Early Life and Education of Stephen King: A Complete Timeline

Discover the defining moments in the early life of Stephen King. From birth to education, explore key events.

Stephen King, the "King of Horror," is a prolific American author renowned for his horror novels. He has successfully ventured into suspense, crime, science fiction, fantasy, and mystery genres. Beyond novels, he has penned around 200 short stories, largely compiled into collections, solidifying his status as a master storyteller.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements

July 23, 1939: Marriage of Stephen King's parents

On July 23, 1939, Donald Edwin King and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury, Stephen King's parents, were married in Scarborough, Maine.

September 21, 1947: Stephen King's Birth

On September 21, 1947, Stephen Edwin King was born in Portland, Maine. He would later become a renowned American author, celebrated as the "King of Horror" for his influential horror novels.

1958: Setting of 11/22/63

In 1958, as depicted in Stephen King's novel '11/22/63,' the protagonist travels back in time to this year from the future via a time portal, with the mission of preventing the assassination of John F. Kennedy.

11/22/63: A Novel

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1962: Entering Lisbon High School

In 1962, Stephen King entered Lisbon High School in Lisbon Falls, Maine.

1966: Enrolling at the University of Maine

In 1966, Stephen King entered the University of Maine at Orono on a scholarship.

1968: Writing Workshop at the University of Maine

In 1968, King participated in a writing workshop organized by Burton Hatlen, where he developed his writing skills. Hatlen's teachings greatly influenced King's literary journey.

June 1, 1970: Birth of Daughter Naomi

On June 1, 1970, Stephen King's daughter, Naomi, was born. She is now a Unitarian Universalist Church minister.

1970: Graduation and Birth of Daughter

In 1970, Stephen King graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Maine. His daughter, Naomi Rachel, was born that same year.

January 2, 1971: Marriage to Tabitha Spruce

On January 2, 1971, Stephen King married Tabitha Spruce, who is also a novelist and philanthropist, after meeting her at the University of Maine.

1971: Marriage to Tabitha Spruce

In 1971, Stephen King married Tabitha Spruce.

1971: Hired as an English Teacher

In 1971, Stephen King was hired as an English teacher at Hampden Academy in Hampden, Maine.

June 4, 1972: Birth of Son Joseph Hillström King

On June 4, 1972, Stephen King's son Joseph Hillström King, who writes as Joe Hill, was born.

1975: Return to Auburn, Maine and Completion of The Stand

In 1975, Stephen King's family returned to Auburn, Maine, where he completed The Stand, an apocalyptic novel. King has stated that The Stand took him the longest to write and remains a favorite among his readers.

The Stand

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February 21, 1977: Birth of Son Owen King

On February 21, 1977, Stephen King's son, Owen King, was born. He is also a professional author.

1977: Travel to England

In 1977, the King family, with the addition of their third child Owen Philip, briefly traveled to England before returning to Maine.

1983: Establishment of Zone Corporation

In 1983, Stephen King and his wife established the Zone Corporation to acquire the radio station WACZ in Bangor, which was then renamed WZON.

1990: Essay in The New Yorker

In 1990, Stephen King published an essay in The New Yorker about his son Owen's Little League team.

1994: Co-authorship of "Midlife Confidential"

In 1994, Stephen King and his band-mates from the Rock Bottom Remainders coauthored "Midlife Confidential: The Rock Bottom Remainders Tour America With Three Chords and an Attitude".

1995: Acquisition of Radio Stations

In 1995, the Zone Corporation added two radio stations, WKIT-FM and WNSW in Brewer. WNSW was quickly shut down.

1998: Release of "Stranger Than Fiction" Album

In 1998, the Rock Bottom Remainders, featuring Stephen King, released an album titled "Stranger Than Fiction" under Don't Quit Your Day Job Records.

June 19, 1999: Accident on Maine State Route 5

On June 19, 1999, at approximately 4:30 pm, Stephen King was struck by a minivan while walking on the shoulder of Maine State Route 5 in Lovell, Maine, resulting in him landing 14 feet from the pavement.

1999: The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon

In 1999, King's novella The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon was released, where baseball plays a role.

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon: A Novel

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1999: Hospitalization after being hit by a van

In 1999, Stephen King was hospitalized after being struck by a van, an incident he humorously compared to a plot from one of his own novels.

2001: Acquisition of WDME-FM

In 2001, the Zone Corporation acquired WDME-FM in Dover-Foxcroft, which was later renamed WZLO.

2002: Wavedancer Benefit

In 2002, Stephen King, along with Peter Straub, John Grisham, and Pat Conroy, organized the Wavedancer Benefit, a public reading event to raise funds for injured actor Frank Muller. The reading was later released as an audiobook.

2004: Publication of Faithful

In 2004, Stephen King and Stewart O'Nan coauthored Faithful, chronicling their correspondence about the Boston Red Sox's historic 2004 season and World Series win.

