History of John Oliver in Timeline
John William Oliver is a British and American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He began his career as a stand-up comedian in the UK and gained wider recognition in the US as the Senior British Correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart from 2006 to 2013, earning three Primetime Emmy Awards for his writing. Oliver also served as a guest host for The Daily Show for an eight-week period in 2013. He co-hosted the comedy podcast The Bugle with Andy Zaltzman and hosted John Oliver's New York Stand-Up Show on Comedy Central from 2010 to 2013. Additionally, he has acted on television, notably as Dr. Ian Duncan on NBC's Community, and performed voice-over roles in films such as The Smurfs and its sequel, as well as the 2019 remake of The Lion King. Oliver became a US citizen in 2019.
April 1977: Birth of John Oliver
John William Oliver was born on 23 April 1977 in Erdington, Birmingham, England. His parents were Carole, a music teacher, and Jim Oliver, a school headmaster and social worker. His uncle was composer Stephen Oliver.
April 1977: Birth of John Oliver
John William Oliver was born on 23 April 1977 in Erdington, Birmingham, England. His parents were Carole, a music teacher, and Jim Oliver, a school headmaster and social worker. His uncle was composer Stephen Oliver.
1985: First On-Screen Appearance
John Oliver's first on-screen appearance was in 1985, playing Felix Pardiggle in the BBC drama Bleak House when he was six years old.
1997: Vice President of Cambridge Footlights
In 1997, while studying at Christ's College, Cambridge, John Oliver became the vice president of the Cambridge Footlights, an esteemed university theatrical club.
1998: Graduated from Christ's College, Cambridge
In 1998, John Oliver graduated from Christ's College, Cambridge with a degree in English, marking the end of his formal education.
2001: Appearance in People Like Us
In 2001, John Oliver appeared as a bank manager in the second series of People Like Us, adding to his early acting credits.
2001: Guest role in My Hero
In 2001, John Oliver appeared as a man from the BBC in the TV show My Hero.
2001: First Major Stand-Up Appearance
John Oliver's first major stand-up appearance was at the 2001 Edinburgh Festival Fringe as part of the late-night showcase The Comedy Zone.
2002: Work on The State We're In
From 2002 to 2003, John Oliver worked on the BBC Three comedy series The State We're In, alongside Anita Rani, Jon Holmes, and Robin Ince.
2002: Debut Solo Stand-Up Show
In 2002, John Oliver performed his debut solo stand-up show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
2003: Results Desk on Gash
In 2003, John Oliver manned the 'results desk' on an election night episode of Armando Iannucci's satirical show Gash on Channel 4.
2004: Guest role in Green Wing
In 2004, John Oliver appeared as a car salesman in the TV show Green Wing.
2004: Performed in Political Animal
In 2004, John Oliver performed in a double act and co-hosted the political radio show Political Animal with Andy Zaltzman.
2004: The Department on BBC Radio 4
In 2004, John Oliver wrote and performed in the satirical radio programme The Department on BBC Radio 4 with Andy Zaltzman and Chris Addison.
June 2005: Panellist on Mock the Week
Starting in June 2005, John Oliver made appearances as a panellist on the satirical news show Mock the Week, becoming a frequent guest on the first two series.
2005: Continued Performance in Political Animal
In 2005, John Oliver continued his performance in Political Animal, solidifying his presence in the political comedy genre.
July 2006: Joined The Daily Show
In July 2006, John Oliver joined The Daily Show with Jon Stewart as its Senior British Correspondent, a major turning point in his career.
2006: Joining The Daily Show
In 2006, John Oliver joined The Daily Show, which presented challenges due to his immigration status but also provided comedy material.
2006: Joined The Daily Show
In 2006, John Oliver joined The Daily Show with Jon Stewart as the Senior British Correspondent, which significantly raised his profile in the United States.
October 2007: Co-Host of The Bugle
From October 2007 to May 2015, John Oliver co-hosted The Bugle, a weekly comedy podcast, with Andy Zaltzman. The podcast became an independent project in 2012.
2007: Writers Guild of America strike
During the 2007–08 Writers Guild of America strike, John Oliver participated in picketing protests, despite his precarious immigration status.
2007: BBC America Campaign
In 2007, John Oliver wrote and presented a BBC America campaign encouraging viewers to use closed captions, incorporating humor about British accents.
January 2008: Resuming The Daily Show post-WGA strike
On 7 January 2008, John Oliver appeared on The Daily Show after the 2007–08 Writers Guild of America strike ended, highlighting his precarious immigration status.
