Bruce Lee — Timeline
Key moments in the life of Bruce Lee.
1940
Born on November 27 in San Francisco, California
1941
Family moved to Hong Kong where Bruce spent most of his childhood
1954
Began formal martial arts training under Ip Man, studying Wing Chun kung fu
1958
Returned to San Francisco to live with relatives and attend high school
1964
Demonstrated martial arts at the Long Beach International Karate Tournament, gaining attention from Hollywood
1966
Cast as Kato in the television series 'The Green Hornet' (1966-1967)
1971
Starred in 'The Big Boss' (also called 'Fists of Fury'), his first major martial arts film
1972
Released 'Fist of Fury' and founded his martial arts philosophy school, Jeet Kune Do
1973
Died on July 20 in Hong Kong at age 32; had nearly completed filming 'Enter the Dragon'
1973
'Enter the Dragon' released posthumously in November, becoming a massive international success