Ron Howard Timeline

Mar. 1, 1954: Born as Ronald William Howard in Dincan, OK to Jean Speegle and Rance Howard.

1956: Has an unaccredited role in Frontier Woman.

Feb. 19, 1959: Makes official film debut in The Journey, playing Billy Rhinelander.

Oct. 11, 1959: Plays Stewart in the TV series Dennis the Menace.

1960: Plays Opie Taylor in the TV series The Andy Griffith Show.

1961: Plays Winthrop Paroo in The Music Man, with Robert Preston and Shirley Jones.

1963: Appeared in The Courtship of Eddy's Father.

1968: Is quoted as saying, "You're fourteen or fifteen, and they can hire an eighteen-year-old and not have the child-labor law restrictions, and so they do. Just at the point when you're feeling confused and vulnerable, you're being rejected."

1969: Begins shooting movies with his Super-8 camera. He makes three this year: Old Paint, Deed of Daring-Do, and Cards, Cads, Guns, Gore and Death.

1971: Contestant on The Dating Game. Chooses Bachelorette #2, Nola Green.

Jan. 28, 1973: Plays Private Wendell Peterson in the TV series M*A*S*H.

Aug. 11, 1973: Plays his big role as Steve Bolander in American Graffiti, directed by George Lucas.

1974: Plays Richard 'Richie' Cunningham in the TV series Happy Days, with Henry Winkler.

June 7, 1975: Marries high school sweetheart Cheryl.

1976: Co-stars with John Wayne in The Shootist.

June 16, 1977: Makes director debut with Grand Theft Auto. He also plays Sam Freeman.

Aug. 3, 1979: Plays Steve Bolander in More American Graffiti.

1980's: Howard stops acting and begins a respected career as a movie director and producer.

1981: Daughter Bryce Dallas Howard is born in Dallas.

1984: Directs Splash, starring John Candy, Tom Hanks, Daryl Hannah and Eugene Levy, and Night Shift with Michael Keaton.

1985: Twin daughters Jocelyn Carlyle and Paige Carlyle are born in the Hotel Carlyle.

June 21, 1985: Directs Cocoon.

1987: Son Reed is born.

May 20, 1988: Directs Willow, starring Val Kilmer.

Aug. 2, 1989: Directs Parenthood, starring Steve Martin, Keanu Reeves, and Joaquin Phoenix.

May 24, 1991: Directs Backdraft, starring Robert De Niro, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Donald Sutherland.

May 22, 1992: Directs, and produces, Far and Away, starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman.

June 30, 1995: Directs Apollo 13, starring Kevin Bacon, Tom Hanks, Ed Harris, Gary Sinise, and Roger Corman.

Nov. 8, 1996: Directs Ransom, starring Mel Gibson.

Mar. 26, 1999: Directs and produces Ed TV, starring Ellen DeGeneres, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Hurley, and Dennis Hopper.

Sept. 2, 2000: His mother dies.

Nov. 8, 2000: Directs and produces How the Grinch Stole Christmas, starring Jim Carey and Anthony Hopkins as narrator.

Dec. 13, 2001: Directs and produces A Beautiful Mind, starring Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, and Ed Harris.

2002: A Beautiful Mind wins him an Oscar for Best Director.

Nov. 26, 2003: Directs The Missing, starring Tommy Lee Jones and Val Kilmer.

June 3, 2005: Directs and produces Cinderella Man, starring Russell Crowe and Renée Zellweger.