Won an amatuer night contest in Brooklyn at age 15 (date approximate)

Worked as a carnival barker and emcee in Pennsylvania and New Jersey

First professional nightclub appearance in Newark, NJ

Made Broadway debut in "Hellzapoppin'"

Appeared on Broadway throughout the 1940s in such shows as "Artists and Models" (1943), "Follow the Girls" (1944), in which he appeared in drag, and "Along Fifth Avenue" (1949)

Put under contract by Warner Bros after Jack Warner spotted him performing at a Manhattan nightclub

Feature film debut in "Navy Blues"

Made TV debut on "Talk of the Town", hosted by Ed Sullivan

Made TV series debut starring in "The Life of Riley" (NBC); show filmed in California

Returned to NYC

Hosted "Cavalcade of Stars" (DuMont); first introduced the character of Ralph Kramden; also first teaming with Art Carney

Starred in first incarnation of "The Jackie Gleason Show" (CBS), a one-hour variety series

Recorded first album for Capitol Records

Had first dramatic role in "The Laughmaker", co-starring Art Carney

Signed $14 million contract with CBS and Buick (the sponsor of his variety series)

Did one season as star of the half-hourcomedy series "The Honeymooners" (CBS)

Returned to the hour-long variety format with "The Jackie Gleason Show" (CBS)

Became a Broadway star with "Take Me Along"; won Tony Award as Best Actor in a Musical

Earned Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actor for his performance as Minnesota Fats in "The Hustler"

Hosted disastrous "You're in the Picture" (CBS)

Wrote and starred in "The Million Dollar Incident" (CBS)

Co-wrote and starred in "Gigot"; also wrote the music score

Returned to TV as star of the variety series "The Jackie Gleason Show" (CBS); also reprised "The Honeymooners"

Starred as Jack Griffith in "Papa's Delicate Condition"

Permanently moved to Florida

Co-starred in the disastrous "Skidoo"

First played Sheriff Buford T Justice in "Smokey and the Bandit"; would appear in two sequels

Returned to Broadway for brief run in "Sly Fox"

While on tour with "Sly Fox", suffered a heart attack and underwent triple by-pass surgery

Starred with Laurence Olivier in the HBO TV-movie "Mr. Halpern and Mr. Johnson"

Reteamed with Art Carney as co-stars in the CBS TV-movie "Izzy and Moe"; also wrote the musical score

Made final film appearance in "Nothing in Common", playing Tom Hanks' father