.
2016: Host of the Primetime Emmy Awards
Jimmy Kimmel hosted the Primetime Emmy Awards for the second time in 2016, further solidifying his status as a prominent television host.
February 26, 2017: Hosts the 89th Academy Awards
On February 26, 2017, Jimmy Kimmel hosted the 89th edition of the Academy Awards ceremony.
April 21, 2017: Birth of Son William "Billy" John
On April 21, 2017, Jimmy Kimmel's son, William "Billy" John, was born with tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) with pulmonary atresia. The condition was detected shortly after birth, and he underwent successful surgery at three days old.
2017: Host of the Academy Awards
In 2017, Jimmy Kimmel hosted the Academy Awards for the first time, marking a high point in his hosting career.
March 4, 2018: Hosts the 90th Academy Awards
On March 4, 2018, Jimmy Kimmel hosted the 90th edition of the Academy Awards ceremony.
June 2018: Blobfish Basketball Classic
In June 2018, Jimmy Kimmel played a one-on-one basketball game against U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (known as the Blobfish Basketball Classic), with money raised for charities. Cruz won the game 11-9 and over $80,000 was raised.
November 2018: Kimmelot Launched
In November 2018, Jimmy Kimmel launched his second production company, Kimmelot.
2018: Fundraising for Jacky Rosen
In 2018, Jimmy Kimmel fundraised for Nevada U.S. Senate candidate Jacky Rosen.
2018: Named One of "The World's 100 Most Influential People"
In 2018, Time magazine recognized Jimmy Kimmel as one of "The World's 100 Most Influential People", acknowledging his significant impact on television and culture.
2018: Host of the Academy Awards
Jimmy Kimmel hosted the Academy Awards for the second time in 2018.
July 2019: Releases The Serious Goose
In July 2019, Jimmy Kimmel released his first book, "The Serious Goose", an interactive children's picture book featuring his own illustrations.
April 8, 2020: Celebrity Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Premieres
On April 8, 2020, the celebrity edition of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire", hosted and co-executive produced by Jimmy Kimmel, premiered on ABC for the show's 20th anniversary.
June 2020: Returns to Host Primetime Emmy Awards
In June 2020, it was announced that Jimmy Kimmel would return to host the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards on September 20, 2020.
September 20, 2020: Hosts the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards
On September 20, 2020, Jimmy Kimmel hosted the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards.
2020: Host of the Primetime Emmy Awards
In 2020, Jimmy Kimmel hosted the Primetime Emmy Awards for the third time.
2020: Discovery of Cousin Relationship with Martha Stewart
In 2020, Jimmy Kimmel learned through a genealogy report on the TV show Finding Your Roots that he and Martha Stewart are cousins.
2021: Title Sponsor of LA Bowl
In 2021, Jimmy Kimmel became the title sponsor of the LA Bowl.
November 2022: Reveals Potential Exit Over Trump Jokes
During a November 2022 podcast appearance, Jimmy Kimmel revealed he told ABC executives that he would leave the show if he couldn't tell jokes about Donald Trump, following Trump's 2016 election. Kimmel estimated he lost about half of his audience due to jokes about Trump.
2022: Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl
In 2022, the college football bowl game in Inglewood's SoFi Stadium officially became known as the Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl.
March 12, 2023: Hosts the 95th Academy Awards
On March 12, 2023, Jimmy Kimmel hosted the 95th edition of the Academy Awards ceremony.
August 30, 2023: Strike Force Five Podcast Launch
On August 30, 2023, Jimmy Kimmel, along with Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, Stephen Colbert, and John Oliver, launched the comedy podcast Strike Force Five to support their staff during the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike.
2023: Host of the Academy Awards
In 2023, Jimmy Kimmel hosted the Academy Awards for the third time.
March 10, 2024: Hosts the 96th Academy Awards
On March 10, 2024, Jimmy Kimmel hosted the 96th edition of the Academy Awards ceremony.
2024: Host of the Academy Awards
In 2024, Jimmy Kimmel hosted the Academy Awards for the fourth time.
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