Bruce Lee Timeline

Bruce Lee 20

1940 Bruce Lee born Born in San Francisco's Chinatown, November 27, 1940 Lee Jun-fan was born in San Francisco on November 27, 1940, in the Year of the Dragon, between 6am and 8am — the hour of the dragon. His father Lee Hoi-chuen was a Cantonese opera singer touring the US.
1941 Lee family returns to Hong Kong Bruce grows up in Kowloon The Lee family returned to Hong Kong in 1941, settling in Kowloon. Young Bruce grew up in the crowded streets, spending time with local street gangs and getting into fights.
1953 – 1958 Bruce Lee trains Wing Chun Studies under Ip Man for five years After being beaten up by a street gang at age 12, Bruce Lee began training Wing Chun kung fu under the legendary grandmaster Ip Man — the only formal martial arts training he ever received.
1958 Bruce Lee wins Hong Kong boxing championship Defeats three-time champion Gary Elms Bruce Lee won the 1958 Hong Kong Colony Boxing Championship, defeating the reigning three-year champion Gary Elms. He was also the Hong Kong Cha-cha dancing champion that year.
1959 Bruce Lee moves to USA Leaves Hong Kong aged 18 After his street fighting became a legal problem in Hong Kong, Bruce Lee's parents put him on a boat to San Francisco on April 29, 1959. He arrived in Seattle with $100 from his mother and $15 from his father.
1961 – 1964 Bruce Lee studies at University of Washington Majors in drama and philosophy Bruce Lee enrolled at the University of Washington in 1961, majoring in drama with studies in philosophy and psychology. It was here he met his future wife Linda Emery.
1963 First Jun Fan Gung Fu school opened Bruce teaches kung fu in Seattle Bruce Lee opened his first kung fu school — the Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute — in Seattle in 1963. He later opened a second school in Oakland, California, teaching his own modified style of Wing Chun.
1964 Jeet Kune Do created Bruce Lee invents new martial art Bruce Lee developed Jeet Kune Do — the Way of the Intercepting Fist — in 1964 as a non-traditional martial art emphasising speed, practicality and adaptability over rigid forms. He called it a philosophy, not a style.
1964 Long Beach demonstration One-inch punch stuns martial arts world Bruce Lee demonstrated his extraordinary martial arts at the International Karate Championships in Long Beach on August 2, 1964. His one-inch punch and two-finger push-ups astonished the crowd and were filmed by Ed Parker.
1964 Bruce Lee marries Linda Emery Married in Seattle, August 17, 1964 Bruce Lee married Linda Emery on August 17, 1964, in Seattle. They had met at the University of Washington. Linda would later write two books about her husband.
1965 Brandon Lee born Son of Bruce and Linda Lee Brandon Lee, son of Bruce and Linda Lee, was born on February 1, 1965, in Oakland, California. He would follow his father into acting and martial arts, tragically dying on set of The Crow in 1993.
1966 – 1967 The Green Hornet Bruce Lee plays Kato in Hollywood TV series Bruce Lee played Kato, sidekick to the Green Hornet, in the ABC television series from 1966-67. Running for 26 episodes, it was his breakthrough in American entertainment and the first popular US show featuring Asian-style martial arts.
1969 Shannon Lee born Daughter of Bruce and Linda Lee Shannon Lee, daughter of Bruce and Linda Lee, was born on April 19, 1969. She later became an actress, martial artist and chairperson of the Bruce Lee Foundation.
1971 The Big Boss released Bruce Lee's first starring role The Big Boss (known as Fists of Fury in the US) was released in 1971, Bruce Lee's first film as a lead actor. Shot in Thailand for Golden Harvest, it broke box office records throughout Asia.
1972 Fist of Fury released Broke records set by The Big Boss Fist of Fury (The Chinese Connection in the US), released in 1972, starred Bruce Lee as Chen Zhen, a martial arts student who investigates his teacher's death. It broke the box office record set by The Big Boss.
1972 The Way of the Dragon released Bruce writes and directs — featuring Chuck Norris The Way of the Dragon (Return of the Dragon in the US), released in 1972, was written, directed and starred Bruce Lee. Shot in Rome, its climactic fight scene with Chuck Norris at the Colosseum is considered one of the greatest in cinema history.
1973 Enter the Dragon filming First US-Hong Kong co-production Enter the Dragon, the first joint US-Hong Kong film production, began filming in February 1973. Bruce Lee co-wrote the screenplay and starred as Lee, a martial arts expert on a secret mission. It became a worldwide phenomenon.
1973 Bruce Lee collapses First blackout at Golden Harvest Studios Bruce Lee collapsed at Golden Harvest Studios on May 10, 1973, during dubbing for Enter the Dragon, suffering a seizure and cerebral edema. He flew to Los Angeles for a full medical examination and was given a clean bill of health.
1973 Bruce Lee dies Age 32 — cerebral edema in Hong Kong Bruce Lee died on July 20, 1973, aged 32, at the apartment of actress Betty Ting Pei in Hong Kong after taking the headache medication Equagesic. The official cause of death was cerebral edema. He died six days before the Hong Kong release of Enter the Dragon.
1973 Enter the Dragon released Released 6 days after Bruce Lee's death Enter the Dragon was released in Hong Kong on July 26, 1973, six days after Bruce Lee's death. It went on to gross $350 million worldwide and became one of the most influential martial arts films ever made.