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  • New York City, U.S.
    Sunday Dec 31, 1944

    Phoenix's mother

    New York City, U.S.
    Sunday Dec 31, 1944

    Arlyn Phoenix commonly known as Heart Phoenix, is an American social activist and mother of actors River, Rain, Joaquin, Liberty, and Summer Phoenix.




  • United States
    1947

    Phoenix's father

    United States
    1947

    John Lee Bottom, also known as John Phoenix, was recognized as being the father of popular Oscar-winning actor Joaquin Phoenix and late actor and singer River Phoenix.




  • California, United States
    1968

    Phoenix's mother met John Lee

    California, United States
    1968

    In 1968, Phoenix's mother traveled across the United States. While hitchhiking in California she met John Lee Bottom.




  • California, United States
    Saturday Sep 13, 1969

    Phoenix's parents marriage

    California, United States
    Saturday Sep 13, 1969

    They married on September 13, 1969, less than a year after meeting.




  • California, United States
    Sunday Aug 23, 1970

    Phoenix's birth

    California, United States
    Sunday Aug 23, 1970

    Phoenix was born on August 23, 1970, in Madras, Oregon, the first child of Arlyn Dunetz and John Lee Bottom.




  • Caracas, Venezuela
    1974

    Phoenix was raped

    Caracas, Venezuela
    1974

    Phoenix was raped at the age of four.




  • California, United States
    1980

    Phoenix began to fully pursue his career as an actor

    California, United States
    1980

    In 1980, Phoenix began to fully pursue his career as an actor, making his first appearance on a TV show called Fantasy singing with his sister Rain.


  • California, United States
    1982

    Phoenix was cast CBS television series

    California, United States
    1982

    In 1982, Phoenix was cast in the short-lived CBS television series, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, in which he starred as youngest brother Guthrie McFadden. Phoenix arrived at the auditions with his guitar and promptly burst into a convincing Elvis Presley impersonation, charming the show producer. By this age, Phoenix was also an accomplished tap dancer.


  • California, United States
    1983

    Phoenix found a new role television movie Celebrity

    California, United States
    1983

    In 1983, Phoenix found a new role in the 1984 television movie Celebrity, in which he played the part of young Jeffie Crawford. Although only onscreen for about ten minutes, his character was central.


  • California, United States
    1984

    Phoenix was cast as Brian and only had one line of dialogue

    California, United States
    1984

    In September, the pilot episode of the short-lived TV series It's "Your Move" aired. Phoenix was cast as Brian and only had one line of dialogue.


  • California, United States
    1984

    Backwards: The Riddle of Dyslexia

    California, United States
    1984

    The film stars 13-year-old River Phoenix in "one of his first major roles. Phoenix starred as a young boy who discovers he has dyslexia. Joaquin starred in a small role alongside his brother.


  • California, United States
    Oct, 1984

    Phoenix secured the role of geeky boy-scientist

    California, United States
    Oct, 1984

    In October 1984, Phoenix secured the role of geeky boy-scientist Wolfgang Müller in Joe Dante's big-budget science-fiction film Explorers alongside Ethan Hawke, and production began soon after.


  • California, United States
    1985

    Phoenix's first major motion picture role

    California, United States
    1985

    In the summer of 1985, this was Phoenix's first major motion picture role.


  • California, United States
    Oct, 1986

    Phoenix co-starred alongside Tuesday Weld and Geraldine Fitzgerald

    California, United States
    Oct, 1986

    In October 1986, Phoenix co-starred alongside Tuesday Weld and Geraldine Fitzgerald in the acclaimed CBS television movie Circle of Violence: A Family Drama, which told a story of domestic elder abuse. This was Phoenix's last television role before achieving film stardom.


  • California, United States
    1986

    Phoenix had a significant role in Rob Reiner

    California, United States
    1986

    At 16, Phoenix had a significant role in Rob Reiner's popular coming-of-age film Stand by Me (1986), which made him a household name.


  • California, United States
    1986

    Phoenix began a romance with his co-star Martha Plimpton

    California, United States
    1986

    During the filming of the 1986 film The Mosquito Coast, Phoenix began a romance with his co-star Martha Plimpton who, as he remembers, was someone he hadn’t gotten along with during the time that the two were child stars.


  • California, United States
    1986

    Phoenix had written and recorded a song "Heart to Get"

    California, United States
    1986

    While working on A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon in 1986, Phoenix had written and recorded a song, "Heart to Get", specifically for the end credits of the movie.


  • California, United States
    1987

    Phoenix purchased his family a ranch in Micanopy

    California, United States
    1987

    Phoenix purchased his family a ranch in Micanopy, Florida, near Gainesville in 1987, in addition to a spread in Costa Rica.


  • California, United States
    1988

    Phoenix's film Supporting

    California, United States
    1988

    His sixth feature film was Sidney Lumet's Running on Empty (1988), for which 18-year-old River received the National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actor and nominations for a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award.


  • Los Angeles, United States
    1988

    Phoenix's family move to Los Angeles

    Los Angeles, United States
    1988

    in 1988 that his family's move to Los Angeles when he was nine was so that he and his sister "could become recording artists.


  • California, United States
    1990

    Phoenix was spokesperson for a campaign for Gap

    California, United States
    1990

    In 1990, Phoenix was photographed by Bruce Weber for Vogue and was a spokesperson for a campaign for Gap.


  • California, United States
    1991

    Phoenix filmed an acclaimed independent picture

    California, United States
    1991

    In 1991, Phoenix filmed an acclaimed independent picture called Dogfight co-starring Lili Taylor and directed by Nancy Savoca.


  • California, United States
    1991

    River Phoenix won Volpi Cup

    California, United States
    1991

    River Phoenix won Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the 1991 Venice Film Festival.


  • California, United States
    1991

    Phoenix received Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead and National Society

    California, United States
    1991

    In addition, 21-year-old Phoenix received Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead and the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor, becoming the second-youngest winner of the former.


  • California, United States
    Sunday Jan 31, 1993

    Phoenix's death

    California, United States
    Sunday Jan 31, 1993
    01:51:00 AM

    Phoenix was still alive and Flea went with him to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Attempts to resuscitate Phoenix at the hospital were unsuccessful. He was pronounced dead at 1:51 a.m. PST on the morning of October 31, 1993, at the age of 23.


  • California, United States
    1993

    Phoenix had returned to Los Angeles

    California, United States
    1993

    In late October 1993, Phoenix had returned to Los Angeles for one day after flying back from one week in New Mexico. Before that, he had spent six to seven weeks in Utah to complete the three weeks of interior shots left on his last project, Dark Blood.


  • Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States
    Saturday Oct 30, 1993

    Phoenix was to perform with the band P

    Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States
    Saturday Oct 30, 1993

    On the evening of October 30, 1993, Phoenix was to perform with the band P at The Viper Room, a Hollywood nightclub partly owned by Johnny Depp.


  • West Hollywood, California, U.S.
    Monday Nov 15, 1993

    The cause of death

    West Hollywood, California, U.S.
    Monday Nov 15, 1993

    The November 15, 1993 autopsy report stated that there were "high concentrations of morphine and cocaine in the blood, as well as other substances in smaller concentrations." The cause of death was "acute multiple drug intoxication".


  • California, United States
    1994

    Phoenix before his death

    California, United States
    1994

    Phoenix was due to begin work on Neil Jordan's Interview with the Vampire (1994) two weeks after his death.


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