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  • St. Joseph, Missouri, U.S.
    Tuesday Oct 17, 1972

    Birth

    St. Joseph, Missouri, U.S.
    Tuesday Oct 17, 1972

    Marshall Bruce Mathers III was born on October 17, 1972 in St. Joseph, Missouri, the only child of Marshall Bruce Mathers Jr. and Deborah Rae "Debbie" (née Nelson).




  • Macomb County, Michigan, U.S.
    1982

    Bullied

    Macomb County, Michigan, U.S.
    1982

    Friends and family remember Eminem as a happy child, but "a bit of a loner" who was often bullied. One bully, D'Angelo Bailey, severely injured Eminem's head in an assault; Debbie filed a lawsuit against the school in 1982, which was dismissed the following year because the Macomb County, Michigan judge said the schools were immune from lawsuits.




  • Michigan, U.S.
    1986

    Eminem began rapping

    Michigan, U.S.
    1986

    At age 14, Eminem began rapping with high-school friend Mike Ruby; they adopted the names "Manix" and "M&M", the latter of which stood for his initials and evolved into "Eminem". Eminem sneaked into neighboring Osborn High School with friend and fellow rapper Proof for lunchroom freestyle rap battles. On Saturdays, they attended open mic contests at the Hip-Hop Shop on West 7 Mile, considered "ground zero" for the Detroit rap scene.




  • U.S.
    1988

    First Group

    U.S.
    1988

    In 1988, he went by the stage name MC Double M and formed his first group New Jacks with DJ Butter Fingers.




  • Lincoln High School, Michigan, U.S.
    1989

    Eminem dropped out of Lincoln High School

    Lincoln High School, Michigan, U.S.
    1989

    Eminem dropped out of Lincoln High School at age 17. Although he was interested in English, he never explored literature (preferring comic books) and disliked math and social studies.




  • U.S.
    1989

    Bassmint Productions

    U.S.
    1989

    In 1989, they later joined Bassmint Productions who later changed their name to Soul Intent in 1992 with rapper Proof and other childhood friends.




  • Michigan, U.S.
    1919

    Ronnie Polkingharn

    Michigan, U.S.
    1919

    Eminem heard his first rap song ("Reckless", featuring Ice-T) on the Breakin' soundtrack, a gift from Debbie's half-brother Ronnie Polkingharn, who was close to him and later became a musical mentor to him. When Polkingharn committed suicide in 1991, Eminem stopped speaking for days and did not attend his funeral.


  • Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
    1992

    Do-Da-Dippity

    Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
    1992

    Eminem also made his first music video appearance in 1992 in a song titled, "Do-Da-Dippity", by Champtown.


  • U.S.
    1992

    Eminem arrested

    U.S.
    1992

    Eminem had his first run-in with the law at age 20, when he was arrested for his involvement in a drive-by shooting with a paintball gun. The case was dismissed when the victim did not appear in court.


  • Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
    Tuesday Nov 12, 1996

    Infinite

    Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
    Tuesday Nov 12, 1996

    Eminem was soon signed to Jeff and Mark Bass's FBT Productions, and recorded his debut album Infinite for their independent Web Entertainment label. The album was a commercial failure upon its release in 1996.


  • Los Angeles, California, U.S.
    Friday Oct 24, 1997

    1997 Rap Olympics

    Los Angeles, California, U.S.
    Friday Oct 24, 1997

    Eminem went to Los Angeles to compete in the 1997 Rap Olympics, an annual, nationwide battle rap competition. He placed second, and Interscope Records staff in attendance sent a copy of the Slim Shady EP to company CEO Jimmy Iovine.


  • Michigan, U.S.
    Tuesday Dec 16, 1997

    Slim Shady EP

    Michigan, U.S.
    Tuesday Dec 16, 1997

    Eminem attracted more attention when he developed Slim Shady, a sadistic, violent alter ego. The character allowed him to express his anger with lyrics about drugs, rape, and murder. In the spring of 1997 he recorded his debut EP, the Slim Shady EP, which was released that winter by Web Entertainment.


