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Birth
Bill Cosby is born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania -
Drop Out
Bill drops out of high school and joins the U.S. Navy; becomes physical therapist -
Pass
Passes a high school equivalency examination -
Leaving the Navy
Bill leaves the U.S. Navy -
Enrolling
Bill enrolls at Temple University -
Stand-up
Begins a career as a stand up comic; leaves Temple University -
First Album
Records first album, "Bill Cosby is a Very Funny Fellow... Right!" -
"The Tonight Show" and "I Spy"
Serves for the first time as a guest host on "The Tonight Show"; wins first Grammy Award (for I Started Out as a Child); debuts in "I Spy" and becomes the first African American to star in a dramatic television series. -
Emmy Award
Wins first Emmy Award -
The Bill Cosby Show
Debuts in "The Bill Cosby Show" -
Electric Company
Make first appearance on "The Electric Company" -
To All My Friends on Shore
Appears in first television movie, To All My Friends on Shore, and first feature film, Man and Boy; cartoon series,"Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids," and "The New Cosby Show" debut -
Cos
Cosby recieves a doctorate in education from the University of Massachussetts; debuts in "Cos" -
Bill Cosby, Himself
Appears in first concert film, Bill Cosby Himself -
The Cosby Show
Debuts in "The Cosby Show" -
Fatherhood
Publishes first best seller, Fatherhood -
Spelman College
Donates $20 million to Spelman College -
End of the show
"The Cosby Show" ends its television run -
Return
Returns to television in "Cosby" -
Ennis
Son Ennis is murdered while changing a tire alongside an L.A. freeway -
All Time Favorite
Voted all time favorite performer at the People's Choice Awards