Curated atlas · Culture

History of Cinema

Ninety years of moving pictures — how a fairground novelty became the defining art form of the twentieth century.

91 years

4,732 blocks

29 events

5 stages

1 block = 1 week · 1 row = 52 weeks91y · 4,732 blocks

1890

1910

1930

1950

1970

Stages

Timeline ledger

Chronicle

29 events · 5 stages

Silent film era

37y 46w

Jan 1, 1890 → Oct 5, 1927

Edison's Kinetoscope demonstrated

May 3, 1893

Lumière Brothers' first public screening

Dec 25, 1895

Méliès films A Trip to the Moon

Aug 27, 1902

The Great Train Robbery

Nov 25, 1903

The Birth of a Nation released

Feb 3, 1915

Charlie Chaplin's The Kid

Feb 2, 1921

Hollywoodland sign erected

Jul 11, 1923

Golden Age of Hollywood

32y 18w

Oct 5, 1927 → Dec 30, 1959

The Jazz Singer — first 'talkie'

Oct 5, 1927

Steamboat Willie (Mickey Mouse debut)

Nov 14, 1928

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Dec 15, 1937

The Wizard of Oz released

Aug 23, 1939

Gone with the Wind released

Dec 13, 1939

Citizen Kane released

Apr 30, 1941

Casablanca released

Nov 25, 1942

International art cinema

26y 5w

Dec 27, 1944 → Dec 30, 1970

Italian Neorealism: Rome, Open City

Sep 26, 1945

Rashomon released

Aug 23, 1950

Hitchcock's Rear Window

Jul 28, 1954

French New Wave: Breathless released

Mar 16, 1960

Psycho released

Jun 15, 1960

West Side Story released

Oct 18, 1961

The Sound of Music released

Feb 24, 1965

New Hollywood

14y 3w

Dec 28, 1966 → Dec 31, 1980

Bonnie and Clyde released

Aug 9, 1967

2001: A Space Odyssey released

Mar 27, 1968

Easy Rider released

Jul 9, 1969

The Godfather released

Mar 15, 1972

Birth of the blockbuster

5y 29w

Jun 18, 1975 → Dec 31, 1980

Jaws released

Jun 18, 1975

Taxi Driver released

Feb 4, 1976

Star Wars released

May 25, 1977

Apocalypse Now released

Aug 15, 1979

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