 August 4, 1901- Louis Daniel Armstrong was Born
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New Orleans, Louisiana
 Age 5- His parents got divorced
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Lived with his mother and great grandmother, Josephine.
 1907- He began working for a Russian Jewish Immigrant family.
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Earned money to buy first coronet.
Also started first singing quartet
 New Year’s Eve, 1912- He fired a pistol in the street to celebrate
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Was arrested and sent to the Colored Waif’s Home for Boys
 1913-1914- He learns music from Peter Davis, the band director at the Colored Waif’s Home for
Boys.
o Becomes leader of the Home Band.
 June 16, 1914- He was released from the Waif’s Home
 1914-1917- Lived with his father, William, for a while only to return to live with his mother.
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Began learning music from Joe Oliver
Performed with local groups
Has a job delivering coal and newspapers to support his family
 1918- He joins the Kid Ory Band
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Performed occasionally with the Tuxedo Brass Band
Married Daisy Parker
 1919-1921- Fate Marable hires him to perform on riverboats on the Mississippi River from New
Orleans to Saint Louis
o Officially joins the Tuxedo Brass Band
 1922- Is separated from Daisy
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Moves to Chicago in August to play second coronet in Joe Oliver’s band
 Plays there for 2 years
 February 5, 1924- Marries Lil Hardin
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Moves to New York City
 Joins Fletcher Henderson Orchestra
 1925- Quits Fletcher Henderson and returns to Chicago
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Becomes leader of his own group, Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five
 1931- Separates from Lil in August
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Appears in first film, Ex-Flame
First African American to perform at the Roof Garden of the Kentucky Hotel in
Louisville
Returns to New Orleans
 1934- Lives mostly in Paris, France
 1937- Hosts Fleischmann’s Yeast
Show, a national radio program
 October 11, 1938- Marries Alpha Smith
 1942- Separated from Alpha Smith and marries Lucille Wilson on October 12
 1943- Moves to Queens, New York City
 1947- Performs at Carnegie Hall
 1948-1952 Appears at the Nice Jazz Festival, the first international jazz festival
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Tours/Performs much of Europe and North Africa
 1957- Speaks out about segregation in Little Rock, Arkansas
 1964- Records his number one hit, “Hello Dolly”
 1968- “What a Wonderful World” becomes a big hit in England
 July 6, 1971- He dies in his sleep in Queens, New York
 1972- Awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award