History fo the WWE

Events in Film & TV

Pro Wrestling

1963-01-24 Buddy Rogers & Lou Thesz wrestle in Toronto, Rogers becomes WWF wrestling champ & Thesz becomes NWA champion

Pro Wrestling

1963-05-17 Bruno Sammartino beats Buddy Rogers in NYC, to become WWWF champ

1971-01-18 Ivan Koloff beats Bruno Sammartino in New York, to become WWWF champ
1971-02-08 Pedro Morales beats Ivan Koloff in NY, to become WWF wrestling champ
1977-04-30 Wrestler "Superstar" Billy Graham beats Bruno Sammartino in Baltimore, to become WWF champion
1978-02-20 Bob Backland beats "Superstar" Billy Graham in NYC, to become WWF wrestling champion

Pro Wrestling

1984-01-23 Hulk Hogan defeats Iron Sheik to win his 1st World Wrestling Federation title at Madison Gardens, New York

1987-01-26 Hart Foundation beat British Bulldogs for WWF tag team title
1987-03-29 WrestleMania III: Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, MI (93,173): Hulk Hogan successfully defends WWF Heavyweight title against André the Giant
1987-05-20 Wrestler Jerry Lawler sues WWF & Harley Race for trademark name "king"
1987-07-25 Sherri Martel beats Fabulous Moolah for WWF Woman's Championship Belt
1988-01-24 1st WWF Royal Rumble - Jim Duggan wins
1988-03-27 WrestleMania IV, Historic Atlantic City Convention Hall, NJ: Randy "Macho Man" Savage beats Ted DiBiase for WWF Heavyweight title
1988-10-17 Rockin Robin beats "Sensational" Sherri Martel for WWF woman's title
1989-01-15 Big John Studd wins WWF's 2nd Royal Rumble
1989-02-10 To gain deregulation WWF admits pro wrestling is an exhibition & not a sport, in a NJ court
1989-04-02 WrestleMania V, Historic Atlantic City Convention Hall, NJ: Hulk Hogan beats Randy "Macho Man" Savage for WWF Heavyweight title
1990-04-01 WrestleMania VI, Skydome, Toronto, ON (67,678): Ultimate Warrior beats Hulk Hogan for WWF Heavyweight and Intercontinental titles
1990-08-27 WWF Summer Slam-Ultimate Warrior beats Rick Rude
1991-01-17 Mountie Jacques Rougeau beats Hart for WWF intercontinental title
1991-01-19 Sgt Slaughter defeats Ultimate Warrior for WWF championship belt
1991-03-24 WrestleMania VII in LA Memorial Sports Arena, CA: Hulk Hogan beats Sgt Slaughter for WWF Heavyweight title
1991-11-27 Undertaker beats Hulk Hogan to become new WWF champ
1991-12-03 Hulk Hogan defeats the Undertaker at 'This Tuesday in Texas' at the Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio to become 4-time WWF champion

Pro Wrestling

1992-01-19 Nature Boy Ric Flair becomes WWF champ at Royal Rumble

Film & TV History

1992-01-19 Roddy Piper beats Mountie to become WWF Intercontinental Champ

1992-04-05 WrestleMania VIII, Hoosier Dome, Indianapolis, IN (62,167): Hulk Hogan defeats Sid Justice by DQ; Randy Savage beats Ric Flair for WWF Heavyweight title
1992-10-12 Brett "Hitman" Hart beats Ric Flair for WWF heavyweight title

Hall of Fame

1993-03-22 André the Giant's induction into inaugural WWE Hall of Fame is announced; no ceremony takes place and he is inducted posthumously

1993-04-04 WrestleMania IX, Caesar's Palace, LV, NV: Yokozuna beats Bret Hart for WWF Heavyweight title
1993-06-13 YokoZuna beats Hulk Hogan to become WWF champ
1993-11-18 WWF boss Vince McMahon charged with steroid distribution
1994-03-20 WrestleMania X, Madison Square Garden, NYC: Bret Hart beats Yokozuna to win WWF Championship

WrestleMania

1996-03-31 WrestleMania XII, Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim, CA - Shawn Michaels beats Bret Hart for WWF Heavyweight title

1997-03-23 WrestleMania XIII, Rosemont Horizon, IL: Undertaker beats Sycho Sid for WWF Heavyweight title
1998-03-29 WrestleMania XIV, FleetCenter, Boston, MA: 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin's wins his first WWF Heavyweight tile against Shawn Michaels