  • Ferndale, Michigan, U.S.
    Tuesday Feb 23, 1999

    The Slim Shady LP

    Ferndale, Michigan, U.S.
    Tuesday Feb 23, 1999

    Eminem released The Slim Shady LP in February 1999. Although it was one of the year's most popular albums (certified triple platinum by the end of the year), he was accused of imitating the style and subject matter of underground rapper Cage.


  • Michigan, U.S.
    1999

    Kimberly Anne "Kim" Scott

    Michigan, U.S.
    1999

    He was married twice to Kimberly Anne "Kim" Scott. He met Kim in high school while he stood on a table with his shirt off rapping LL Cool J's "I'm Bad". The two were married in 1999 and divorced in 2001. Their daughter Hailie was born on December 25, 1995.


  • California, U.S.
    Tuesday May 23, 2000

    The Marshall Mathers LP

    California, U.S.
    Tuesday May 23, 2000

    The Marshall Mathers LP was released in May 2000. It sold 1.76 million copies in its first week, breaking US records held by Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle for fastest-selling hip hop album and Britney Spears' ...Baby One More Time for fastest-selling solo album.


  • New York, U.S.
    Jul, 2000

    Eminem was the first white artist to appear on the cover of The Source

    New York, U.S.
    Jul, 2000

    In July 2000, Eminem was the first white artist to appear on the cover of The Source.


  • Toronto's SkyDome, Toronto, Canada
    Thursday Oct 26, 2000

    Eminem was scheduled to perform at Toronto's SkyDome

    Toronto's SkyDome, Toronto, Canada
    Thursday Oct 26, 2000

    On October 26, 2000, Eminem was scheduled to perform at Toronto's SkyDome when Ontario Attorney General Jim Flaherty said that Eminem should not be allowed to enter the country. "I personally don't want anyone coming to Canada who will come here and advocate violence against women," he said. Flaherty also said that he was "disgusted" when he read the lyrics of "Kill You", which includes the lines "Slut, you think I won't choke no whore / Till the vocal cords don't work in her throat no more?" Although public reaction to Flaherty's position was generally negative, with barring Eminem from the country considered a free-speech issue, Liberal MPP Michael Bryant suggested that hate crime charges be brought against Eminem for advocating violence against women in his lyrics.


  • U.S.
    Tuesday Nov 21, 2000

    Angry Blonde

    U.S.
    Tuesday Nov 21, 2000

    On November 21, 2000, Eminem published Angry Blonde, a non-fiction book featuring commentary of several of his own songs, along with several previously unpublished photographs.


  • Michigan, U.S.
    2001

    Devil's Night

    Michigan, U.S.
    2001

    Later in 1996, Eminem and Proof teamed up with four other rappers to form The Dirty Dozen (D12), who released their first album Devil's Night in 2001.


  • Michigan, U.S.
    2001

    Sanitation worker DeAngelo Bailey sued Eminem for $1 million

    Michigan, U.S.
    2001

    Sanitation worker DeAngelo Bailey sued Eminem for $1 million in 2001, accusing him of invading his privacy by publicizing information placing him in a false light in "Brain Damage", a song which portrays him as a violent school bully. Although Bailey admitted picking on Eminem in school, he said he merely "bumped" him and gave him a "little shove". The lawsuit was dismissed on October 20, 2003; Judge Deborah Servitto, who wrote a portion of her opinion in rap-like rhyming verse, ruled that it was clear to the public that the lyrics were exaggerated.


  • Michigan, U.S.
    Thursday Jun 28, 2001

    Eminem was sentenced to one year's probation

    Michigan, U.S.
    Thursday Jun 28, 2001

    On June 28, 2001, Eminem was sentenced to one year's probation and community service and was fined about $2,000 on weapon charges stemming from an argument with an employee of Psychopathic Records.


  • U.S.
    Sunday Mar 31, 2002

    Jacques Loussier

    U.S.
    Sunday Mar 31, 2002

    On March 31, 2002, French jazz pianist Jacques Loussier filed a $10 million lawsuit against Eminem and Dr. Dre, claiming that the beat for "Kill You" was taken from his instrumental "Pulsion". Loussier demanded that sales of The Marshall Mathers LP be halted, and any remaining copies destroyed. The case was later settled out of court.


