History of Tom Hanks in Timeline
Tom Hanks, an iconic American actor and filmmaker, is renowned globally for his versatility in both comedic and dramatic roles. He ranks as the fourth-highest-grossing American film actor and has garnered numerous accolades including two Academy Awards, seven Emmy Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards. He is also the recipient of the AFI Life Achievement Award (2002), the Kennedy Center Honor (2014), the Presidential Medal of Freedom (2016), and the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award (2020), solidifying his status as a cultural icon.
1940: The Shop Around the Corner
The movie "The Shop Around the Corner" came out in 1940, which was later remade as "You've Got Mail".
1977: Birth of Colin Hanks
In 1977, Colin Hanks, son of Tom Hanks and Samantha Lewes, was born.
1978: Marriage to Samantha Lewes
In 1978, Tom Hanks married American actress Samantha Lewes.
1980: Filming of Bosom Buddies
From 1980, Tom Hanks acted in TV comedy Bosom Buddies
1981: Meeting Rita Wilson
In 1981, Tom Hanks met actress Rita Wilson on the set of the TV comedy Bosom Buddies.
1982: Birth of Elizabeth Hanks
In 1982, Elizabeth Hanks, daughter of Tom Hanks and Samantha Lewes, was born.
1982: Filming of Bosom Buddies
Until 1982, Tom Hanks acted in TV comedy Bosom Buddies
1984: Hanks became a fan of Aston Villa
Since 1984, Tom Hanks has been a fan of the English Premier League club Aston Villa.
1985: Reunion with Rita Wilson on Volunteers set
In 1985, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson were reunited on the set of Volunteers.
1987: Divorce from Samantha Lewes
In 1987, Tom Hanks and Samantha Lewes divorced.
1988: Marriage to Rita Wilson
In 1988, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson married after Hanks converted to her Greek Orthodox faith.
1993: Academy Award for Philadelphia
In 1993, Tom Hanks won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Philadelphia.
1994: Academy Award for Forrest Gump
In 1994, Tom Hanks won his second consecutive Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Forrest Gump.
1995: Birth of Truman Hanks
In 1995, Truman Hanks, Tom Hanks's younger son, was born.
1998: Primetime Emmy Award nomination for From the Earth to the Moon
In 1998, Tom Hanks received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for his work as a producer on the limited series From the Earth to the Moon.
1998: Saving Private Ryan and You've Got Mail
In 1998, Tom Hanks starred in Steven Spielberg's "Saving Private Ryan", a war film set after D-Day. He also re-teamed with Meg Ryan and Nora Ephron for "You've Got Mail", a remake of "The Shop Around the Corner".
1999: The Green Mile and Toy Story 2
In 1999, Tom Hanks starred in "The Green Mile", based on Stephen King's novel. Also in 1999, he reprised his role as Woody in "Toy Story 2".
2000: Cast Away
In 2000, Tom Hanks reunited with Robert Zemeckis for the film "Cast Away", where he played a FedEx systems analyst marooned on an island.
2000: Forbes' list of top ten most powerful celebrities
In 2000, Tom Hanks was included on Forbes' list of the top ten most powerful celebrities in the world.
2001: Band of Brothers and America: A Tribute to Heroes
In 2001, Tom Hanks co-directed and produced the Emmy Award-winning HBO miniseries "Band of Brothers". He also appeared in the September 11 television special "America: A Tribute to Heroes".
June 12, 2002: American Film Institute's Life Achievement Award
On June 12, 2002, at the age of 45, Tom Hanks became the youngest-ever recipient of the American Film Institute's Life Achievement Award.
2002: Death of Samantha Lewes
In 2002, Samantha Lewes, Tom Hanks's ex-wife, died at the age of 49 from bone cancer.
2002: Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Band of Brothers
In 2002, Tom Hanks received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for his work as a producer on Band of Brothers.
2002: Forbes' list of top ten most powerful celebrities
In 2002, Tom Hanks was included on Forbes' list of the top ten most powerful celebrities in the world.