2008: Meeting future wife Kate Norley
In 2008, John Oliver met his future wife, Kate Norley, at the Republican National Convention. Norley, an Iraq War veteran, helped hide Oliver and his team from security.
2008: First Film Role
In 2008, John Oliver played Dick Pants in The Love Guru, marking his first film role.
2008: First Stand-Up Special
John Oliver: Terrifying Times, his first stand-up special, premiered on Comedy Central in 2008.
November 2009: Approval for US green card
In November 2009, John Oliver announced he was approved for his US green card, allowing him more freedom in his work for The Daily Show.
2009: Roles in Important Things with Demetri Martin
In 2009, John Oliver performed several roles in the Comedy Central series Important Things with Demetri Martin.
2009: Emmy Award for The Daily Show
In 2009, John Oliver won his first Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series for his work on The Daily Show.
2009: John Oliver's New York Stand-Up Show
In 2009, Comedy Central announced six episodes of John Oliver's New York Stand-Up Show, featuring sets from various comedians.
2010: Hosted John Oliver's New York Stand-Up Show
From 2010 to 2013, John Oliver hosted his stand-up series, John Oliver's New York Stand-Up Show, on Comedy Central.
2010: Continuation of John Oliver's New York Stand-Up Show
From 2010 to 2013, John Oliver's New York Stand-Up Show continued, producing four seasons in total.
2010: Casting in Absolutely Anything
In 2010, John Oliver was cast to star in the Terry Jones film Absolutely Anything but had to step down due to scheduling conflicts with his show Last Week Tonight.
2011: Marriage to Kate Norley
In 2011, John Oliver married Kate Norley, an Iraq War veteran who served as a United States Army medic.
2011: Voice Role in The Smurfs
In 2011, John Oliver provided voice-over work for the character Vanity Smurf in the film The Smurfs.
2011: Second Emmy Award for The Daily Show
In 2011, John Oliver received his second Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series for The Daily Show.
2012: The Bugle Goes Independent
In 2012, The Bugle, co-hosted by John Oliver, became an independent podcast after originally being produced by The Times.
2012: Miss America scholarship investigation
In 2012, John Oliver's team investigated the Miss America organization's scholarship claims, revealing that it distributed only a small fraction of the $45 million it claimed to provide annually.
2012: Third Emmy Award for The Daily Show
In 2012, John Oliver was awarded his third Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series for his work on The Daily Show.
2012: Voice roles in TV shows
In 2012, John Oliver voiced Sherlock Holmes in Gravity Falls and Coach Green in Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja.
June 2013: Guest-Hosted The Daily Show
Starting in June 2013, John Oliver guest-hosted The Daily Show for eight weeks while Jon Stewart directed his film Rosewater. His performance received positive reviews and led to discussions about him potentially succeeding Stewart or getting his own show.
2013: Guest Host of The Daily Show
In 2013, John Oliver became the guest host of The Daily Show for an eight-week period, receiving positive reviews and further establishing his career in American television.
2013: Voice role in Rick and Morty
In 2013, John Oliver voiced an amoeba named Dr Xenon Bloom in the TV show Rick and Morty.
2013: USO Tour in Afghanistan
In 2013, John Oliver went on a USO tour to Afghanistan to perform for the troops.
2014: Debut of Last Week Tonight
In 2014, John Oliver began hosting Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. The show garnered significant acclaim and viewership, averaging 4.1 million weekly viewers in its first season. It was also honoured with a Peabody Award in the 'Entertainment' category.
2014: Guest-starring in TV shows and movie role change
In 2014, John Oliver guest-starred in The Simpsons as Booth Wilkes-John and had to give up a role in the Terry Jones film Absolutely Anything due to scheduling conflicts with the debut of Last Week Tonight.
2014: Host of Last Week Tonight
Since 2014, John Oliver has been the host of the HBO series Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, earning widespread critical and popular recognition.
May 2015: End of The Bugle Co-Hosting
In May 2015, John Oliver's tenure as co-host of The Bugle ended, marking the conclusion of a significant chapter in his podcasting career.
2015: Included in Time 100
In 2015, John Oliver was included in the Time 100 list for his influential work on Last Week Tonight, with Time magazine describing him as a 'comedic agent of change.'
2015: Birth of first son
In 2015, John Oliver's first son was born prematurely.
2015: Named one of Time 100 influential people
In 2015, John Oliver was named one of Time 100 influential people of the year for his impactful work on Last Week Tonight.
February 2016: Trump segment record views
In February 2016, John Oliver's segment on Donald Trump received 62 million views on Facebook and 23 million on YouTube within a month, setting a record for HBO content.