  • Michigan, U.S.
    Sunday May 26, 2002

    The Eminem Show

    Michigan, U.S.
    Sunday May 26, 2002

    The Eminem Show was released in May 2002. It was another success, reaching number one on the charts and selling over 1.332 million copies during its first full week.


  • Washington D.C., U.S.
    Monday Dec 8, 2003

    United States Secret Service said that it was "looking into" allegations that Eminem had threatened the President of the United States

    Washington D.C., U.S.
    Monday Dec 8, 2003

    On December 8, 2003, the United States Secret Service said that it was "looking into" allegations that Eminem had threatened the President of the United States (George W. Bush). The cause for concern was the lyrics of "We As Americans" ("Fuck money / I don't rap for dead presidents / I'd rather see the president dead / It's never been said, but I set precedents"), which was later released on a bonus CD with the deluxe edition of Encore.


  • Los Angeles, California, U.S.
    Tuesday Oct 12, 2004

    Jackson-Steve Harvey call

    Los Angeles, California, U.S.
    Tuesday Oct 12, 2004

    Encore, released in 2004, was another success. Its sales were partially driven by the first single, "Just Lose It", which contained slurs about Michael Jackson. On October 12, 2004, a week after the release of "Just Lose It", Jackson phoned the Los Angeles-based Steve Harvey radio show to report his displeasure with its video (which parodies Jackson's child molestation trial, plastic surgery and the 1984 incident when Jackson's hair caught fire during the filming of a commercial).


  • U.S.
    Monday Oct 25, 2004

    Mosh

    U.S.
    Monday Oct 25, 2004

    On October 25, 2004, a week before the 2004 US Presidential election, Eminem released the video for "Mosh" on the Internet. In it, Eminem gathers an army (including rapper Lloyd Banks) of Bush-administration victims and leads them to the White House. When they break in, it is learned that they are there to register to vote; the video ends with "VOTE Tuesday November 2". After Bush's reelection, the video's ending was changed to Eminem and the protesters invading the White House during a speech by the president.


  • U.S.
    Friday Nov 12, 2004

    Encore

    U.S.
    Friday Nov 12, 2004

    Encore is the fifth studio album by American rapper Eminem. It was released on November 12, 2004 by Aftermath Entertainment, Shady Records, and Interscope Records. Its release date was originally set for November 16, 2004, but Eminem moved the release date to four days earlier after the album was leaked to the internet. The album contains several lyrical themes, most notably Eminem's opposition to then-President of the United States George W. Bush and a parody towards Michael Jackson.


  • U.S.
    Tuesday Dec 6, 2005

    Curtain Call: The Hits

    U.S.
    Tuesday Dec 6, 2005

    In 2005, industry insiders speculated that Eminem was considering ending his rapping career after six years and several Multi-Platinum albums. Rumors began early in the year about a double album to be released late that year, entitled The Funeral; the greatest hits album, entitled Curtain Call: The Hits, was released in December.


  • Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
    Tuesday Apr 11, 2006

    Proof murdered

    Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
    Tuesday Apr 11, 2006

    In 2006, Proof, who was Eminem's childhood friend, was murdered.


  • U.S.
    Tuesday Oct 21, 2008

    The Way I Am

    U.S.
    Tuesday Oct 21, 2008

    On October 21, 2008 his autobiography The Way I Am was published. Detailing his struggles with poverty, drugs, fame, heartbreak, and depression, it includes stories of his rise to fame, commentary about past controversies and original lyric sheets from "Stan" and "The Real Slim Shady".


  • U.S.
    Friday May 15, 2009

    Relapse

    U.S.
    Friday May 15, 2009

    Eminem appeared on his Shade 45 Sirius channel in September 2008, saying: "Right now I'm kinda just concentrating on my own stuff, for right now and just banging out tracks and producing a lot of stuff. You know, the more I keep producing the better it seems like I get 'cause I just start knowing stuff." Interscope confirmed that a new album would be released in spring 2009. In December 2008, Eminem provided more details about the album, entitled Relapse: "Me and Dre are back in the lab like the old days, man. Dre will end up producing the majority of the tracks on 'Relapse'. We are up to our old mischievous ways ... let's just leave it at that."


