Born in Paris, France

At age three, moved with his parents to his father's native Kraków, Poland

As a seven-year-old, witnessed the Nazi's sealing off the Kraków Ghetto where his family lived

Participated in smuggling runs by slipping out of the ghetto through secret passageways

Avoided capture after his father pushed him through a gap in the wall sealing the ghetto

Returned to Kraków at age 11; reunited with father and sister

Began acting in radio shows at age 12

Set up by his father in his own apartment at age 13

Became a celebrity on Krakow radio, playing tough street kids

Began acting in films and making documentaries

Acted in Andrzej Wajda's first feature-length film "A Generation"; first collaboration with the director

Made several short films while studing at Lódz, including "Two Men and a Wardrobe" (1958) and "When Angels Fall" (1959)

Moved to Paris, France and met future frequent collaborator, Gérard Brach

First feature-length film, "Knife in the Water"; also co-wrote; earned first Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film

First collaboration with Gérard Brach, the "Amsterdam" segment of "Les plus belles escroqueries du monde"

First English language film, "Repulsion"

Wrote and directed his successful US debut, "Rosemary's Baby"; produced by Robert Evans; garnered an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay

Sharon Tate, Polanski's pregnant wife, and four others were brutally murdered by members of Charles Manson's "Family" (August)

Directed "The Pianist," a true story about a Jewish piano player who survived the Warsaw ghetto; won top prize at Cannes

Directed the film adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic novel "Oiver Twist" starring Ben Kingsley

First feature following his wife's murder, the violent film version of Shakespeare's "Macbeth"

Directed the commercially and critically successful, "Chinatown" starring Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway; produced by Robert Evans; film was nominated for 11 Academy Awards

Directed and played the lead role in "The Tenant"

Served as guest editor for the Christmas issue of French Vogue; featuring Nastassja Kinski

Arrested for having sex with a thirteen-year-old girl he was auditioning for a Vogue photo layout

Accepting a plea bargain and plead guilty to the lesser charge of engaging in unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor; served 42 days under psychiatric evaluation in the Chino State Psychiatric Prison

Tipped off that the judge was going to disregard the plea bargain, and sentence him to additional jail time, Polanski fled to France, where he held citizenship; France refuses to extradite its own citizens

Directed the well-received, Tess (1979) starring Nastassja Kinski; film dedicated to the memory of Polanski's late wife, Sharon Tate; received third Academy Award nomination

Penned the autobiography, Roman by Polanski

First film in seven years, "Pirates"

Directed Harrison Ford and future wife, Emmanuelle Seigner in "Frantic"

Helmed (also wrote and produced) "Bitter Moon" starring Hugh Grant, Peter Coyote and Emmanuelle Seigner

Settled out of court in a civil suit with his former accuser, Samantha Geimer

Directed the Paris production of "Master Class"

Directed a stage version of "The Fearless Vampire Killers" in Vienna as "Tanz der Vampire"

Returned to directing features with the supernatural thriller, "The Ninth Gate"

Acted in Andrzej Wajda's "Zemsta"

Received critical acclaim for his WWII themed "The Pianist" about Jewish-Polish musician Wladyslaw Szpilman

Directed a film adaptation of the Charles Dickens' novel "Oliver Twist"

Made a cameo in "Rush Hour 3" as a French police official

Subject of the documentary, "Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired"