History of John Oliver in Timeline
John Oliver is a British-American comedian best known as the host of HBO's *Last Week Tonight*. He rose to prominence as a correspondent on *The Daily Show with Jon Stewart* from 2006 to 2013, winning three Primetime Emmy Awards for writing. He also guest-hosted *The Daily Show* for eight weeks in 2013. Additionally, Oliver co-hosted the comedy podcast *The Bugle* and hosted *John Oliver's New York Stand-Up Show*. His acting credits include roles on the sitcom *Community* and voice work in films such as *The Smurfs* and *The Lion King* remake.
April 1977: Born in Erdington
John William Oliver was born on April 23, 1977, in the Birmingham suburb of Erdington.
April 1977: John William Oliver Born
On April 23, 1977, John William Oliver was born. He is a British and American comedian who is the host of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver on HBO.
1985: First On-Screen Appearance in Bleak House
In 1985, John Oliver made his first on-screen appearance, playing Felix Pardiggle in the BBC drama Bleak House.
1997: Cambridge Footlights Vice President
In 1997, John Oliver became the vice president of the Cambridge Footlights comedy club.
1998: Graduated from Christ's College, Cambridge
In 1998, John Oliver graduated with a degree in English from Christ's College, Cambridge.
2001: Appeared in People Like Us
In 2001, John Oliver appeared as a bank manager in series two of People Like Us.
2001: My Hero
In 2001, John Oliver guest-starred in several TV shows, including My Hero as a man from the BBC
2001: First Major Stand-Up Appearance
In 2001, John Oliver had his first major stand-up appearance at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe as part of The Comedy Zone.
2002: Worked on The State We're In
From 2002 to 2003, John Oliver worked on the BBC Three comedy series The State We're In.
2002: Debut Solo Show at Edinburgh Festival Fringe
In 2002, John Oliver had his debut solo show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
2003: Manned "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: Green Wing
In 2004, John Oliver guest-starred in several TV shows, including Green Wing as a car salesman
2004: Performed in a Double Act and Co-Hosted Political Animal
In 2004, John Oliver performed in a double act and co-hosted the political radio show Political Animal with Andy Zaltzman.
2004: Wrote and Performed in The Department
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: Panelist on Mock the Week
Starting in June 2005, John Oliver appeared on British television as a panellist on the satirical news show Mock the Week.
2005: Co-hosted Political Animal
In 2005, John Oliver co-hosted the political radio show Political Animal with Andy Zaltzman.
July 2006: Joined The Daily Show as Senior British Correspondent
In July 2006, John Oliver joined The Daily Show with Jon Stewart as its Senior British Correspondent.
2006: Joining The Daily Show
In 2006, John Oliver joined 'The Daily Show', which placed certain constraints on what he could do in the United States due to his immigration status at the time.
October 2007: Co-hosted The Bugle
From October 2007 to May 2015, John Oliver co-hosted The Bugle, a weekly comedy podcast, with Andy Zaltzman.
2007: Participation in Writers Guild of America Strike
During the 2007–08 Writers Guild of America strike, John Oliver participated in picketing protests, which temporarily stopped production of The Daily Show.
2007: BBC America Closed Caption Campaign
In 2007, John Oliver wrote and presented a BBC America campaign to have viewers use closed captions.
January 2008: Return to The Daily Show After Strike
In January 2008, John Oliver appeared on 'The Daily Show' upon its resuming production after the 2007-08 Writers Guild of America strike, noting the constraints of his visitor visa.
2008: Meeting Kate Norley
In 2008, John Oliver met Kate Norley at the Republican National Convention while reporting for 'The Daily Show'.
2008: Played Dick Pants in The Love Guru
In 2008, John Oliver played Dick Pants in The Love Guru, his first film role.
2008: John Oliver: Terrifying Times Premieres
In 2008, John Oliver: Terrifying Times, John Oliver's first stand-up special, premiered on Comedy Central.
November 2009: Approval of US Green Card
In November 2009, John Oliver announced that he was approved for his US green card, noting he can now "get arrested filming bits for 'The Daily Show'".