June 2016: Forgiving medical debt
On 4 June 2016, John Oliver forgave over $15 million of medical debt owed by over 9,000 people, an act of philanthropy showcased on his show.
September 2017: Last Week Tonight contract extension
In September 2017, John Oliver's contract for hosting Last Week Tonight was extended through to 2020. This extension allowed him to continue delivering his unique blend of satire and journalism on the show.
2017: Guest role in Bob's Burgers
In 2017, John Oliver voiced a cat agent in the TV show Bob's Burgers.
May 2018: John Oliver Koala Chlamydia Ward
In May 2018, Russell Crowe donated $80,000 to the Australia Zoo wildlife hospital to create and name "The John Oliver Koala Chlamydia Ward" after an auction involving John Oliver.
2018: John Oliver effect on net neutrality
In 2018, a study found that viewers of Last Week Tonight were more familiar with net neutrality and likely to support regulation to ensure it. The FCC enacted robust net neutrality rules, crediting Oliver for transforming the debate.
2018: Birth of second son
In 2018, John Oliver's second son was born.
2018: Marlon Bundo parody book
In 2018, John Oliver presented the book A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo, featuring Vice President Mike Pence's pet rabbit in a gay relationship, as a parody.
2018: Executive producer for Wyatt Cenac's Problem Areas
From 2018 to 2019, John Oliver worked as an executive producer for Wyatt Cenac's Problem Areas.
December 2019: Naturalized as US citizen
On 13 December 2019, John Oliver was naturalized as a US citizen, solidifying his status in the country he had been living and working in.
2019: Voice roles in animated films
In 2019, John Oliver voiced the porcupine Steve in Wonder Park and the hornbill Zazu in the remake of Disney's The Lion King.
2019: Became a US Citizen
John Oliver became a US citizen in 2019, marking a significant personal milestone.
August 2020: Danbury Water Pollution Control Plant renamed
In August 2020, Danbury, Connecticut's mayor announced the intention to rename the Danbury Water Pollution Control Plant as the "John Oliver Memorial Sewer Plant" after Oliver insulted the city during a segment.
September 2020: Another contract extension for Last Week Tonight
In September 2020, John Oliver's contract for Last Week Tonight was extended once again, this time through to 2023. The renewal ensured that Oliver would continue to have full creative freedom on the show.
October 2020: John Oliver visits Danbury for plant renaming
In October 2020, John Oliver attended the unveiling ceremony of the Danbury Water Pollution Control Plant renaming, after promising to donate $55,000 to local charities. He revealed the footage on Last Week Tonight.
2020: Crowe visits John Oliver Koala Chlamydia Ward
In 2020, Russell Crowe visited the John Oliver Koala Chlamydia Ward and posed with the nameplate bearing Oliver's name.
2020: Guest role in Big Mouth
In 2020, John Oliver voiced the camp counsellor Harry in the TV show Big Mouth.
2020: Support for Joe Biden in 2020 election
In 2020, John Oliver supported Joe Biden in the presidential election and celebrated his victory over Donald Trump, cautioning about the significant number of votes Trump received.
September 2022: Declining Order of the British Empire
In September 2022, John Oliver revealed on Late Night with Seth Meyers that he declined the Order of the British Empire, expressing his disdain for the British class system.
November 2022: Criticism of British monarchy
In November 2022, John Oliver criticized the British monarchy on his show, advocating for a republic and condemning the Royal Family's secrecy concerning their wealth.
2022: Calls for action raise $5 million
In 2022, a study revealed that John Oliver's calls for action in seasons seven and eight of Last Week Tonight raised over $5 million for charities and causes.
July 2023: Miss America segment impact
As of July 2023, John Oliver's segment on the Miss America organization had over 23 million views on YouTube. The segment led to $25,000 in donations to the Society of Women Engineers.
August 2023: Launch of Strike Force Five podcast
On 30 August 2023, John Oliver began hosting the comedy podcast Strike Force Five with Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert, and Seth Meyers. The podcast was created to support their staff members out of work due to the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike.
December 2023: Long-term contract for Last Week Tonight
In December 2023, John Oliver's contract for Last Week Tonight was extended through to 2026, securing the show's future for several more years.
2023: Reddit API controversy involvement
During the 2023 Reddit API controversy, major subreddits protested by allowing only content featuring John Oliver.
2026: Future contract for Last Week Tonight
John Oliver's contract for Last Week Tonight is set to last until 2026, ensuring the continuation of his critically acclaimed show.