The James Bond Franchise in History

Events in Film & TV

Film & TV History

1961-11-22 Producers Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman announce expensive publicity campaign to make Sean Connery (James Bond) a star

  • 1962-01-16 Shooting begins on "Dr No" the first James Bond film
  • 1962-10-05 "Dr. No", 1st James Bond film based on the novel by Ian Fleming and starring Sean Connery and Ursula Andress, premieres in London
  • 1963-05-08 1st James Bond film, "Dr. No", starring Sean Connery, premieres in US
  • 1963-10-10 "From Russia With Love" 2nd James Bond film based on a novel by Ian Fleming, starring Sean Connery and Daniela Bianchi, premieres in London
  • 1964-03-19 Sean Connery's 1st day of shooting on James Bond film "Goldfinger"
  • 1964-12-17 "Goldfinger", 3rd James Bond film, starring Sean Connery and Honor Blackman premieres in London
  • 1965-12-29 "Thunderball", 4th James Bond film starring Sean Connery and Claudine Auger premieres in Tokyo, Japan

Film Premiere

1967-04-19 "Casino Royale" James Bond comedy film starring David Niven and Peter Sellers premieres. Based on the Ian Fleming novel.

  • 1967-06-12 "You Only Live Twice", 5th James Bond film starring Sean Connery, screenplay by Roald Dahl, premieres in London
  • 1969-12-18 "On Her Majesty's Secret Service", 6th James Bond Film starring George Lazenby and Diana Rigg, premieres in London
  • 1971-12-17 "Diamonds are Forever", 7th James Bond film, last starring Sean Conner, also starring Jill St. John is 1st released in West Germany

Film Release

1973-06-27 "Live & Let Die", 8th James Bond Film, 1st to star Roger Moore, also starring Jane Seymour, 1st released in the US

  • 1973-11-06 James Bond film "Man With the Golden Gun" starring Roger Moore begins filming
  • 1974-12-19 "The Man with the Golden Gun", 9th James Bond film, starring Roger Moore, Britt Ekland and Christopher Lee, premieres in London

Film Premiere

1977-07-07 "The Spy Who Loved Me", 10th James Bond film starring Roger Moore and Barbara Bach, premieres in London

  • 1979-06-26 "Moonraker", 11th James Bond film starring Roger Moore, premieres in London
  • 1981-06-24 "For Your Eyes Only", 12th James Bond, starring Roger Moore and 1st drected by John Glen premieres in London
  • 1982-09-27 Filming begins on "Never Say Never Again" with Sean Connery playing James Bond for the final time
  • 1983-06-06 "Octopussy", 13th James Bond film, starring Roger Moore, Maud Adams and Louis Jourdan premieres in London
  • 1985-05-22 "A View to a Kill", 14th James Bond film, last to star Roger Moore, also starring Grace Jones and Christopher Walken, premieres in San Francisco
  • 1987-06-27 "The Living Daylights", 15th James Bond film, 1st film to star Timothy Dalton premieres in London
  • 1989-06-13 "Licence to Kill", 16th James Bond film, last directed by John Glen and starring Timothy Dalton premieres in London
  • 1993-11-02 Actor Roger Moore (James Bond) has his enlarged prostate removed

Film Release

1995-11-13 "GoldenEye", 17th James Bond film released, starring Pierce Brosnan for the first time, Robbie Coltrane and Judi Dench as M

  • 1997-12-09 "Tomorrow Never Dies", 18th James Bond film starring Pierce Brosnan and Michelle Yeoh, premieres in London
  • 1999-11-08 "The World is Not Enough" 19th James Bond film premieres in Los Angeles, starring Pierce Brosnan, Robert Carlyle, Robbie Coltrane, and Denise Richards
  • 2002-11-20 "Die Another Day", 20th James Bond film released, directed by Lee Tamahori, starring Pierce Brosnan and Halle Berry: Brosnan's last turn in the role

Film Premiere

2006-11-14 "Casino Royale", 21st James Bond film premieres in London, starring Daniel Craig for the 1st time and Eva Green, premieres in London

Film & TV History

2018-08-26 Danny Boyle pulls out of directing the next James Bond film due to 'creative differences'

  • 2021-09-28 James Bond film "No Time To Die", the last starring Daniel Craig, premieres after an 18 month delay due to the pandemic