2009: John Oliver's New York Stand-Up Show Ordered
In 2009, Comedy Central ordered six episodes of John Oliver's New York Stand-Up Show, a series that featured sets from himself and other comedians.
2009: Performed in Important Things with Demetri Martin
In 2009, John Oliver performed several roles in the Comedy Central series Important Things with Demetri Martin and made a cameo in the music video for The Fiery Furnaces' single "Even in the Rain".
2009: Emmy Award for The Daily Show
In 2009, John Oliver received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series for The Daily Show.
2010: Hosted John Oliver's New York Stand-Up Show
From 2010 to 2013, John Oliver hosted the stand-up series John Oliver's New York Stand-Up Show on Comedy Central.
2010: Produced Seasons of New York Stand-Up Show
From 2010 to 2013, four seasons of John Oliver's New York Stand-Up Show were produced.
2010: Casting in Absolutely Anything
In 2010, John Oliver was originally cast to star in the Terry Jones film Absolutely Anything as Neil Clarke
2011: Voiced Vanity Smurf in "The Smurfs"
In 2011, John Oliver provided voice work for the animated film The Smurfs.
2011: Emmy Award for The Daily Show
In 2011, John Oliver received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series for The Daily Show.
2012: Gravity Falls
In 2012, John Oliver guest-starred in several TV shows, including Gravity Falls as the voice of Sherlock Holmes
2012: Emmy Award for The Daily Show
In 2012, John Oliver received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series for The Daily Show.
2012: Miss America Organization Spending
In 2012, John Oliver reported that the Miss America Organization and Miss America Foundation together spent only $482,000 in cash scholarships at the national level.
2012: The Bugle Becomes Independent
In 2012, The Bugle, a weekly comedy podcast co-hosted by John Oliver, became an independent project.
June 2013: Guest-Hosted The Daily Show
Starting in June 2013, John Oliver guest-hosted The Daily Show for eight weeks while Stewart directed his film Rosewater.
2013: Guest Hosted The Daily Show
In 2013, John Oliver guest-hosted The Daily Show for an eight-week period and also acted in The Smurfs 2.
2013: Rick and Morty
In 2013, John Oliver guest-starred in several TV shows, including Rick and Morty as an amoeba named Dr Xenon Bloom
2013: USO Tour to Afghanistan
In 2013, John Oliver went to Afghanistan on a USO tour to perform for the troops.
2014: Started Hosting Last Week Tonight
In 2014, John Oliver began hosting his late-night news satire show Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.
2014: Scheduling Conflicts with Absolutely Anything
In 2014, John Oliver had scheduling conflicts due to the debut of Last Week Tonight, leading to the role of Neil Clarke in the Terry Jones film Absolutely Anything being recast for Simon Pegg.
May 2015: End of The Bugle
From October 2007 to May 2015, John Oliver co-hosted The Bugle, a weekly comedy podcast, with Andy Zaltzman. The show ended in May 2015.
2015: Birth of First Son
In 2015, John Oliver and Kate Norley had their first son, who was born prematurely.
2015: Included in Time 100
In 2015, John Oliver was included in the Time 100, recognized as a "comedic agent of change".
2015: Time 100 Influential People
In 2015, John Oliver was named one of Time 100 influential people of the year for his work on Last Week Tonight.
February 2016: Donald Trump Segment Success
In February 2016, John Oliver's segment on Donald Trump received 62 million views on Facebook and 23 million on YouTube within a month, becoming the "most watched piece of HBO content ever" at the time.
June 2016: Medical Debt Forgiveness
In June 2016, John Oliver forgave over $15 million of medical debt owed by over 9,000 people after purchasing the debt for $60,000 on his show.
September 2017: Contract Extended Through to 2020
In September 2017, John Oliver's initial contract was extended through to 2020.