WrestleMania

1999-03-28 WrestleMania XV, First Union Center, Philadelphia, PA: 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin beats The Rock in no disqualification match for the WWF Heavyweight title

Actor and Professional Wrestler Dwayne Johnson

2000-04-02 WrestleMania XVI, Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim, CA: Triple H beats The Rock, Mick Foley and The Big Show in a 4-way elimination match for the WWF Heavyweight tile
2001-04-01 WrestleMania XVII, Astrodome, Houston, Texas: 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin beats The Rock in a no disqualification match for the WWF Championship

WrestleMania

2002-03-17 WrestleMania XVIII, Skydome, Toronto, ON (68,237): Triple H beats Chris Jericho for the undisputed WWF Heavyweight title

WrestleMania

2003-03-30 WrestleMania XIX, Safeco Field, Seattle, WA (54,097): Brock Lesnar wins WWE Heavyweight Championship against Kurt Angle

Pro Wrestling

2010-05-10 Flavor Flav guest hosts the wrestling show WWE Raw

WrestleMania

2013-04-07 WrestleMania XXVIII, MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ (80,676): John Cena defeats The Rock to win his record 11th WWE Championship

2015-03-29 WrestleMania XXXI, Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, CA (76,976): Seth Rollins beats Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns in impromptu triple threat match to capture WWE Heavyweight title
2017-04-02 WrestleMania XXXIII, Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL: Roman Reigns defeats The Undertaker; Brock Lesnar beats Goldberg, first wrestler to win both WWE and Universal Championships

WrestleMania

2018-04-08 WrestleMania XXXIV, Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, LA: Ronda Rousey makes WWE debut, teaming with Kurt Angle to beat Triple H and Stephanie McMahon in a mixed tag team match

WrestleMania

2020-04-04 WrestleMania XXXVI, WWE Performance Center, Orlando FL, Part 1: The Undertaker defeats AJ Styles in a Boneyard match; Becky Lynch beats Shayna Baszler to retain Raw Women's C'ship

2020-04-05 WrestleMania XXXVI, WWE Performance Center, Orlando FL, Part 2: Drew McIntyre defeats Brock Lesnar to win the WWE C'ship; Charlotte Flair beats Rhea Ripley for NXT Women's title

Birthdays in Film & TV

1923-03-12 Mae Young, American professional wrestler and one of the pioneers in women's wrestling (National Wrestling Alliance, WWF), born in Sand Springs, Oklahoma (d. 2014)
1928-08-08 Lord Alfred Hayes, English pro wrestler, manager and commentator (WWF), born in London, England (d. 2005)
1937-06-04 Gorilla Monsoon, American pro wrestler (Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame) and commentator (WWF), born in Rochester, New York (d. 1999)
1939-10-03 'Bullet' Bob Armstrong, American pro wrestler (WWE Hall of Fame), born in Marietta, Georgia (d. 2020)
1941-01-19 Pat Patterson, Canadian pro wrestler (WWE Hall of Fame; creator Royal Rumble), born in Montreal, Quebec (d. 2020)
1942-08-07 Masa Saito, Japanese wrestler (AWA/WWF/NJPW/CWFI), born in Tokyo, Japan (d. 2018)
1942-11-21 Afa Anoa'i, Samoan-American pro wrestler (WWF Tag Team C'ship x 3 with Sika), born in Western Samoa
1942-12-19 "Mean" Gene Okerlund, American pro wrestling interviewer, announcer and television host (WWF, WCW), born in Brookings, South Dakota (d. 2019)
1943-01-01 Jimmy Hart, American pro wrestling manager (WWF, WCW; Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart, Ted DiBiase and Jim Neidhart), born in Jackson, Mississippi
1943-09-10 "Superstar" Billy Graham [Eldridge Coleman], American professional wrestler, WWF Heavyweight Champion (1977-8), born in Phoenix, Arizona
1944-06-20 Terry Funk, pro wrestler (WWF/NWA)/actor (Paradise Alley), born in Hammond, Indiana
1944-08-24 Rocky Johnson, Canadian pro wrestler (father of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson; with Tony Atlas first black champions in WWE history), born in Amherst, Nova Scotia, Canada (d. 2020)
1944-11-01 Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, American pro wrestling manager, colour commentator and wrestler (WWE Hall of Fame), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2017)
1945-10-12 Dusty Rhodes [Virgil Riley Runnels Jr.], American professional wrestler (WWE), born in Austin, Texas (d. 2015)