  • New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
    Friday Oct 30, 2009

    Eminem headlined at the Voodoo Experience

    New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
    Friday Oct 30, 2009

    On October 30, Eminem headlined at the Voodoo Experience in New Orleans, his first full performance of the year. Eminem's act included several songs from Relapse, many of his older hits and an appearance by D12.


  • U.S.
    Monday Dec 21, 2009

    Relapse: Refill

    U.S.
    Monday Dec 21, 2009

    On November 19, he announced on his website that Relapse: Refill would be released on December 21. The album was a re-release of Relapse with seven bonus tracks, including "Forever" and "Taking My Ball".


  • U.S.
    Wednesday Apr 14, 2010

    RECOVERY announcement

    U.S.
    Wednesday Apr 14, 2010

    On April 14, 2010, Eminem tweeted: "There is no Relapse 2". Although his followers thought he was not releasing an album, he had changed its title to Recovery and confirmed this by tweeting "RECOVERY" with a link to his website.


  • U.S.
    Friday Jun 18, 2010

    Recovery

    U.S.
    Friday Jun 18, 2010

    His seventh album was released on June 18. In the US Recovery sold 741,000 copies during its first week, topping the Billboard 200 chart. Eminem's sixth consecutive US number-one album also topped the charts in several other countries. Recovery remained atop the Billboard 200 chart for five consecutive weeks of a seven-week total.


  • U.S.
    Jul, 2010

    United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled in F.B.T. Productions

    U.S.
    Jul, 2010

    In July 2010, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled in F.B.T. Productions, LLC v. Aftermath Records that F.B.T. Productions and Eminem were owed a royalty of 50 percent of Aftermath's net revenue from licensing his recordings to companies such as Apple, Sprint Corporation, Nextel Communications, Cingular and T-Mobile. In March 2011, the Supreme Court of the United States declined to hear the case.


  • Staples Center, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
    Sunday Feb 13, 2011

    Eminem appeared at the 2011 Grammy Awards

    Staples Center, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
    Sunday Feb 13, 2011

    Eminem appeared at the 2011 Grammy Awards on February 13, performing "Love the Way You Lie (Part II)" with Rihanna and Adam Levine and "I Need a Doctor" with Dr. Dre and Skylar Grey.


  • Wembley Stadium, London, England, United Kingdom
    Thursday Jul 11, 2013

    Eminem played two concerts in Wembley Stadium

    Wembley Stadium, London, England, United Kingdom
    Thursday Jul 11, 2013

    On July 11 and 12, Eminem played two concerts in Wembley Stadium.


  • U.S.
    Tuesday Nov 5, 2013

    Marshall Mathers LP 2

    U.S.
    Tuesday Nov 5, 2013

    The album was released on November 5, by Aftermath Entertainment, Shady Records and Interscope Records. Its standard version had 16 tracks, and the deluxe version included a second disc with five additional tracks. The Marshall Mathers LP 2 was Eminem's seventh album to debut atop the Billboard 200, and had the year's second-largest first-week sales.


  • U.S.
    Monday Nov 24, 2014

    Shady XV

    U.S.
    Monday Nov 24, 2014

    Shady XV (stylized as SHADYXV) is a hip hop compilation album performed by various artists of Shady Records. The double disc album was released on November 24, 2014, by Shady Records and Interscope Records.


  • U.S.
    Thursday Mar 12, 2015

    10-disc vinyl box set

    U.S.
    Thursday Mar 12, 2015

    The Official Eminem Box Set, a career-spanning, 10-disc vinyl box set, was released on March 12, 2015. The set includes seven of Eminem's eight studio albums (excluding Infinite), the 8 Mile soundtrack, the compilation Eminem Presents: The Re-Up, and the greatest hits collection Curtain Call: The Hits.


