Events in Film & TV
- 1878-05-13 Danvers State Hospital, a psychiatric hospital in Massachusetts, opens—later serves as inspiration for Arkham Sanitorium in the work of H.P. Lovecraft, which in turn inspired Arkham Asylum of the D.C. Batman universe
Batman Appears!
1939-05-01 Batman first appears in Detective Comics #27
- 1940-06-29 Batman Comics, mobsters rubbed out a circus highwire team known as the Flying Graysons, leaving their son Dick (Robin) an orphan
- 1944-02-20 Batman & Robin comic strip premieres in newspapers
Television Debut
1966-01-12 "Batman", starring Adam West as Batman, Burt Ward as Robin, and Cesar Romero as The Joker, debuts on ABC
- 1966-06-04 Novelty single "Batman & His Grandmother" by Dickie Goodman hits #70
Film Premiere
1989-06-23 Movie "Batman" premieres directed by Tim Burton, starring Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson
- 1989-07-03 Movie "Batman" set record of quickest $100 million (10 days)
- 1989-11-15 "Batman" film is released on video tape
Grammy Awards
1990-02-21 "The Batman Theme" by Danny Elfman wins Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition at 32nd Annual Grammy Awards
- 1992-06-19 "Batman Returns", starring Michael Keaton as Batman, Danny DeVito as the Penguin, and Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman, is released
Film Release
1995-06-16 "Batman Forever" opens with a record $528 million weekend starring Val Kilmer, Chris O'Donnell, Tommy Lee Jones and Nicole Kidman
- 1995-09-28 Superhero film "Batman Forever" released in Czech Republic
Film Premiere
1997-06-12 "Batman and Robin" directed by Joel Schumacher, starring George Clooney, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Chris O'Donnell premieres in Los Angeles
Film Release
2005-06-15 "Batman Begins", directed by Christopher Nolan, starring Christian Bale, Michael Caine and Katie Holmes goes on wide release
Film & TV History
2016-03-19 Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, directed by Zack Synder and starring Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill, first premieres in Mexico City
Film & TV History
2019-05-31 Former "Twilight" star Robert Pattinson is announced as the new Batman
- 2019-09-20 Batman Day - 80th anniversary of the first Batman comic
- 2020-09-03 Actor Robert Pattinson tests positive for COVID-19, shutting down production of the Batman film he is shooting
- 2022-03-01 DC film "The Batman" starring Robert Pattinson and Zoë Kravitz, directed and written by Matt Reeves premieres in New York
Birthdays in Film & TV
- 1891-11-20 Reginald Denny, English actor (Rebecca, Cat Ballou, Batman), born in Richmond, Surrey, England (d. 1967)
- 1899-09-09 Neil Hamilton, American stage and screen actor (The White Rose; When Strangers Marry;, Batman (TV series) - "Commissioner Gordon"), born in Lynn, Massachusetts (d. 1984)
- 1902-01-31 Tallulah Bankhead, American stage and film actress (Lifeboat; They Knew What They Wanted; Batman -"Black Widow"), born in Huntsville, Alabama (d. 1968)
- 1903-01-07 Alan Napier, British actor (The Sword in the Stone, Batman), born in Birmingham, England (d. 1988)
Cesar Romero (1907-1994)
1907-02-15 American actor (Batman, Ocean's 11), born in NYC, New York
Burgess Meredith (1907-1997)
1907-11-16 American actor (Mr Novak, The Penguin in Batman, Rocky), born in Cleveland, Ohio
- 1915-10-24 Bob Kane, American comic artist and Batman co-creator, born in NYC, New York (d. 1998)
- 1916-10-17 Robert Lowery [Hank], American stage and screen actor (Batman and Robin (1949); Circus Boy - "Big Tim"; The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond), born in Kansas City, Missouri (d. 1971)
- 1916-11-10 Billy May, American orchestra leader and composer (The Green Hornet, Mod Squad, Batman), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (d. 2004)
