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 also writes in genres like suspense, crime, science fiction, fantasy, and mystery. Beyond novels, King has penned around 200 short stories, many compiled into collections, contributing significantly to popular culture and solidifying his place as a major figure in contemporary literature.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements

1923: Time's founding date

Time made a list of the 100 greatest nonfiction books published since the magazine's founding in 1923.

September 21, 1947: Stephen King's Birth

On September 21, 1947, Stephen Edwin King, the American author widely known for his horror novels, was born.

1962: Entrance to Lisbon High School

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

1966: Entrance to the University of Maine at Orono

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

1968: Participation in Burton Hatlen's Writing Workshop

In 1968, Stephen King participated in a writing workshop organized by Burton Hatlen, where he began to explore his writing style.

June 1, 1970: Birth of Daughter Naomi

On June 1, 1970, Stephen King's daughter, Naomi, was born.

1970: Graduation from the University of Maine and Birth of Daughter

In 1970, Stephen King graduated from the University of Maine with a Bachelor of Arts in English, and his daughter Naomi Rachel was born.

January 2, 1971: King Marries 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.

June 4, 1972: Birth of Son Joseph

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

1974: Blue Öyster Cult Astronomy Release

In 1974, Blue Öyster Cult first released the song Astronomy.

February 21, 1977: Birth of Son Owen

On February 21, 1977, Stephen King's son, Owen, was born.

1977: Travel to England

In 1977, Stephen King and his family, including their third child Owen Philip, traveled briefly to England.

1983: New Classics List

Entertainment Weekly ranked the "The New Classics: The 100 Best Reads from 1983 to 2008".

1983: King Establishes Zone Corporation

In 1983, Stephen King and his wife established the Zone Corporation, a radio station group, and acquired WACZ in Bangor, which was renamed WZON.

1988: Blue Öyster Cult Song Intro

In 1988, Stephen King provided a narrative introduction for an updated version of Blue Öyster Cult's song "Astronomy".

1990: King Writes About Little League Team

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

1994: Rock Bottom Remainders Tour America

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

Mid-life Confidential: The Rock Bottom Remainders Tour America with Three Chords and an Attitude

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1995: King on Celebrity Jeopardy!

In 1995, Stephen King was a contestant on "Celebrity Jeopardy!".

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1995: Zone Corporation Adds Radio Stations

In 1995, Stephen King's Zone Corporation added two radio stations, WKIT-FM and WNSW in Brewer. WNSW was closed down shortly after.

1998: King on Celebrity Jeopardy!

In 1998, Stephen King was a contestant on "Celebrity Jeopardy!".

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1998: Rock Bottom Remainders Release Album

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

June 19, 1999: King Struck by Van

On June 19, 1999, at about 4:30 pm, Stephen King was struck by a minivan while walking on the shoulder of Maine State Route 5 in Lovell, Maine.

2001: Zone Corporation Acquires WDME-FM

In 2001, Stephen King's Zone Corporation acquired WDME-FM in Dover-Foxcroft, later renamed WZLO.

2002: King Organizes Wavedancer Benefit

In 2002, Stephen King, Peter Straub, John Grisham, and Pat Conroy organized the Wavedancer Benefit, a public reading to raise funds for Frank Muller, an actor and audiobook reader who was injured in a motorcycle accident.

2004: King Co-Authors Faithful

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

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

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2005: Sons Publish First Collection of Stories

In 2005, Stephen King's son Owen King published his first collection of stories, "We're All in This Together: A Novella and Stories", and his son Joseph Hillström King (Joe Hill) published his first collection of short stories, "20th Century Ghosts".

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

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2008: King Endorses Obama

In 2008, Stephen King endorsed Barack Obama for the presidential election, marking his support for the candidate.

2008: "On Writing" Ranked Among New Classics

In 2008, Stephen King's "On Writing" was ranked 21st on Entertainment Weekly's list of "The New Classics: The 100 Best Reads from 1983 to 2008".

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

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March 8, 2011: King Speaks at Political Rally

On March 8, 2011, Stephen King spoke at a political rally in Sarasota, Florida, opposing Governor Rick Scott and the Tea Party movement.

November 2011: STK Foundation Donates to Heating Bills

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

April 30, 2012: King Calls 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, emphasizing it as a moral obligation.

2012: King Narrates Shooter Jennings' Album

In 2012, Stephen King provided the narration for Shooter Jennings's album "Black Ribbons".

2013: Hard Listening E-book

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

2014: King Endorses Shenna Bellows

In 2014, Stephen King endorsed Shenna Bellows in the U.S. Senate election for the seat held by Republican Susan Collins.

June 30, 2015: King Calls LePage Embarrassment

On June 30, 2015, Stephen King tweeted that Governor Paul LePage was "a terrible embarrassment to the state I live in and love", clarifying that he wanted LePage to start governing or go back home.

2015: King Criticizes Paul LePage

In 2015, Stephen King publicly criticized Maine Governor Paul LePage for incorrectly suggesting that King avoided paying Maine income taxes. King demanded an apology, which LePage declined to give.

August 27, 2016: King Calls LePage a Bigot

On August 27, 2016, Stephen King called Governor Paul LePage "a bigot, a homophobe, and a racist" in a public statement.

2016: King Condemns Trump's Candidacy

In 2016, Stephen King joined other writers in signing a letter condemning Donald Trump's candidacy for president, citing concerns over the abuse of language and the appeal to violent elements.

June 2018: King Calls for Release of Oleg Sentsov

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

2018: Attention garnered for LePage Criticism

In 2018, the attention garnered by the LePage criticism led to efforts to encourage King to run for Governor of Maine. King said he would not run or serve.

2019: King Plans Writers' Retreat

As of 2019, Stephen King and his wife plan to convert their home in Bangor into a facility housing his archives and a writers' retreat.

2020: King Endorses Warren and Biden

In 2020, Stephen King initially endorsed Elizabeth Warren's presidential campaign during the Democratic Party primaries. After Warren suspended her campaign, King endorsed Joe Biden's campaign for the general election.

February 2021: King's Foundation Helps Children Publish Novels

In February 2021, Stephen King's Foundation donated $6,500 to help children from Farwell Elementary School in Lewiston, Maine, publish two novels they had been working on.

July 2022: King Pranked by Russian Impersonators

In July 2022, Stephen King participated in a video call with Russian pranksters Vovan and Lexus, who impersonated Volodymyr Zelenskyy. After the call, King realized he was pranked and apologized on Twitter.

August 2022: King Testifies Against Publishing Merger

In August 2022, Stephen King testified in a case brought by the U.S. Justice Department to block the merger of Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster. His testimony was credited with influencing the judge's decision to block the merger.

2022: King Lists Favorite Books

In 2022, Stephen King provided another list of ten favorite books, including Lord of the Flies, Nineteen Eighty-Four and Blood Meridian.

2022: King Supports Ukraine

In 2022, Stephen King voiced his support for Ukraine during the Russian invasion. He posted a photo on his Twitter account wearing an "I stand with Ukraine" T-shirt and announced that he would not cooperate with Russian publishers.

December 2024: King Announces Radio Station Closures

In December 2024, Stephen King announced that his radio stations would shut down at the end of the year, citing his age and financial losses as reasons.

2025: King Criticizes 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, comparing it to the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus, which resulted in backlash.