Birthdays in Film & TV

  • 1897-01-23 William Stephenson, Canadian soldier & spymaster, born in Winnipeg, Canada (d. 1989)
  • 1908-01-10 Bernard Lee, British actor (M in James Bond movies, Fallen Idol, Dr No), born in London, England (d. 1981)
  • 1908-05-28 Ian Fleming, English author (James Bond novels), born in London, England (d. 1964)
  • 1909-04-05 Albert R. Broccoli, American film producer (James Bond films), sometimes known as "Cubby", born in NYC, New York (d. 1996)
  • 1911-03-11 Fitzroy Maclean, 1st Baronet, Scottish adventurer, soldier, writer and politician who was an inspiration for Ian Flemings James Bond, born in Cairo, Khedivate of Egypt, Ottoman Empire (d. 1996)
  • 1911-03-23 Charles Russhon, American airforce officer (liaison for James Bond films) (d. 1982)
  • 1914-08-07 Ted Moore, South African-British cinematographer (James Bond), born in Western Cape, South Africa (d. 1987)
  • 1914-09-12 Desmond Llewelyn, Welsh actor (James Bond films, 1963-99), WWII army veteran and POW, born in Newport, Monmouthshire, Wales (d. 1999)
  • 1917-04-16 Barry Nelson, American actor, first actor to play James Bond, born in San Francisco, California (d. 2007)
  • 1921-02-05 Ken Adam, British film production designer (James Bond sets), born in Berlin, Germany (d. 2016)
  • 1924-03-15 Walter Gotell, German actor (James Bond, From Russia With Love), born in Bonn, Rhenish Prussia, Germany (d. 1997)
  • 1925-12-04 Maurice Binder, American photographer and film title designer (James Bond Movies), born in NYC, New York (d. 1991)
  • 1926-11-20 John Gardner, English spy and thriller novelist (Boysie Oakes novels; James Bond continuation novels), born in Seaton Delaval, Northumberland, England (d. 2007)

Roger MooreRoger Moore (1927-2017)

1927-10-14 British actor (The Saint, James Bond), born in London

  • 1928-04-04 Monty Norman [Noserovitch], British big band singer, songwriter (False Hearted Lover), and film composer (James Bond Theme), born in Stepney, England (d. 2022)

Sean ConnerySean Connery (1930-2020)

1930-08-25 Scottish actor and producer (James Bond films; Indiana Jones), born in Edinburgh, Scotland

  • 1933-03-31 Bob Simmons, Fulham England, stuntman (double for James Bond)
  • 1933-11-03 John Barry [Prendergast], English film score composer (James Bond films; Born Free), born in York, England (d. 2011)
  • 1937-05-14 Vic Flick, British studio guitarist ("James Bond Theme"; George Martin Orchestra; John Barry Seven), film score composer and arranger, born in Worcester Park, Surrey, England
  • 1939-09-05 George Lazenby, Australian actor (OHMSS-James Bond), born in Goulburn, Australia
  • 1943-05-03 Gregory Bowen, Welsh big band jazz and session trumpet player (James Bond films), born in Llangennech, South Wales
  • 1946-03-21 Timothy Dalton [Leggett], Welsh actor (James Bond films, 1986-94), born in Colwyn Bay, Wales

Daniel CraigDaniel Craig (55 years old)

1968-03-02 English actor (James Bond films), born in Chester, England


Weddings in Film & TV

  • 1952-03-24 Author of 'James Bond' novels, journalist and secret intelligence agent Ian Fleming marries Anne Geraldine Charteris

Roger Moore

1953-07-06 "James Bond" actor Roger Moore (25) weds Welsh singer Dorothy Squires (38) in Jersey City

Pierce Brosnan

2001-08-04 Irish "James Bond" actor Pierce Brosnan (49) weds TV host and journalist Keely Shaye Smith (37) at the 785-year-old Ballintubber Abbey in County Mayo, Ireland

Daniel Craig & Rachel Weisz

2011-06-22 British actor best known as British secret agent "James Bond" Daniel Craig (43) weds film and theatre actress Rachel Weisz (41) at a private ceremony in New York


Deaths in Film & TV

  • 1964-08-12 Ian Fleming, English author (James Bond novels), dies at 56
  • 1981-01-16 Bernard Lee, British actor (M in James Bond movies, Fallen Idol, Dr No), dies at 73
  • 1982-06-26 Charles Russhon, American air force officer (liaison for James Bond films), dies at 71
  • 1991-04-09 Maurice Binder, American photographer and film title designer (James Bond Movies), dies at 73
  • 1995-09-10 Derek Meddings, British TV and film special effects technician (Supermarionation, James Bond), dies at 64
  • 1996-06-15 Fitzroy Maclean, 1st Baronet, Scottish adventurer, soldier, writer and politician who was an inspiration for Ian Flemings James Bond, dies at 85
  • 1996-06-27 Albert R. Broccoli, American film producer (James Bond films), sometimes known as "Cubby", dies at 87
  • 1997-05-05 Walter Gotell, German actor (James Bond, From Russia With Love), dies at 73
  • 1999-12-19 Desmond Llewelyn, Welsh actor (James Bond films, 1963-99), WWII army veteran and POW, dies in a car crash at 85
  • 2003-10-14 Patrick Dalzel-Job, English soldier and inspiration for James Bond (b. 1913)
  • 2007-08-03 John Gardner, English spy and thriller novelist (Boysie Oakes novels; James Bond continuation novels), dies of suspected heart failure at 80
  • 2011-01-30 John Barry [Prendergast], English film score composer (James Bond films; Born Free), dies at 77
  • 2016-03-10 Ken Adam, British film production designer (James Bond sets), dies at 95

Roger MooreRoger Moore (1927-2017)

2017-05-23 British actor (The Saint, James Bond), dies at 89

Sean ConnerySean Connery (1930-2020)

2020-10-31 Scottish actor and producer (James Bond films; Indiana Jones), dies at 90

  • 2022-07-11 Monty Norman [Noserovitch], British big band singer, songwriter (False Hearted Lover), and film composer (James Bond Theme), dies at 94