André the Giant (1946-1993)

1946-05-19 French pro wrestler (WWF World Heavyweight C'ship 1988; WWF World Tag Team C'ship [with Haku] 1989), born in Grenoble, France

Ric Flair (74 years old)

1949-02-25 American professional wrestler (NWA/WWF/WCW/AWA), born in Memphis, Tennessee

1949-09-10 Don Muraco, American professional wrestler (WWF), born in Sunset Beach, Hawaii
1949-10-29 Paul Orndorff, American pro wrestler (WWE Hall of Fame 2005; WCW World Tag Team C'ship [Paul Roma] 1995; "Mr Wonderful"), born in Winchester, Virginia (d. 2021)
1949-11-29 Jerry Lawler, American professional wrestler (WWE), born in Memphis, Tennessee
1950-05-02 Randy Colley (Moondog Rex), American pro wrestler (WWF Tag Team champion 1981), born in Alexander City, Alabama (d. 2019)
1950-06-07 Howard Finkel, American pro wrestling ring announcer (WWE Hall of Fame), born in Newark, New Jersey (d. 2020)
1952-01-03 Jim Ross, American pro wrestling announcer (WWE), born in Fort Bragg, California
1952-01-06 Larry Booker (Moondog Spot), American pro wrestler (WWF Tag Team champion 1981), born in Louisiana, United States (d. 2003)

Randy Savage (1952-2011)

1952-11-15 American pro wrestler (WWF/SMW/ICW; WWE Hall of Fame), born in Sarasota, Florida

1953-02-28 Ricky "Dragon" Steamboat [Richard Blood], American professional wrestler (NWA/WWF/WCW/AWA)

Hulk Hogan (69 years old)

1953-08-11 WWF heavyweight champion (1984-89), born in Augusta, Georgia

1953-12-05 Larry Zbyszko [Lawrence Whistler], American professional wrestler (WCW/AWA/NWA/WWF), and ringside commentator, born in Chicago, Illinois
1953-12-23 Tatsumi Fujinami, Japanese wrestler (WWF/NWA), born in Kunisaki, Ōita Prefecture, Japan

Roddy Piper (1954-2015)

1954-04-17 Canadian pro wrestler (WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight C'ship 1992; World Tag Team C'ship [Ric Flair] 2006), born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

1964-12-18 American pro wrestler (6 x WWF Heavyweight C'ship; 4 x WWF Tag-Team C'ship; 2 x WWF Intercontinental C'ship; 3 x Royal Rumble; King of the Ring 1996) and broadcaster (The Steve Austin Show), born in Austin, Texas

1965-03-01 Booker T [Robert Booker Tio Huffman], American pro wrestler (WCW Heavyweight Champion 2000–01; WWF Heavyweight Champion 2006–07), born in Houston, Texas

Shawn Michaels (57 years old)

1965-07-22 American pro wrestler (4 x WWF/WWE World Heavyweight Champion; 2 x Royal Rumble winner; 1st WWF Grand Slam Champion; 4th WWF Triple Crown Champion; 2 x WWE Hall of Fame), born in San Antonio, Texas

1966-08-19 Lilian Garcia, Spanish-American wrestling announcer (WWE), born in Madrid, Spain
1966-10-02 Rodney Anoa'i (aka Yokozuna), Samoan-American professional wrestler (WWF/NJPW/AWA), born in San Francisco, California (d. 2000)
1966-12-02 Jinsei Shinzaki, Japanese pro wrestler (Michinoku Pro Wrestling; WWF, "Hakushi"), born in Tokushima, Japan
1967-10-09 Eddie Guerrero, Mexican pro wrestler (WWE Championship 2004; WWE Tag Team C'ship x 4), born in El Paso, Texas (d. 2005)
1970-01-04 Chris Kanyon, American pro wrestler (WCW/WWF World Tag Team C'ship), born in Sunnyside, New York City (d. 2010)
1971-07-14 Bubba Ray Dudley [Mark LoMonaco], American professional wrestler (WWF, WWE), born in New York City
1971-07-14 Joey Styles, American wrestling commentator (WWE), born in The Bronx, New York
1972-03-27 Charlie Haas, American pro wrestler (3 x WWE Tag Team C'ship), born in Houston, Texas

Dwayne Johnson (50 years old)

1972-05-02 American pro wrestler (WCW C'ship x 2; WWE C'ship x 8; Royal Rumble 2000), actor and producer (Baywatch, Jumanji), born in Hayward, California