- 1918-04-26 Stafford Repp, American actor (Playhouse 90, Batman, Plunder Road), born in San Francisco, California (d. 1974)
Liberace (1919-1987)
1919-05-16 American Emmy Award-winning pianist, showman (The Liberace Show), and actor (Batman -"Evil Chandell"), born in West Allis, Wisconsin
- 1920-02-18 Jack Palance [Vladimir Palahniuk], American actor (City Slickers, Contempt, Batman), born in Lattimer Mines, Pennsylvania (d. 2006)
- 1921-06-01 Nelson Riddle, American Grammy Award-winning bandleader, conductor, and orchestrator for Capitol and Reprise Records (Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Judy Garland, Dean Martin, Rosemary Clooney, Linda Ronstadt), born in Oradell, New Jersey (d. 1985)
- 1922-10-29 Neal Hefti, American jazz trumpeter, arranger (Woody Herman; Count Basie); band leader (Kate Smith Show) and composer ("Li'l Darlin"; The Odd Couple; Batman theme), born in Hastings, Nebraska (d. 2008)
- 1924-07-19 Martin Patterson "Pat" Hingle, American actor (Hang 'em High, Splendor in the Grass, Batman Returns), born in Miami, Florida (d. 2009)
- 1924-07-29 Lloyd Bochner, Canadian actor (Point Blank, Dynasty, Batman), born in Toronto, Ontario (d. 2005)
- 1924-11-08 Joe Flynn, American character actor (McHale's Navy - "Capt. Binghamton; The Love Bug; The Rescuers), born in Youngstown, Ohio (d. 1974)
- 1927-01-17 Eartha Kitt, American singer (Santa Baby), dancer, activist, and actress (Batman - "Catwoman"), born in North, South Carolina (d. 2008)
- 1928-09-19 Adam West [William West Anderson], American actor (Batman, Last Precinct), born in Walla Walla, Washington (d. 2017)
- 1933-02-10 Don Wilson, American rock guitarist (The Ventures - "Hawaii 5-0 Theme"; "Walk, Don't Run"), born in Tacoma, Washington (d. 2022)
- 1933-04-05 Frank Gorshin, American comedian and impersonator (Riddler-Batman), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (d. 2005)
- 1933-08-16 Julie Newmar, American actress (Catwoman-Batman, Living Doll), born in Hollywood, California
- 1937-01-16 Bob Bogle, American surf rock bassist and guitarist (Ventures - "Walk, Don't Run"), born in Wagoner, Oklahoma (d. 2009)
- 1937-05-16 Yvonne Craig, actress (Batgirl-Batman, Kissin Cousin), born in Taylorville, Illinois (d. 2015)
- 1939-08-29 Joel Schumacher, American film director (Lost Boys, Batman), born in New York City (d. 2020)
- 1944-05-06 Anton Furst, American production designer (Batman), born in London (d. 1991)
- 1944-05-07 Sivi Aberg, Swedish actress (Batman TV show), born in Gävle, Sweden
- 1945-07-06 Burt Ward, American actor (Robin-Batman), born in Los Angeles, California
Michael Keaton (71 years old)
1951-09-05 American actor (Gung Ho, Batman, Beetlejuice), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Kim Basinger (69 years old)
1953-12-08 American actress (Never Say Never Again; 9½ Weeks, Batman), born in Athens, Georgia
- 1955-11-19 Sam Hamm, American screenwriter (Batman), born in Charlottesville, Virginia
- 1955-11-30 Kevin Conroy, American actor (Tour of Duty: Batman- The Animated Series), born in Westport, Connecticut (d. 2022)
- 1956-07-02 Jerry Hall, American model and actress, married to Mick Jagger and Rupert Murdoch (Batman, Freejack), born in Mesquite, Texas
- 1957-01-27 Frank Miller, American comicbook writer (Batman-The Dark Knight Returns)
- 1958-04-29 Michelle Pfeiffer, American actress (Scarface, Batman Returns, Hairspray), born in Santa Ana, California
George Clooney (61 years old)
1961-05-06 American actor (ER, Batman, The Descendants), born in Lexington, Kentucky
- 1962-02-20 Ria Coyne, American comedienne (Betsy-Batman Forever), born in Scranton, Pennsylvania
