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  • Stone Town, Zanzibar (Present Day Part of Tanzania)
    Thursday Sep 5, 1946

    Birth

    Stone Town, Zanzibar (Present Day Part of Tanzania)
    Thursday Sep 5, 1946

    Mercury was born Farrokh Bulsara in Stone Town in the British protectorate of Zanzibar (now part of Tanzania) on 5 September 1946.




  • India
    1953

    Mercury began taking piano lessons at the age of seven

    India
    1953

    Mercury spent most of his childhood in India where he began taking piano lessons at the age of seven while living with relatives.




  • Panchgani, Mumbai, India
    1954

    Mercury was sent to study at St. Peter's School

    Panchgani, Mumbai, India
    1954

    In 1954, at the age of eight, Mercury was sent to study at St. Peter's School, a British-style boarding school for boys, in Panchgani near Mumbai.




  • Panchgani, Mumbai, India
    1958

    The Hectics

    Panchgani, Mumbai, India
    1958

    At the age of 12, he formed a school band, the Hectics, and covered rock and roll artists such as Cliff Richard and Little Richard.




  • Zanzibar, Tanzania
    Feb, 1963

    Mercury moved back to Zanzibar

    Zanzibar, Tanzania
    Feb, 1963

    In February 1963 Mercury moved back to Zanzibar where he joined his parents at their flat.




  • Middlesex, England, United Kingdom
    1964

    Mercury and his family fled to England

    Middlesex, England, United Kingdom
    1964

    In 1964, Mercury and his family fled from Zanzibar to escape the violence of the revolution against the Sultan of Zanzibar and his mainly Arab government, in which thousands of ethnic Arabs and Indians were killed. They moved into a small house at 22 Gladstone Avenue, Feltham, Middlesex, England. After first studying art at Isleworth Polytechnic in West London.




  • St Mary's Road, Ealing, London, England, United Kingdom
    1969

    Graduation

    St Mary's Road, Ealing, London, England, United Kingdom
    1969

    Mercury studied graphic art and design at Ealing Art College, graduating with a diploma in 1969.


  • Kensington, London, England, United Kingdom
    1969

    Mercury joined a series of bands and sold second-hand clothes in Kensington Market in London with Roger Taylor

    Kensington, London, England, United Kingdom
    1969

    Following graduation, Mercury joined a series of bands and sold second-hand clothes in Kensington Market in London with Roger Taylor. He also held a job as a baggage handler at Heathrow Airport. Friends from the time remember him as a quiet and shy young man with a great interest in music.


  • Liverpool, England, United Kingdom
    1969

    Mercury joined Liverpool-based band Ibex

    Liverpool, England, United Kingdom
    1969

    In 1969, he joined Liverpool-based band Ibex, later renamed Wreckage. He briefly lived in a flat above the Dovedale Towers, a pub close to Penny Lane in Liverpool's Mossley Hill district.


  • England, United Kingdom
    Monday Jun 2, 1969

    Mercury was registered a citizen of the United Kingdom and colonies

    England, United Kingdom
    Monday Jun 2, 1969

    As Zanzibar was a British protectorate until 1963, Mercury was born a British subject, and on 2 June 1969 was registered a citizen of the United Kingdom and colonies after the family had emigrated to England.


  • England, United Kingdom
    Apr, 1970

    Smile

    England, United Kingdom
    Apr, 1970

    In April 1970, Mercury teamed up with guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor, to become lead singer of their band Smile.


  • West Kensington, London, England, United Kingdom
    1970s

    Mercury had a long-term relationship with Mary Austin

    West Kensington, London, England, United Kingdom
    1970s

    In the early 1970s, Mercury had a long-term relationship with Mary Austin, whom he met through guitarist Brian May. He lived with Austin for several years in West Kensington, London. By the mid-1970s, he had begun an affair with a male American record executive at Elektra Records.


  • England, United Kingdom
    1971

    Mercury chose the name "Queen" for the new band

    England, United Kingdom
    1971

    They (Smile) were joined by bassist John Deacon in 1971. Despite the reservations of the other members and Trident Studios, the band's initial management, Mercury chose the name "Queen" for the new band.


  • England, United Kingdom
    1973

    "I Can Hear Music" and "Goin' Back"

    England, United Kingdom
    1973

    His first solo effort goes back to 1972 under the pseudonym Larry Lurex, when Trident Studios' house engineer Robin Geoffrey Cable was working in a musical project, at the time when Queen were recording their debut album; Cable enlisted Mercury to perform lead vocals on the songs "I Can Hear Music" and "Goin' Back", both were released together as a single in 1973.