1972-12-07 'Sunny' Tammy Lynn Sytch, American professional wrestler (WWF), born in Matawan, New Jersey
1973-12-03 Francisco Islas Rueda [Super Crazy], Mexican pro wrestler (WWE; NJPW, Zero-1, AJPW), born in Tulancingo, Hidalgo, Mexico
1975-03-17 Test [Andrew Martin], Canadian professional wrestler (WWF/WWE), born in Whitby, Ontario (d. 2009)
1976-09-24 Stephanie McMahon-Levesque, American professional wrestler (WWE), born in Hartford, Connecticut
1976-11-26 Maven Huffman, American professional wrestler (WWF/E), born in Crimora, Virginia

Brock Lesnar (45 years old)

1977-07-12 American mixed martial artist and professional wrestler (WWE), born in Webster, South Dakota

Maria Menounos (44 years old)

1978-06-08 American actress, TV star (Today, Access Hollywood, WWE) and 1996 Miss Massachusetts Teen USA, born in Medford, Massachusetts

1978-06-25 Layla El, English dancer, model and 2006 WWE Diva Search winner, born in London
1978-11-12 Lena Yada, American actress, model, surfer and WWE Diva, born in Honolulu, Hawaii
1979-03-09 Melina Perez, American model and WWE Diva, born in High Desert, California
1979-05-29 Brian Kendrick, American pro wrestler (WWE cruiserweight tag team champion), born in Fairfax, Virginia
1979-08-31 Mickie James, American professional wrestler (WWE Women's Champion 2006), born in Richmond, Virginia
1980-03-02 Lance Cade, American pro wrestler (WWE Tag Team Champion [with Trevor Murdoch] 2005), born in Carroll, Iowa (d. 2010)
1980-04-01 Randy Orton, American pro wrestler (4 x WWE Champion), born in Knoxville, Tennessee
1983-03-26 Michael Mondo [Mike Brendli], American professional wrestler (WWE), born in Gordon Heights, New York
1984-05-05 Eve Torres, American actress and professional wrestler (3 times WWE Divas Champion), born in Boston, Massachusetts
1985-05-25 Roman Reigns [Joe" Anoaʻi], American professional wrestler (WWE Champion), born in Pensacola, Florida
1985-09-29 Candice LeRae, American professional wrestler (WWE), born in Riverside, California
1986-05-28 Seth Rollins [Colby Lopez], American professional wrestler (WWE), born in Buffalo, Iowa
1987-01-30 Becky Lynch [Rebecca Knox], Irish professional wrestler (WWE), born in Limerick, Republic of Ireland
1987-02-01 Ronda Rousey, American pro wrestler, actress, author, mixed martial artist and judoka (UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion 6 defences; Olympic bronze 70kg judo 2008; WWE), born in Riverside, California
1987-10-23 Carmella [Leah Van Dale], American pro wrestler (WWE SmackDown Women's C'ship 2017; WWE Women's Tag Team C'ship [Queen Zelina] 2021), born in Spencer, Massachusetts
1991-08-09 Alexa Bliss [Alexis Cabrera], American professional wrestler (WWE), born in Columbus, Ohio

Weddings in Film & TV

Steve Austin

2000-09-13 Wrestler "Stone Cold" Steve Austin (35) weds WWE Diva Debra Marshall (40) at the Little White Chapel in Las Vegas

Brock Lesnar

2006-05-06 Former WWF Women's Champion Sable (38) weds IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar (28) in Medina, Minnesota

John Cena

2009-07-11 WWE star John Cena (32) weds Elizabeth Huberdeau in Boston, Massachusetts

The Undertaker

2010-06-26 Former WWE Diva Michelle McCool (30) weds fellow wrestler "The Undertaker" Mark Calaway (45) in Houston, Texas

Hulk Hogan

2010-12-14 WWF wrestler Hulk Hogan (57) marries 2nd wife Jennifer McDaniel in Clearwater Florida

2021-06-29 WWE stars Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins marry
2022-04-09 WWE star Alexa Bliss marries singer Ryan Cabrera in Palm Desert, California

Divorces in Film & TV

John Cena

2012-07-18 WWE wrestler John Cena (35) divorces Elizabeth Huberdeau (33) due to irretrievably broken marriage after 3 years of getting married

Deaths in Film & TV

1988-07-04 Adrian Adonis [Keith A. Franke Jr.], American professional wrestler, killed in auto accident at 34