2003: Ranked in Channel 4's 100 Greatest Movie Stars
In 2003, Tom Hanks was voted Number 3 in Channel 4's countdown of the 100 Greatest Movie Stars of All Time. He was also included on Forbes' list of the top ten most powerful celebrities in the world in 2003.
2004: Three Film Appearances
In 2004, Tom Hanks appeared in three films: "The Ladykillers" by the Coen brothers, Steven Spielberg's "The Terminal", and Robert Zemeckis' "The Polar Express".
2004: First Espresso Machine Donation
In 2004, Tom Hanks donated an espresso machine to the White House press corps after learning they did not have a coffee pot.
August 2005: Vice President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
In August 2005, Tom Hanks was voted in as vice president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
June 2006: Induction into U.S. Army Rangers Hall of Fame
In June 2006, Tom Hanks was inducted as an honorary member of the United States Army Rangers Hall of Fame for his role in Saving Private Ryan.
2006: The Da Vinci Code and Most Trusted Celebrity
In 2006, Tom Hanks starred in "The Da Vinci Code", which grossed over US$750 million worldwide. In the same year, he topped a Forbes magazine list of "most trusted celebrities".
2006: Douglas S. Morrow Public Outreach Award
In 2006, the Space Foundation awarded Tom Hanks the Douglas S. Morrow Public Outreach Award for his contributions to public awareness of space programs.
April 11, 2007: Angels & Demons Announcement
On April 11, 2007, it was announced that Tom Hanks would reprise his role as Robert Langdon in "Angels & Demons" and would reportedly receive the highest salary ever for an actor.
August 2007: Legal Action Against Gold Circle Films
In August 2007, Tom Hanks, along with co-producers Rita Wilson and Gary Goetzman and writer and star Nia Vardalos, initiated a legal action against the production company Gold Circle Films for their share of profits from the movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding".
2007: The War, The Simpsons Movie, and Charlie Wilson's War
In 2007, Tom Hanks did voice work for Ken Burns's documentary "The War", voiced himself in "The Simpsons Movie", and starred in Mike Nichols's "Charlie Wilson's War".
March 10, 2008: Induction of The Dave Clark Five into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
On March 10, 2008, Tom Hanks inducted The Dave Clark Five into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
2008: Endorsement of Barack Obama
During the 2008 United States presidential election, Tom Hanks uploaded a video to his MySpace account endorsing Barack Obama.
2008: Primetime Emmy Award nomination for John Adams
In 2008, Tom Hanks received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for his work as a producer on John Adams.
2008: The Great Buck Howard, Mamma Mia!, and John Adams
In 2008, Tom Hanks starred in "The Great Buck Howard", and executive produced the musical comedy "Mamma Mia!" and the miniseries "John Adams".
2008: Opposition to Proposition 8
In 2008, Tom Hanks was outspoken about his opposition to Proposition 8, an amendment to the California constitution that defined marriage as a union only between a man and a woman. He helped raise over US$44 million to campaign against the proposition.
January 2009: Criticism and Apology Regarding Proposition 8
In January 2009, Tom Hanks called supporters of Proposition 8 "un-American" and criticized LDS Church members. About a week later, he apologized for the remark.
2009: Angels & Demons and Where The Wild Things Are
In 2009, Tom Hanks starred in "Angels & Demons", reprising his role as Robert Langdon. He also produced Spike Jonze's "Where The Wild Things Are", based on the children's book by Maurice Sendak.
2010: Second Espresso Machine Donation
In 2010, Tom Hanks donated new espresso machines to the White House press corps.
2010: Primetime Emmy Award nomination for The Pacific
In 2010, Tom Hanks received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for his work as a producer on The Pacific.
2010: Toy Story 3 and The Pacific
In 2010, Tom Hanks reprised his role as Woody in "Toy Story 3", which became the highest-grossing animated film at the time. He also executive produced the miniseries "The Pacific".
2011: Son Chet's rap song release
In 2011, Chet Hanks, Tom Hanks's older son, released a rap song.
2011: Larry Crowne and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
In 2011, Tom Hanks directed and starred opposite Julia Roberts in "Larry Crowne". He also starred in the drama "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close".
