| As a teen, developed his Record Act, miming and silently mouthing lyrics of songs played off-stage |
| Joined parents in the summers on the Borscht Circuit, performing the occasional solo number to their act |
1942 | Received first professional booking at the Loew's Pitman Theatre in Brooklyn, NY |
1944 | Booked at the Glass Hat in NYC on the same bill as Dean Martin |
1946 | First performed with Dean Martin at the 500 Club in Atlantic City |
1948 | Made TV debut on the Ed Sullivan hosted CBS program "Toast of the Town" (later titled "The Ed Sullivan Show) |
1948 | Signed a contract with Universal-International |
1949 | Co-formed York Productions with Dean Martin |
1949 | First film with Martin, "My Friend Irma" |
1949 | Performed in the Martin and Lewis radio show |
1950 | Formed Gar-Ron Productions (named after sons Gary and Ronald) |
1950 | Martin and Lewis appeared as rotating hosts of "The Colgate Comedy Hour" (NBC) |
1954 | Debuted as host of the Muscular Dystrophy Association's Labor Day telethon |
1955 | Began a long collaboration with writer-director Frank Tashlin with the film "Artists and Models" |
1956 | Ended partnership with Dean Martin; later formed Jerry Lewis Productions |
1956 | Last film with Martin, "Hollywood or Bust"; also directed by Tashlin |
1957 | Produced first film without Martin, "The Delicate Delinquet" |
1958 | First solo TV special, "The Jerry Lewis Show" (ABC) |
1959 | Signed a long-term exclusive contract with Paramount |
1960 | Directed and starred in "The Bellboy"; also co-wrote with Bill Richmond |
1961 | Directed and starred in the comedy "The Ladies Man" |
1963 | Produced and starred in the comedy hit "The Nutty Professor"; also directed and co-wrote with Bill Richmond |
1964 | Last picture with Tashlin, "The Disorderly Orderly" |
1965 | Discontinued asociation with Paramount |
1966 | Appeared as master of ceremonies for first "Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon"; began ongoing association with MDA |
1969 | Directed Sammy Davis and Peter Lawford in "One More Time"; only time Lewis directed without also acting in the film |
1970 | Last released film for 11 years, "Which Way to the Front?" |
1971 | Produced and starred in the never-released "The Day the Clown Cried" |
1976 | Acted on stage in "Helzapoppin"; show closed before reaching Broadway |
1976 | Reunited with Dean Martin on stage at a muscular dystrophy telethon; reunion arranged by Frank Sinatra |
1981 | Returned to the screen with "Hardly Working" |
1983 | Played a late-night TV host plagued by obsessive fans in Martin Scorsese's "The King of Comedy" |
1988 | Guest starred on five episodes of the CBS series "Wise Guy" |
1991 | Starred in "Arizona Dream" with Johnny Depp and Faye Dunnaway |
1994 | Traveled to Blackpool, England to make "Funny Bones" for Hollywood Pictures |
1995 | Made Broadway debut as Applegate in a revival of "Damn Yankees" |
1997 | Reprised role of Applegate in the London production of "Damn Yankees" |
2000 | Signed 20-year contract with the Orleans Hotel-Casino in Las Vegas, marking his return to Vegas after a 12-year absence |
2005 | Wrote a book about his partnership with Dean Martin titled Dean & Me (A Love Story) |
2006 | Guest starred on an episode of "Law and Order: SUV" (NBC) as the homeless uncle of Detective Munch (Richard Belzer) |
2009 | Announced to return to the big screen for the film "Max Rose" |
2011 | Retired as host of the Muscular Dystrophy Association's Labor Day telethon |