  • United Kingdom
    1970s

    Everett became advisor and mentor to Mercury and Mercury served as Everett's confidante

    United Kingdom
    1970s

    During the 1970s, Everett became advisor and mentor to Mercury and Mercury served as Everett's confidante.


  • London, England, United Kingdom
    Friday Mar 8, 1974

    Queen II

    London, England, United Kingdom
    Friday Mar 8, 1974

    Mercury also wrote six songs from Queen II which deal with multiple key changes and complex material. "Crazy Little Thing Called Love", on the other hand, contains only a few chords. Although Mercury often wrote very intricate harmonies, he claimed that he could barely read music.


  • Kensington, London, England, United kingdom
    1970s

    Mercury's final home

    Kensington, London, England, United kingdom
    1970s

    Mercury's final home, Garden Lodge 1 Logan Place, a twenty-eight room Georgian mansion in Kensington set in a quarter-acre manicured garden surrounded by a high brick wall, was picked out by Austin.


  • London, England, United Kingdom
    1974

    Kenny Everett met Mercury in 1974

    London, England, United Kingdom
    1974

    Radio disc jockey Kenny Everett met Mercury in 1974, when he invited the singer onto his Capital London breakfast show.


  • United Kingdom
    Friday Nov 21, 1975

    Love of My Life

    United Kingdom
    Friday Nov 21, 1975

    He also wrote several songs about Austin, including "Love of My Life".


  • West Kensington, London, England, United Kingdom
    Dec, 1976

    Mercury told Austin of his sexuality

    West Kensington, London, England, United Kingdom
    Dec, 1976

    In December 1976, Mercury told Austin of his sexuality, which ended their romantic relationship.


  • U.S. and United Kingdom
    1981

    Mercury recorded several tracks with Michael Jackson

    U.S. and United Kingdom
    1981

    In 1981–1983 Mercury recorded several tracks with Michael Jackson, including a demo of "State of Shock", "Victory", and "There Must Be More to Life Than This".


  • England, United Kingdom
    Monday Oct 26, 1981

    Greatest Hits

    England, United Kingdom
    Monday Oct 26, 1981

    Mercury wrote 10 of the 17 songs on Queen's Greatest Hits album: "Bohemian Rhapsody", "Seven Seas of Rhye", "Killer Queen", "Somebody to Love", "Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy", "We Are the Champions", "Bicycle Race", "Don't Stop Me Now", "Crazy Little Thing Called Love", and "Play the Game".


  • England, United Kingdom
    1980s

    Mercury and Everett continued to explore their homosexuality and experiment with drugs

    England, United Kingdom
    1980s

    Throughout the early- to mid-1980s, Mercury and Everett continued to explore their homosexuality and experiment with drugs. Although they were never lovers, they did experience London nightlife together.


  • London, England, Unted Kingdom
    Sep, 1984

    Love Kills

    London, England, Unted Kingdom
    Sep, 1984

    Mercury contributed to the Richard "Wolfie" Wolf remix of the song "Love Kills", used as the end title theme for National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1. The song was originally recorded in 1984, when it was included on the soundtrack for the restoration of the 1927 Fritz Lang film Metropolis. First written by Giorgio Moroder in collaboration with Mercury, and produced by Moroder and Mack, "Love Kills" debuted at the number 10 position in the UK Singles Chart.


  • England, United Kingdom
    1985

    Mercury began another long-term relationship with Irish-born hairdresser Jim Hutton

    England, United Kingdom
    1985

    By 1985, Mercury began another long-term relationship with Irish-born hairdresser Jim Hutton (1949–2010).


  • England, United Kingdom
    1985

    Mercury and Everett had fallen out

    England, United Kingdom
    1985

    By 1985, Mercury and Everett had fallen out, and their friendship was further strained when Everett was outed in the autobiography of his ex-wife Lady Lee.


  • Musicland Studios, Munich, West Germany (Present Day in Germany)
    Monday Apr 29, 1985

    Mr. Bad Guy

    Musicland Studios, Munich, West Germany (Present Day in Germany)
    Monday Apr 29, 1985

    His first album, Mr. Bad Guy, debuted in the top ten of the UK Album Charts.


  • Wembley Stadium, London, England, United Kingdom
    Saturday Jul 13, 1985

    Live Aid

    Wembley Stadium, London, England, United Kingdom
    Saturday Jul 13, 1985

    One of Mercury's most notable performances with Queen took place at Live Aid in 1985.


  • Budapest, Romania
    1986

    Queen also played behind the Iron Curtain

    Budapest, Romania
    1986

    In 1986, Queen also played behind the Iron Curtain when they performed to a crowd of 80,000 in Budapest, in what was one of the biggest rock concerts ever held in Eastern Europe.