2011: Narration of Killing Lincoln
In 2011, Tom Hanks narrated the television program Killing Lincoln.
2011: In the Garden of Beasts Adaptation
In 2011, it was announced that Tom Hanks is attached to star in an adaptation of the non-fiction book "In the Garden of Beasts" from director Joe Wright.
2012: Cloud Atlas
In 2012, Tom Hanks had been directed by Tom Tykwer for Cloud Atlas.
2012: Narration of The Road We've Traveled
In 2012, Tom Hanks narrated a documentary, The Road We've Traveled, created by Obama for America.
2012: Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Game Change
In 2012, Tom Hanks received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for his work as a producer on Game Change.
2012: Electric City, Cloud Atlas and Game Change
In 2012, Tom Hanks voiced the character Cleveland Carr for his web series "Electric City". He played multiple parts in "Cloud Atlas" and was executive producer of the miniseries "Game Change".
October 2013: Diagnosis with Type 2 Diabetes
In October 2013, Tom Hanks announced on Late Show with David Letterman that he has type 2 diabetes.
2013: Tony Award Nomination for Lucky Guy
In 2013, Tom Hanks received a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in a Play for his performance in Nora Ephron's play Lucky Guy.
2013: Captain Phillips, Saving Mr. Banks, and Lucky Guy
In 2013, Tom Hanks starred in "Captain Phillips" and "Saving Mr. Banks", and made his Broadway debut in "Lucky Guy".
2013: Starring in Lucky Guy on Broadway
In 2013, while starring in Nora Ephron's Lucky Guy on Broadway, Tom Hanks drew crowds of 300 fans after each performance, the highest number for any Broadway performance.
August 2014: Release of Hanx Writer iOS App
In August 2014, Tom Hanks released Hanx Writer, an iOS app meant to emulate the experience of using a typewriter, which quickly reached number one on the App Store.
2014: Publication of "Alan Bean Plus Four"
In 2014, Tom Hanks' short story "Alan Bean Plus Four" was published in The New Yorker.
March 2015: Appearance in Carly Rae Jepsen's "I Really Like You" music video
In March 2015, Tom Hanks appeared in the music video for Carly Rae Jepsen's "I Really Like You", lip-syncing the lyrics.
2015: Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Olive Kitteridge
In 2015, Tom Hanks received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for his work as a producer on Olive Kitteridge.
April 2016: Starring in A Hologram for the King
In April 2016, Tom Hanks starred as Alan Clay in the comedy-drama "A Hologram for the King", an adaptation of the 2012 novel of the same name.
May 8, 2016: Guest on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs
On May 8, 2016, Tom Hanks was the guest on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, where he chose Richard Strauss' Also sprach Zarathustra by the Vienna Philharmonic, A World Lit Only by Fire by William Manchester, and a Hermes 3000 typewriter and paper as his favorite disc, book, and luxury item, respectively.
2016: Endorsement of Hillary Clinton
In 2016, Tom Hanks endorsed former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election.
2016: Sully and Inferno
In 2016, Tom Hanks starred as airline captain Chesley Sullenberger in Clint Eastwood's "Sully", and reprised his role as Robert Langdon in "Inferno".
March 2017: Masters of the Air production update
In March 2017, it was reported that production was progressing on Masters of the Air under the working title The Mighty Eighth.
April 2017: Boycott of the NFL
In April 2017, Tom Hanks stated he would boycott the NFL for two years after the Raiders filed for relocation to Las Vegas.
October 28, 2017: The David S. Pumpkins Halloween Special
On October 28, 2017, Tom Hanks voiced David S. Pumpkins in "The David S. Pumpkins Halloween Special" on NBC.
2017: Third Espresso Machine Donation
In 2017, Tom Hanks donated new espresso machines to the White House press corps, accompanied by a note.
2017: Publication of Uncommon Type
In 2017, Tom Hanks's collection of short stories, Uncommon Type, inspired by his typewriter collection, was published.
July 2018: Devastating wildfire near Athens
In July 2018, a devastating wildfire ripped through the seaside village of Mati, near Athens, killing more than 100 people.
