After serving in the US Navy (1942-1945), worked in civil service

Appeared in over 250 live TV dramas

Broadway debut in "Night Music"

Film acting debut in "Teresa"

Received first Oscar nomination, as Best Supporting Actor, for his role in "On the Waterfront"

Played first leading role in features in "The Harder They Fall", opposite Humphrey Bogart

First received top billing in a feature film in "Run of the Arrow"

Made first film outside the US, "Across the Bridge", a British production

Starred in the TV pilot, "The Lonely Wizard", for an untitled anthology series which was not picked up; marked Steiger's last TV role for 20 years

Played first biographical film role, "Al Capone"

Had leading role in the stage play "Moby Dick--Rehearsed", written by Orson Wells

Acted in first foreign-language feature, "Le mani sulla citta/Hands Over the City", directed by Francesco Rosi

Earned Best Actor Academy Award nomination for "The Pawnbroker"

Won Best Actor Oscar for "In the Heat of the Night"

Acted primarily in features shot in Europe, especially Italy

Returned to TV after 20 years to play Pontius Pilate in his first TV miniseries, "Jesus of Nazareth"

First TV-movie, "Cook & Peary: The Race to the Pole", with Steiger as explorer Robert E Peary and co-star Richard Chamberlain as Frederick Cook

Appeared as himself in the interview documentary feature, "Hello Actors Studio"

Received star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (April 10)

Portrayed a dying patriarch in the independent feature "A Month of Sundays"

Co-starred in the feature "Poolhall Junkies"