Faithful: Two Diehard Boston Red Sox Fans Chronicle the Historic 2004 Season

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2005: Publication of Sons' First Story Collections

In 2005, both of Stephen King's sons published their first collections of stories. Owen King released "We're All in This Together: A Novella and Stories" and Joseph Hillström King (Joe Hill) published "20th Century Ghosts".

We're All In This Together: A Novella and Stories

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2008: Endorsement of Barack Obama

In 2008, during the presidential election, Stephen King endorsed Barack Obama for president.

2010: Release of Blockade Billy

In 2010, Stephen King's novella Blockade Billy, in which baseball is featured, was released.

Blockade Billy

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March 8, 2011: Speech at Political Rally

On March 8, 2011, Stephen King spoke at a political rally in Sarasota against Governor Rick Scott, expressing his opposition to the Tea Party movement.

November 2011: STK Foundation Donation

In November 2011, Stephen King's STK Foundation donated $70,000 in matched funding to help families in need in Bangor, Maine, with their heating bills during the winter.

April 30, 2012: Article in The Daily Beast Calling for Higher Taxes

On April 30, 2012, Stephen King published an article in The Daily Beast advocating for wealthy Americans, including himself, to pay more taxes.

2013: Co-authorship of "Hard Listening"

In 2013, Stephen King and his band-mates coauthored the e-book "Hard Listening: The Greatest Rock Band Ever (of Authors) Tells All".

2014: Endorsement of Shenna Bellows

In 2014, Stephen King endorsed Shenna Bellows in the U.S. Senate election.

June 30, 2015: Criticism of Governor LePage

On June 30, 2015, Stephen King tweeted that Governor LePage was "a terrible embarrassment" to Maine, suggesting he should either govern or resign.

2015: Criticism of Paul LePage's Incorrect Tax Claim

In 2015, Stephen King criticized Maine Governor Paul LePage for incorrectly suggesting he avoided paying Maine income taxes, demanding an apology that was never issued.

August 27, 2016: Calling LePage a Bigot, Homophobe, and Racist

On August 27, 2016, Stephen King publicly labeled Governor LePage as "a bigot, a homophobe, and a racist".

2016: Signing Letter Against Donald Trump's Candidacy

In 2016, Stephen King was among a group of writers who signed a letter condemning Donald Trump's presidential candidacy, citing concerns about the abuse of language and the promotion of violence and aggression.

June 2018: Call for Oleg Sentsov's Release

In June 2018, Stephen King publicly called for the release of Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov, who was imprisoned in Russia.

2018: Declining to Run for Governor of Maine

In 2018, Stephen King addressed efforts to encourage him to run for Governor of Maine, stating that he would not run or serve.

2019: Plans to Convert Bangor Home

As of 2019, Stephen King and his wife planned to convert their Bangor, Maine home into a facility to house his archives and a writers' retreat.

2020: Endorsement of Elizabeth Warren and Joe Biden

In 2020, during the Democratic Party presidential primaries, Stephen King initially endorsed Elizabeth Warren and later endorsed Joe Biden's campaign in the general election.

February 2021: Donation to Farwell Elementary School

In February 2021, King's Foundation donated $6,500 to help children from Farwell Elementary School in Lewiston, Maine, publish two novels halted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

July 2022: Prank Call Incident and Apology

In July 2022, Stephen King was tricked by Russian pranksters Vovan and Lexus posing as Volodymyr Zelenskyy and made statements in support of Bandera before realizing it was a prank. King later apologized on Twitter.

August 2022: Testimony Against Publishing Merger

In August 2022, Stephen King testified in court against the proposed merger of Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster, arguing against his own publisher in a case brought by the U.S. Justice Department, and was credited with helping convince the judge to block the merger.

2022: List of Favorite Books

In 2022, Stephen King provided a list of his ten favorite books, including recurring titles such as Lord of the Flies, Nineteen Eighty-Four, and Blood Meridian, along with new additions such as Ship of Fools, The Orphan Master's Son, Invisible Man, Watership Down, The Hair of Harold Roux, American Pastoral, and The Lord of the Rings.

The Satanic Verses: A Novel

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2022: Support for Ukraine

In 2022, amidst the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Stephen King voiced his support for Ukraine, sharing a photo of himself wearing an "I stand with Ukraine" T-shirt and announcing that he would not work with Russian publishers.

I Stand with Ukraine Ukraine Flag Sunflower Vintage T-Shirt

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December 2024: Announcement of Radio Station Closures

In December 2024, Stephen King announced that his radio stations would shut down at the end of the year due to his age and financial losses. A deal was reached to sell WKIT but WZON and WZLO are still planned for closure.

2025: Criticism of Epstein Client List Believers

In July 2025, after the United States House Committee on Rules voted against revealing the Jeffrey Epstein client list, Stephen King criticized people on X (Twitter) who believe in the list's existence, leading to backlash and speculation.