  • Knebworth Park, England, United Kingdom
    Saturday Aug 9, 1986

    Mercury's final live performance with Queen

    Knebworth Park, England, United Kingdom
    Saturday Aug 9, 1986

    Mercury's final live performance with Queen took place on 9 August 1986 at Knebworth Park in England and drew an attendance estimated as high as 160,000.


  • Harley Street clinic, Marylebone, central London, England, United Kingdom
    Oct, 1986

    Mercury had his blood tested for HIV/AIDS

    Harley Street clinic, Marylebone, central London, England, United Kingdom
    Oct, 1986

    In October 1986, the British press reported that Mercury had his blood tested for HIV/AIDS at a Harley Street clinic. A reporter for The Sun, Hugh Whittow, questioned Mercury about the story at Heathrow Airport as he was returning from Japan. Mercury denied he had the disease. According to his partner Jim Hutton, Mercury was diagnosed with AIDS in late April 1987. Around that time, Mercury claimed in an interview to have tested negative for HIV.


  • England, United Kingdom
    1987

    Hold On

    England, United Kingdom
    1987

    Mack also produced the 1987 single "Hold On", which Mercury recorded with actress Jo Dare for the German action drama Zabou.


  • Spain and Switzerland
    Monday Oct 10, 1988

    Barcelona

    Spain and Switzerland
    Monday Oct 10, 1988

    His second album, Barcelona, recorded with Spanish soprano vocalist Montserrat Caballé, combines elements of popular music and opera. Many critics were uncertain what to make of the album; one referred to it as "the most bizarre CD of the year".


  • England, United Kingdom
    1989

    Mercury and Everett were reconciled

    England, United Kingdom
    1989

    In 1989, with their health failing, Mercury and Everett were reconciled.


  • Kensington, London, England, United Kingdom
    Jun, 1991

    Mercury retired to his home

    Kensington, London, England, United Kingdom
    Jun, 1991

    After the conclusion of his work with Queen in June 1991, Mercury retired to his home in Kensington, West London.


  • Kensington, London, England, United Kingdom
    Friday Nov 22, 1991

    Mercury called Queen's manager Jim Beach to his Kensington home to prepare a public statement

    Kensington, London, England, United Kingdom
    Friday Nov 22, 1991

    On 22 November 1991, Mercury called Queen's manager Jim Beach to his Kensington home to prepare a public statement, which was released the following day: Following the enormous conjecture in the press over the last two weeks, I wish to confirm that I have been tested HIV positive and have AIDS. I felt it correct to keep this information private to date to protect the privacy of those around me. However, the time has come now for my friends and fans around the world to know the truth and I hope that everyone will join with me, my doctors and all those worldwide in the fight against this terrible disease. My privacy has always been very special to me and I am famous for my lack of interviews. Please understand this policy will continue.


  • Kensington, London, England, United Kingdom
    Sunday Nov 24, 1991

    Death

    Kensington, London, England, United Kingdom
    Sunday Nov 24, 1991

    On the evening of 24 November 1991, about 24 hours after issuing the statement, Mercury died at the age of 45 at his home in Kensington. The cause of death was bronchial pneumonia resulting from AIDS. Mercury's close friend Dave Clark of the Dave Clark Five was at the bedside vigil when he died. Austin phoned Mercury's parents and sister to break the news, which reached newspaper and television crews in the early hours of 25 November.


  • Montreux, Switzerland
    Monday Nov 25, 1996

    A statue in Montreux

    Montreux, Switzerland
    Monday Nov 25, 1996

    A statue in Montreux, Switzerland, by sculptor Irena Sedlecká, was erected as a tribute to Mercury. It stands almost 10 feet (3 metres) high overlooking Lake Geneva and was unveiled on 25 November 1996 by Mercury's father and Montserrat Caballé, with bandmates Brian May and Roger Taylor also in attendance.


  • United Kingdom
    Tuesday Oct 16, 2012

    Freddie Mercury: The Great Pretender

    United Kingdom
    Tuesday Oct 16, 2012

    In 2012, Freddie Mercury: The Great Pretender, a documentary film directed by Rhys Thomas on Mercury's attempts to forge a solo career, premiered on BBC One.


  • U.S.
    2018

    Bohemian Rhapsody

    U.S.
    2018

    The 2018 biopic of Mercury, Bohemian Rhapsody, received criticism for its portrayal of Mercury's sexuality, which was described as "sterilized" and "confused", and was even accused of being "dangerous".


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