Andy Kaufman

Filming began on biopic "Man on the Moon", directed by Milos Forman and starring Jim Carrey

NBC aired "A Comedy Salute to Andy Kaufman"

The rock band REM saluted Kaufman with the song "Man on the Moon"

Release of final film project, "My Breakfast With Blassie", a 60-minute video spoof of "My Dinner With Andre"

Broadway acting debut as a wrestling referee in "Teaneck Tanzi, The Venus Flytrap", co-starring Deborah Harry

Diagnosed with a rare form of lung cancer

Confronted Lawler on "Late Night With David Letterman" in July

First of ten appearances on "Late Night With David Letterman" (February)

Made last live appearance on "Saturday Night Live"; phone-in viewer poll voted to ban him for life from ever appearing on the show again (November); he appeared via videotape (January 1983) thanking those who voted for him

Seriously injured spine during a wrestling match with Jerry Lawler (April)

During a strike by film and TV writers, worked as a busboy at Jerry's Famous Deli in L.A.

Engendered controversy for breaking the 'fourth wall' during a skit on the ABC late night show "Fridays"; questions about the validity of the ensuing scuffle remain (was it staged or was it real?); returned in September and was on his best behavior hosting the first show of its second season

Starred opposite Bernadette Peters in the feature "Heartbeeps"; both played robots

First major role in films, a televangelist (Armageddon T Thunderbird) in "In God We Tru$t", directed by Marty Feldman

Began challenging women to wrestling matches as part of his act; self-proclaimed World Inter-Gender Wrestling Champion

Headlined an appearance at NYC's Carnegie Hall; after the show invited audience to board buses and travel to a local school cafeteria for milk and cookies

Co-starred as Latka Gravas on the sitcom "Taxi" (ABC, 1978-1982; NBC 1982-1983)

Headlined the ABC special "Andy's Funhouse"; aired in 1979 as a late-night 90-minute special

Played the role of Andy the robot helper in a space-age comedy TV pilot, "Stick Around" (ABC)

Feature film debut in the small role of a psychotic assassin cop in "God Told Me To/Demon"

Was a regular on the short-lived NBC variety series "Van Dyke and Co"; "unscheduled" appearances during the middle of Van Dyke's sketches became an instant favorite; 'Foreign Man' to Elvis transformation stunned studio and TV audience

Made first of 14 appearances on "Saturday Night Live" on October 11; lip-synched the theme to Mighty Mouse

NBC executive Dick Ebersol caught his act in Los Angeles and asked him to audition for what would become "Saturday Night Live"

"Discovered" by IMPROVisation Comedy Club owner Budd Friedman (who did not remember his 1962 audition) while performing stand-up at My Father's Place, a Long Island rock club

While attending Grahm Junior College, wrote. produced and directed the campus TV show "Uncle Andy's Funhouse"

Auditioned for Budd Friedman, the owner and operator of The IMPROV; failed audition

At age nine, started performing at children's parties (date approximate)

Began doing stand-up at Friedman's NYC and Los Angeles clubs

Began performing for family as a child

Met Carl Reiner and Dick Van Dyke who encouraged their manager George Shapiro to represent him

Raised in Great Neck on Long Island, NY