  • U.S.
    Tuesday Jun 2, 2015

    Phenomenal

    U.S.
    Tuesday Jun 2, 2015

    Eminem is the executive producer of the soundtrack on the sports drama Southpaw, with Shady Records. The first single from the soundtrack called 'Phenomenal' was released on June 2, 2015.


  • Monroe, Michigan, U.S.
    Wednesday Jul 1, 2015

    Only in Monroe

    Monroe, Michigan, U.S.
    Wednesday Jul 1, 2015

    Eminem appeared on the public access show Only in Monroe, produced in Monroe, Michigan, and was interviewed by guest host Stephen Colbert for an episode that aired July 1, 2015.


  • U.S.
    Friday Jul 10, 2015

    Kings Never Die

    U.S.
    Friday Jul 10, 2015

    "Kings Never Die" by Eminem featuring Gwen Stefani, was released on July 10, 2015 on YouTube via Eminem's Vevo account.


  • U.S.
    Wednesday Oct 19, 2016

    Campaign Speech

    U.S.
    Wednesday Oct 19, 2016

    On October 19, 2016, Eminem released a new song called "Campaign Speech", a political hip hop song, and announced he was working on a new album.


  • U.S.
    Tuesday Nov 22, 2016

    Partners in Rhyme: The True Story of Infinite

    U.S.
    Tuesday Nov 22, 2016

    On November 22, 2016, Eminem released a trailer for a 10-minute short documentary called Partners in Rhyme: The True Story of Infinite.


  • U.S.
    Feb, 2017

    No Favors

    U.S.
    Feb, 2017

    In February 2017, Eminem appeared on "No Favors", a track from Big Sean's album I Decided. In the song, Eminem calls the newly elected President Donald Trump a "bitch", and also raps about raping conservative social and political commentator Ann Coulter, who is a Trump supporter, with a variety of foreign objects. Coulter responded to the lyrics, stating, "I think it's unfortunate that the left, from Berkeley to Eminem with his rap songs, has normalized violence against women, as Eminem has done."


  • U.S.
    Oct, 2017

    Revenge

    U.S.
    Oct, 2017

    In October 2017, Eminem appeared on "Revenge", a track from Pink's album Beautiful Trauma. It was reported that the Secret Service interviewed Eminem in 2018-2019, regarding threatening lyrics towards President Trump and daughter Ivanka.


  • U.S.
    Friday Nov 10, 2017

    Walk on Water

    U.S.
    Friday Nov 10, 2017

    In November, the first single "Walk on Water" was released, which featured Beyoncé.


  • U.S.
    Friday Dec 15, 2017

    Revival

    U.S.
    Friday Dec 15, 2017

    The album was released on December 15, 2017, through Aftermath Entertainment, Shady Records and Interscope Records.


  • U.S.
    Friday Aug 31, 2018

    Kamikaze

    U.S.
    Friday Aug 31, 2018

    On August 31, 2018, Eminem released his previously unannounced tenth studio album Kamikaze, making it his second full-length studio album in 8 months.


  • U.S.
    Saturday Dec 1, 2018

    Kick off

    U.S.
    Saturday Dec 1, 2018

    On December 1, Eminem released an 11 minute freestyle to his YouTube channel titled 'Kick off'.


  • New York, U.S.
    Tuesday Jun 25, 2019

    Hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire

    New York, U.S.
    Tuesday Jun 25, 2019

    On June 25, 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed Eminem among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire.


  • U.S.
    Friday Jan 17, 2020

    Music To Be Murdered By

    U.S.
    Friday Jan 17, 2020

    On January 17, 2020, Mathers released another surprise album Music To Be Murdered By, following his Kamikaze, which features guest appearances by: Young M.A., Royce Da 5'9", Q-Tip, Denaun, White Gold, Ed Sheeran, Juice WRLD, Skylar Grey, Anderson Paak, Don Toliver, Kxng Crooked, Joell Ortiz and Black Thought.


  • Dolby Theatre Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
    Sunday Feb 9, 2020

    "Lose Yourself" at the 92nd Academy Awards

    Dolby Theatre Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
    Sunday Feb 9, 2020

    On February 9, 2020, Mathers performed "Lose Yourself" at the 92nd Academy Awards.


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