- 1964-07-02 Doug Benson, American comedian (The LEGO Batman Movie), born in San Diego, California
- 1964-10-25 Kevin Michael Richardson, American voice actor (Joker-The Batman), born in The Bronx, New York
Chris O'Donnell (52 years old)
1970-06-26 American actor (School Ties, Robin-Batman Forever), born in Winnetka, Illinois
Christian Bale (49 years old)
1974-01-30 British actor (Batman Begins, American Psycho, The Machinist), born in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, Wales
- 1976-10-04 Alicia Silverstone, American actress (Clueless, Batman Forever), born in San Francisco, California
Katie Holmes (44 years old)
1978-12-18 American actress (Dawson's Creek, Batman Begins), born in Toledo, Ohio
Deaths in Film & TV
- 1967-06-16 Reginald Denny, English actor (Rebecca, Cat Ballou, Batman), dies at 75
- 1968-12-12 Tallulah Bankhead, American stage and film actress (Lifeboat, They Knew What They Wanted; Batman - "Black Widow"), dies of pneumonia at 65
- 1971-12-26 Robert Lowery [Hank], American stage and screen actor (Batman and Robin (1949); Circus Boy - "Big Tim"; The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond), dies of heart failure at 58
- 1972-04-25 George Sanders, Russian actor (All About Eve-Academy Award 1950), commits suicide at 65
- 1974-07-19 Joe Flynn, American character actor (McHale's Navy - "Capt. Binghamton; The Love Bug; The Rescuers), dies of a heart attack while swimming in his pool at 49
- 1974-11-05 Stafford Repp, American actor (Playhouse 90, Batman, Plunder Road), dies of a heart attack at 56
- 1984-09-24 Neil Hamilton, American stage and screen actor (The White Rose; When Strangers Marry;, Batman (TV series) - "Commissioner Gordon"), dies of asthma at 85
Liberace (1919-1987)
1987-02-04 American Emmy Award-winning pianist, showman (The Liberace Show), and actor (Batman -"Evil Chandell"), dies of AIDS-related pneumonia at 67
- 1988-08-08 Alan Napier, British actor (The Sword in the Stone, Batman), dies at 85
- 1991-11-24 Anton Furst, American production designer (Batman), dies at 47
- 1992-11-22 Sterling Holloway, American actor (The Jungle Book, Alice in Wonderland, The Aristocats, Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree), dies at 87
Cesar Romero (1907-1994)
1994-01-01 American actor (Batman, Ocean's 11), dies at 86
- 1997-08-27 Jeep Swenson, American actor (Batman & Robin), dies of heart failure at 40
Burgess Meredith (1907-1997)
1997-09-09 American actor (Mr Novak, The Penguin in Batman, Rocky), dies at 88
- 1998-11-03 Bob Kane, American comic artist and Batman co-creator, dies at 83
- 2004-01-22 Billy May, American orchestra leader and composer (The Green Hornet, Mod Squad, Batman), dies at 87
- 2005-05-17 Frank Gorshin, American comedian and impersonator (Riddler-Batman), dies at 72
- 2005-10-29 Lloyd Bochner, Canadian actor (Point Blank, Dynasty, Batman), dies of cancer at 81
- 2006-11-10 Jack Palance [Vladimir Palahniuk], American actor (City Slickers, Contempt, Batman), dies of natural causes at 87
- 2008-10-11 Neal Hefti, American jazz trumpeter, arranger (Woody Herman; Count Basie); band leader (Kate Smith Show) and composer ("Li'l Darlin"; The Odd Couple; Batman theme), dies at 85
- 2008-12-25 Eartha Kitt, American singer (Santa Baby), dancer, comedian, actress and activist (Catwoman-Batman), dies at 81
- 2009-01-03 Martin Patterson "Pat" Hingle, American actor (Hang 'em High, Splendor in the Grass, Batman Returns), dies of myelodysplastic syndrome at 84
- 2017-06-09 Adam West [William West Anderson], American actor (Batman, Last Precinct), dies from leukemia at 88
- 2020-06-22 Joel Schumacher, American film director (Lost Boys, Batman), dies at 80
- 2022-11-10 Kevin Conroy, American actor (Tour of Duty: Batman: The Animated Series), dies of intestinal cancer at 66