2018: Attribution of Diabetes Condition
In a 2018 interview, Tom Hanks attributed his type 2 diabetes condition to a combination of genetics and lifestyle choices.
October 11, 2019: Masters of the Air to stream on Apple TV+
On October 11, 2019, it was announced that the Masters of the Air miniseries would stream on Apple TV+.
November 2019: Discovery of relationship to Fred Rogers
In November 2019, shortly before the release of A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Tom Hanks learned through Ancestry.com that he and Fred Rogers were sixth cousins.
December 27, 2019: Honorary Greek citizenship
On December 27, 2019, the President of Greece signed an honorary naturalization order for Tom Hanks and his family, making them Greek citizens due to their "exceptional services to Greece".
2019: Toy Story 4 and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
In 2019, Tom Hanks reprised his role as Sheriff Woody in Pixar's "Toy Story 4". He also portrayed Fred Rogers in "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood", earning an Academy Award nomination.
April 11, 2020: Hosting Saturday Night Live After COVID-19 Diagnosis
On April 11, 2020, Tom Hanks hosted Saturday Night Live, marking his first television appearance since his COVID-19 diagnosis. It was also the first episode after the show's hiatus due to the pandemic.
June 2020: Greyhound Release
In June 2020, Sony Pictures was initially set to theatrically release the war film Greyhound, which Tom Hanks starred in and wrote the screenplay for.
July 2020: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson photographed with Greek passports
In July 2020, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson were photographed with their Greek passports alongside the Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and his wife.
July 2020: Greyhound on Apple TV+
In July 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, distribution rights to "Greyhound" were bought by Apple TV+ and released on the platform. Tom Hanks starred in and wrote the screenplay for "Greyhound".
December 2020: Confirmed for Pinocchio
In December 2020, Tom Hanks' involvement in Walt Disney Studios' live-action adaptation of "Pinocchio" was officially confirmed.
2020: Endorsement of Joe Biden
In 2020, Tom Hanks endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election.
2021: Starring in Finch
In 2021, Tom Hanks starred in the science fiction drama "Finch", which was directed by Miguel Sapochnik and released by Apple TV+.
March 2, 2022: Interview on Dead Eyes Podcast
On March 2, 2022, Tom Hanks was interviewed on Connor Ratliff's podcast "Dead Eyes", 22 years after allegedly firing Ratliff from "Band of Brothers" due to his "dead eyes".
March 24, 2022: Officiated a wedding in Pittsburgh
On March 24, 2022, CBS News reported that Tom Hanks, an ordained minister, had recently officiated a wedding in Pittsburgh.
June 2022: Elvis Release
In June 2022, "Elvis", in which Tom Hanks starred as Tom Parker, was released.
September 8, 2022: Pinocchio Release on Disney+
On September 8, 2022, Tom Hanks starred as Geppetto in Walt Disney Studios' live-action adaptation of "Pinocchio", released on Disney+.
2022: Truman Hanks portrayed young Tom Hanks
In 2022, Truman Hanks portrayed the younger version of his father's character in A Man Called Otto.
May 2023: Publication of The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece
In May 2023, Tom Hanks's debut novel, The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece, was published.
June 2023: Asteroid City Release
In June 2023, Tom Hanks appeared in Wes Anderson's "Asteroid City", which premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival and was released in theaters.
2023: Founded Hanx for the Troops
In 2023, Tom Hanks founded Hanx for the Troops, a coffee company that supports veterans and military families.
January 26, 2024: Masters of the Air Premieres on Apple TV+
On January 26, 2024, the miniseries Masters of the Air, which Tom Hanks executive produced, premiered on Apple TV+.
April 2025: Narration of The Americas
From February to April 2025, Tom Hanks will narrate the NBC documentary series, The Americas.
2025: Sylvanus Thayer Award
In 2025, Tom Hanks will receive the Sylvanus Thayer Award from the West Point Graduates Association of Graduates (WPAOG) in recognition of his "positive portrayal of the American service member' and his support of veterans, the military, and America’s space program."
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