Childhood and Education Journey of Keanu Reeves in Timeline

How education and upbringing influenced the life of Keanu Reeves. A timeline of key moments.

Keanu Reeves is a celebrated Canadian actor and musician with a career spanning four decades. Known for leading roles in action films, an amiable public image, and philanthropic work, Reeves has garnered numerous accolades. The New York Times ranked him as the fourth-greatest actor of the 21st century in 2020, and Time magazine recognized him as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2022.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

September 2, 1964: Keanu Reeves' Birth

On September 2, 1964, Keanu Charles Reeves was born. He is a Canadian actor and musician known for his action film roles, public image, and philanthropy.

Others born on this day/year

1966: Parents' Divorce

In 1966, Keanu Reeves' parents divorced, leading his mother to move the family to Sydney.

1970: Mother's Marriage to Paul Aaron

In 1970, Keanu Reeves' mother married Paul Aaron, a Broadway and Hollywood director, and moved to New York City.

1971: Move to Toronto and Divorce

In 1971, Keanu Reeves moved with his mother and stepfather, Paul Aaron, to Toronto, where his mother and stepfather subsequently divorced.

1976: Mother's Marriage to Robert Miller

In 1976, Keanu Reeves' mother married Robert Miller, a rock music promoter.

1980: Mother's Divorce from Robert Miller

In 1980, Keanu Reeves' mother divorced Robert Miller, marking another change in his family life.

1981: Murder Case Inspiration for River's Edge

In 1981, the murder of Marcy Renee Conrad served as the loose inspiration for the crime drama River's Edge, in which Keanu Reeves was later cast.

1994: People names Keanu Reeves Sexiest Man Alive retroactively.

In November 2015, People retroactively named Keanu Reeves 1994's Sexiest Man Alive.

1998: Meeting Jennifer Syme

In 1998, Keanu Reeves met Jennifer Syme, director David Lynch's assistant, at a party for his band Dogstar, and they began dating.

December 24, 1999: Syme gives birth to stillborn child

On December 24, 1999, Jennifer Syme, Keanu Reeves's girlfriend, gave birth eight months into her pregnancy to the couple's child, who was stillborn.

April 2, 2001: Death of Jennifer Syme

On April 2, 2001, Jennifer Syme, Keanu Reeves's girlfriend, died after her vehicle collided with parked cars in Los Angeles. Syme was under the influence and not wearing a seatbelt. Reeves and Syme had reconciled after a previous breakup.

2003: Gifting Harley-Davidson motorcycles to the stunt team

In 2003, as a wrap gift for the twelve-person stunt team of The Matrix Reloaded, Keanu Reeves purchased Harley-Davidson motorcycles for each of the members, expressing his gratitude for their contribution to the film.

2009: Meeting Alexandra Grant

In 2009, Keanu Reeves met Alexandra Grant at a dinner party. They went on to collaborate on two books together.

2010: "Sad Keanu" internet meme

In 2010, an image of Keanu Reeves sitting on a park bench with a sad facial expression became an internet meme after photographs of him were published on the 4chan discussion board. The images were distributed widely, leading to the "Sad Keanu" meme. An unofficial holiday was created when a Facebook fan page declared June 15 as "Cheer-up Keanu Day".

2011: Co-founding ARCH Motorcycle Company

In 2011, Keanu Reeves, an avid motorcyclist, co-founded ARCH Motorcycle Company with Gard Hollinger. The company builds and sells custom motorcycles.

November 2015: People names Keanu Reeves Sexiest Man Alive retroactively.

In November 2015, People retroactively named Keanu Reeves 1994's Sexiest Man Alive.

2017: Founding X Artists' Books

In 2017, Keanu Reeves, Jessica Fleischmann, and Alexandra Grant founded a book publisher, X Artists' Books (also known as XAB).

2017: Meme about Reeves' immortality gains prominence

In 2017, a meme asserting that Reeves is secretly immortal gained media prominence when Jimmy Fallon asked Reeves about it on The Tonight Show. The meme suggests Reeves has lived throughout the last millennia under different identities.

March 2019: United Airlines flight incident

In March 2019, Keanu Reeves went viral after his United Airlines flight to Burbank, California was grounded in Bakersfield. He took initiative in arranging alternate travel plans, boarded a travel van with the other passengers, read fun facts about Bakersfield from his phone, and played 1950s American country music for them.

July 2019: Signing "You're Breathtaking" banner

In July 2019, while filming Bill & Ted Face the Music, Keanu Reeves signed a "You're Breathtaking" banner for a family, referencing a meme from his appearance at the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2019 for the game Cyberpunk 2077.

November 2019: Public Announcement of Relationship with Alexandra Grant

In November 2019, Keanu Reeves and Alexandra Grant publicly announced their relationship.

June 2020: Volunteering for Camp Rainbow Gold

In June 2020, Keanu Reeves volunteered for Camp Rainbow Gold, an Idaho children's cancer charity.

August 2022: Attending a fan's wedding

In August 2022, Keanu Reeves went viral for attending a fan's wedding in Northamptonshire, United Kingdom, after chatting with the couple at a bar and congratulating them. He participated in a photoshoot with the family.

2022: Controversy over Tibet House benefit concert

In 2022, Keanu Reeves's recitation of the Beat poem "Pull My Daisy" for a virtual benefit concert for Tibet House US, stirred a negative reaction from "jingoistic" crowds on Chinese social media. As a result, Reeves's films have been banned from streaming platforms in China.

March 2023: Auction for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

In March 2023, after filming John Wick: Chapter 4, Keanu Reeves, Chad Stahelski and Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructor Dave Camarillo, signed an exclusive training uniform that was put up for auction to raise money for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

October 2023: Playing catch with a young fan

In October 2023, Keanu Reeves played catch with a young fan named Elijah before a Dogstar concert in Houston, gaining media attention. The boy called it "the top moment" of his life.

2024: Charity auction with Windsor Spitfires

In 2024, Keanu Reeves signed a one-day contract with the Windsor Spitfires, and signed items which were auctioned off to benefit the Canadian Mental Health Association of Windsor-Essex.