André the Giant (1946-1993)

1993-01-27 French pro wrestler (WWF World Heavyweight C'ship 1988; WWF World Tag Team C'ship [with Haku] 1989), dies of congestive heart failure at 49

1993-03-11 Dino Bravo, wrestler (WWF), shot to death at 44
1999-10-06 Gorilla Monsoon, American pro wrestler (Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame) and commentator (WWF), dies from heart failure at 62
2002-05-18 David "Davey Boy" Smith, English professional wrestler (WWF Intercontinental Championship; British Bulldogs), dies of a heart attack at 39
2003-10-19 Hawk [Michael Hegstrand], American professional wrestler (ECW/WCW/WWF/AWA, Legion of Doom), dies at 46
2003-11-29 Larry Booker (Moondog Spot), American pro wrestler (WWF Tag Team champion 1981), dies of a heart attack at 51
2005-07-21 Lord Alfred Hayes, English pro wrestler, manager and commentator (WWF), dies from a stroke at 76
2005-11-13 Eddie Guerrero, Mexican pro wrestler (WWE Championship 2004; WWE Tag Team C'ship x 4), dies of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease at 38
2007-06-15 "Sensational" Sherri Martel, American professional wrestler (WWF), dies of an overdose at 49
2009-03-13 Test [Andrew Martin], Canadian professional wrestler (WWF/WWE), dies of an accidental overdose of the prescription pain medication oxycodone at 33
2010-04-02 Chris Kanyon, American pro wrestler (WCW/WWF World Tag Team C'ship), dies from suicide at 40
2010-08-13 Lance Cade, American pro wrestler (WWE Tag Team Champion [with Trevor Murdoch] 2005), dies from accidental drug overdose at 29

Randy Savage (1952-2011)

2011-05-20 American pro wrestler (WWF/SMW/ICW; WWE Hall of Fame), dies of a heart attack at 58

2014-01-14 Mae Young, American professional wrestler and one of the pioneers in women's wrestling (National Wrestling Alliance, WWF), dies at 90
2015-06-11 Dusty Rhodes [Virgil Riley Runnels Jr.], American professional wrestler (WWE), dies at 69

Roddy Piper (1954-2015)

2015-07-31 Canadian pro wrestler (WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight C'ship 1992; World Tag Team C'ship [Ric Flair] 2006), dies from cardiopulmonary arrest caused by hypertension at 61

2017-09-17 Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, American pro wrestling manager, colour commentator and wrestler (WWE Hall of Fame), dies of throat cancer at 72
2018-06-18 Leon White [Big Van Vader], American professional wrestler (WWF, AJPW), dies at 63
2018-08-13 Jim "the Anvil" Neidhart, American professional wrestler (WWF/WCW/NJPW/CWFI/Calgary), dies at 63
2019-01-02 "Mean" Gene Okerlund, American pro wrestling interviewer, announcer and television host (WWF, WCW), dies of kidney failure at 76
2019-03-04 King Kong Bundy [Christopher Pallies], American pro wrestler (WWF), dies at 61
2019-12-14 Randy Colley (Moondog Rex), American pro wrestler (WWF Tag Team champion 1981), dies after undergoing amputation of his right leg at 69
2020-01-15 Rocky Johnson, Canadian pro wrestler (father of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson; with Tony Atlas first black champions in WWE history), dies of a pulmonary embolism at 75
2020-04-16 Howard Finkel, American pro wrestling ring announcer (WWE Hall of Fame), dies from stroke complications at 69
2020-05-17 Shad Gaspard, American professional wrestler (WWE), bodyguard, and actor, drowns at 39
2020-08-27 'Bullet' Bob Armstrong, American pro wrestler (WWE Hall of Fame), dies from bone cancer at 80
2020-09-22 Road Warrior Animal [Joseph Laurinaitis], American pro wrestler (3 x WWE Tag Team C'ship; WWE Hall of Fame), dies at 60
2020-12-02 Pat Patterson, Canadian pro wrestler (WWE Hall of Fame; creator Royal Rumble), dies from cancer at 79
2021-07-12 Paul Orndorff, American pro wrestler (WWE Hall of Fame 2005; WCW World Tag Team C'ship [Paul Roma] 1995; "Mr Wonderful"), dies at 71
2022-03-14 Razor Ramon [Scott Hall], American pro wrestler (9 x WCW World Tag Team Champion; WWE HOF 2014), dies from a heart attack at 63