2017: Bob's Burgers
In 2017, John Oliver guest-starred in several TV shows, including Bob's Burgers as a cat agent
May 2018: Russell Crowe Donates to Australia Zoo
In May 2018, Russell Crowe donated approximately $80,000 to the Australia Zoo wildlife hospital to create "The John Oliver Koala Chlamydia Ward" after Oliver bought Crowe's film props at an auction.
2018: Viewers Familiarity With Net Neutrality
A study conducted in 2018 found that viewers of Last Week Tonight and The Colbert Report were generally more familiar with net neutrality than non-viewers.
2018: Executive producer
From 2018 to 2019, John Oliver worked as an executive producer for Wyatt Cenac's Problem Areas.
2018: Birth of Second Son
In 2018, John Oliver and Kate Norley had their second son.
2018: Publication of A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo
In 2018, John Oliver presented the children's book 'A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo', a parody featuring Mike Pence's pet rabbit in a gay relationship.
December 2019: Naturalization as US Citizen
On December 13, 2019, John Oliver was naturalized as a US citizen.
2019: Became an American Citizen
In 2019, John Oliver became an American citizen.
2019: Voiced Zazu in The Lion King remake
In 2019, John Oliver provided voice work in The Lion King remake.
2019: Voice acting roles
In 2019, John Oliver voiced the porcupine Steve in the CGI animated film Wonder Park and hornbill Zazu in the remake of Disney's The Lion King.
August 2020: Danbury's Memorial Sewer Plant
In August 2020, Mark Boughton, the mayor of Danbury, Connecticut, announced plans to rename the Danbury Water Pollution Control Plant as the "John Oliver Memorial Sewer Plant" following Oliver's comedic insult to the city.
September 2020: Contract Extended Through to 2023
In September 2020, John Oliver's initial contract was extended through to 2023.
October 2020: Oliver Attends Sewer Plant Unveiling
In October 2020, John Oliver visited Danbury to attend the unveiling ceremony of the "John Oliver Memorial Sewer Plant", wearing a hazmat suit and fulfilling a condition set by Mayor Boughton for the renaming after Oliver promised to donate $55,000 to Danbury charities.
2020: Favored Joe Biden for president
In 2020, John Oliver favored Joe Biden for president in the election and celebrated Biden's victory over Donald Trump.
2020: Big Mouth
In 2020, John Oliver guest-starred in several TV shows, including Big Mouth as the camp counsellor Harry
2020: Crowe visits the Koala Chlamydia Ward
In early 2020, Russell Crowe visited "The John Oliver Koala Chlamydia Ward" at the Australia Zoo and posed with the nameplate bearing Oliver's name.
2021: Great Immigrants Award
In 2021, John Oliver received the Great Immigrants Award from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
September 2022: Declined OBE
On a September 2022 episode of Late Night with Seth Meyers, John Oliver said he declined an OBE because he did not want his name being associated with the words "British Empire" and expressed distaste for the British class system.
2022: Study on the Impact of Last Week Tonight
In 2022, a study found that John Oliver's "calls for action" on 'Last Week Tonight' during seasons seven and eight resulted in over $5 million being raised for charities and other causes.
August 2023: Strike Force Five
On 30 August 2023, Oliver began hosting the comedy podcast Strike Force Five with Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert and Seth Meyers, to support their staff members out of work due to the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike.
December 2023: Contract Extended Through to 2026
In December 2023, John Oliver's initial contract was extended through to 2026.
2023: Reddit API Controversy Protest
During the 2023 Reddit API controversy, major subreddits like r/pics, r/gifs, and r/aww protested Reddit's API policy changes by only allowing content containing John Oliver.
October 2024: Views on Miss America segment
As of October 2024, the official YouTube video of John Oliver's 'Last Week Tonight' segment on the Miss America organization had been viewed over 24 million times.
2024: Endorsed Kamala Harris for president
John Oliver has been strongly critical of Trump and the Republican Party, later endorsing Kamala Harris for president in the 2024 election
2026: Last Week Tonight Airs Until 2026
In December 2023, John Oliver's initial contract was extended through to 2026, indicating the potential continuation of Last Week Tonight until at least 2026.
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