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 highly acclaimed Canadian actor and musician with a career spanning four decades. He's recognized for leading roles in action films, earning accolades such as being ranked among the greatest actors of the 21st century by The New York Times and being named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people. Beyond his on-screen achievements, Reeves is known for his likable public persona and philanthropic activities.

Sections (4)

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

September 2, 1964: Keanu Reeves's Birth

On September 2, 1964, Keanu Charles Reeves was born. He is a Canadian actor and musician recognized with awards in a career spanning four decades.

Others born on this day/year

1966: Parents' Divorce

In 1966, Keanu Reeves's parents divorced, leading his mother to move the family to Sydney and then to New York City.

1970: Mother's Marriage to Paul Aaron

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

1971: Move to Toronto and Divorce

In 1971, Keanu Reeves's family moved to Toronto, and his mother divorced Paul Aaron.

1974: Death Game Filmed

Filming for Death Game took place in 1974 and the movie was later released in 1977, which was later remade as Knock Knock in 2015 starring Keanu Reeves.

1976: Mother's Marriage to Robert Miller

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

1980: Mother's Divorce from Robert Miller

In 1980, Keanu Reeves's mother divorced Robert Miller.

1981: Murder of Marcy Renee Conrad

In 1981, the murder of Marcy Renee Conrad occurred, loosely inspiring the crime drama River's Edge, in which Keanu Reeves was cast.

1998: Meeting Jennifer Syme

In 1998, Keanu Reeves met Jennifer Syme at a party thrown for his band Dogstar, and they started dating.

December 24, 1999: Stillbirth of Daughter

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

April 2, 2001: Death of Jennifer Syme

On April 2, 2001, Jennifer Syme, Keanu Reeves's former partner, died in a car accident in Los Angeles. Syme had been under the influence and also not belted in.

2002: Dogstar Disbanded

In 2002, Keanu Reeves' professional music career came to an end when Dogstar disbanded after a decade together.

2003: Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Gift to 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 as a thank you for their help in making 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" Meme

In 2010, an image of Keanu Reeves sitting on a park bench with a sad facial expression became an internet meme known as "Sad Keanu", after photographs of him were published and spread across various blogs and media outlets.

2011: Co-founded ARCH Motorcycle Company

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

2015: Star Wars #1

Star Wars #1 sold the most copies in 2015 before BRZRKR #1 surpassed it in sales in 2021.

2017: Founded X Artists' Books

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

March 2019: United Airlines Flight Incident

In March 2019, after his United Airlines flight was grounded in Bakersfield, Keanu Reeves took initiative in arranging alternate travel plans for the other passengers, entertaining them with fun facts and country music during the travel van ride.

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 Relationship with Alexandra Grant

In November 2019, Keanu Reeves and Alexandra Grant went public with 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 being invited to the ceremony.

2022: Controversy over Tibet House Benefit

In 2022, Keanu Reeves's recitation of the Beat poem "Pull My Daisy" for a virtual benefit concert for Tibet House US stirred negative reactions on Chinese social media, leading to his films being 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 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 Fan

In October 2023, Keanu Reeves gained media attention for playing catch with a young fan named Elijah before a Dogstar concert in Houston, an interaction the boy called "the top moment" of his life.

2023: Comments from Laurence Fishburne

In 2023, Laurence Fishburne remarked on Keanu Reeves, saying that he's kinder, more gentle, highly intelligent, thoughtful, gifted, and incredibly patient, adding that he has a lot of grace.

2024: Motorsport Debut

In 2024, Keanu Reeves made his motorsport debut in the Toyota GR Cup North America at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, finishing 25th in Race 1 and 24th in Race 2.

2024: Contract with Windsor Spitfires and Auction

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

2024: Comments from Hiroyuki Sanada

In a 2024 interview with People magazine, Hiroyuki Sanada described Keanu Reeves as "so humble, very kind to others but very hard on himself" and noted that he is "always trying to do his best: aim higher, move forward".