1941: Derek born in Nilford

1943: David born in Squatney

1944: Nigel born in Squatney

1948: Mick and Ric Shrimpton born

1951: David and Nigel meet in Squatney

1958: Derek enrolls at the London School of Design

1961: David and Nigel record All the Way Home (December)

1964: David and Nigel form the Originals, change its name to the New Originals, then abandon the band to travel with the Johnny Goodshow Revue. While on the road, they meet drummer John "Stumpy" Pepys and form the Thamesmen; bassist Ronnie Pudding joins the group soon after.

1965: Thamesmen tour Benelux nations with keyboardist Jan van der Kvelk on strength of hit single, Gimme Some Money; return to England and begin massive rotation of band members.

1966: A young Marty DiBergi watches pre-Tap Thamesmen perform at the Electric Banana in New York; Spinal Tap forms with David, Nigel, Pepys, bassist Ronnie Pudding and keyboardist Denny Upham and makes its debut at London's Music Membrane (December); David's son Jordan born.

1967: (Listen to the) Flower People (July); Derek joins Tap to replace Pudding; Tap tours "world and elsewhere"

1968: Follow-up album, We Are All Flower People, bombs; keyboardist Upham fired; after a stint fronting for the Matchstick Men, Tap begins to develop its distinctive twin-lead-guitar style during performances at the Electric Zoo in Wimpton

1969: Megaphone rereleases We Are All Flower People as The Incredible Flight of Icarus P. Anybody; Silent But Deadly released as live album; drummer John Pepys dies in bizarre gardening accident; David's son Devon is born.

1970: Brainhammer released

1971: Nerve Damage released

1972: Blood to Let released

1974: Intravenus de Milo released; keyboardist Ross MacLochness joins group; drummer Eric Childs chokes to death on someone else's vomit

1975: Tap tours Far East, releases live Jap Habit and The Sun Never Sweats. Manager Glyn Hampton-Cross and keyboardist MacLochness leave to pursue other interests

1976: Bent for the Rent and Tap Dancing released; Tap sues Megaphone for back royalties, Megaphone countersues for "lack of talent"; director Marco Zamboni casts Derek in his film Roma 79; Tap begins performing under the names Anthem and the Cadburys after settlement with Megaphone

1977: Rock 'N Roll Creation released; Viv Savage comes aboard on keyboards as Tap regroups on strength of single Nice 'N Stinky and tours U.S. to support Bent for the Rent; David meets Jeanine Pettibone at a wake; drummer Peter "James" Bond spontaneously combusts and is replaced by Mick Shrimpton

1978: Tap performs on ABC-TV variety show, The TV Show; backstage, Nigel is introduced to Marty DiBergi

1979: Nigel Tufnel's Clam Caravan

1980: Polymer signs Tap; Shark Sandwich released

1982: Smell the Glove released and supported by U.S. tour and one Japanese date; Ian Faith takes hiatus as manager, replaced by Jeanine Pettibone

1983: Heavy Metal Memories released

1984: This is Spinal Tap released in theaters (March); Tap performs on NBC-TV's Saturday Night Live (May); Tap's Intravenus de Milo goes bronze (1 million copies returned); This is Spinal Tap released by Embassy on home video (October)

1985: Inside Spinal Tap published in United States

1986: David marries longtime girlfriend Jeanine Pettibone (they would later divorce).

1988: Derek joins Lambsblood

1990: Ian "dies," Tap regroups

1991: Tap begins search for new drummer; begins recording Break Like the Wind; announces reunion during MTV Video Music Awards (September 5); performs first live set since botched Japan tour at RIP Magazine party at Hollywood Palladium (October 6); conducts drummer auditions for upcoming tour (October 31).

1992: Inside Spinal Tap published in Britain; Ric Shrimpton joins Tap (January 30); Tap begins 10-day tour of the United Kingdom, Sweden, Norway and Germany (February 16); Tap begins eight-day tour of Australia and attends the Australian Record Industry Awards (March 2); Break Like the Wind released (March 17); Tap appears on Late Night With David Letterman (March 27); episode of The Simpsons features Tap (April); Tap plays at the Freddie Mercury tribute at Wembley Stadium (April 20); Tap plays Arnold Hall, Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs (May 17); Tap pays Orpheum Theater, Minneapolis (May 19); Tap plays Riverside Theatre, Milwaukee (May 21); Tap plays the Riviera, Chicago (May 22); Tap plays the Riverport Amphitheatre, St. Louis (May 24); Tap plays the Paramount Theatre, Denver (May 26); Tap plays the Paramount Theatre, Seattle (May 29); Tap plays the Center for the Performing Arts, Portland (May 30); Tap plays the Warfield Theatre, San Francisco (June 1-2); Tap plays Copley Symphony Hall, San Diego (June 3); Tap plays the Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles (June 5); Tap plays the Mesa Amphitheatre, Phoenix (June 6); Tap plays Fox Theater, Atlanta (June 12); Tap plays Carr Performing Arts Center, Orlando (June 13); Tap plays Riverbend Music Center, Cincinnati (June 16); Tap plays Nautica Stage, Cleveland (June 17); Tap plays Pine Knob near Detroit (June 19); Tap plays the Beacon Theater, New York (June 23); Tap plays Lisner Auditorium, Washington, D.C. (June 24); Tap plays Tower Theater, Philadelphia (June 25); Tap causes controversy at Great Woods Center for the Performing Arts near Boston when two biker chicks appear topless on stage during Big Bottom (June 26); Tap jets across five time zones to perform in St. John's, Barrie and Vancouver as part of Much Music's Great Canadian Party to celebrate Canada Day (July 1); Tap plays the Royal Albert Hall, London (July 7); Tap plays on ABC's Halloween Jam at Atlantic Studios (October 31); NBC airs A Spinal Tap Reunion (December 31).

1993: The Return of Spinal Tap released on home video; Tap takes part in a Voters for Choice benefit at the Civic Center in Santa Monica because "we heard women would be there."

1994: Laser disc and CD-ROM reissues of This is Spinal Tap by Criterion

1995: The Spinal Tap Fan Site debuts; Nigel takes job as junior icthyologist at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Southern California. He is later promoted to the "big tank."

1996: Tap plays ACLU benefit, Los Angeles (March 11); IBM commercial featuring Tap premiers on NBC; official Tap site opens on Web

1998: Tap agrees to present an award at the Brit Awards to the Eels, who won for Best International Newcomer. Rolling Stone reports that the exchange did not go well. "They were bitter about being passed up as Best Newcomer for the past 35 years," the Eels' lead singer said. "Nigel had a particularly large amount of attitude." (March); Criterion releases DVD version of This is Spinal Tap (July).

1999: Rumors swirl about possible Tap2K tour.

2000: Tap appears on VH1's The List (June 22); Tapster.com opens on web (July); Tap releases MP3 single Back From the Dead (July); MGM rereleases This is Spinal Tap in select theaters (September); MGM releases new DVD and video version of TIST (September); Bloomsbury publishes the Official Spinal Tap Compendium (September); VH1 first airs "Where Are They Now?" episode about Tap (September 6); Spinal Tap action figures released by Sideshow Toys (October); Spinal Tap makes first appearance on "The Tonight Show" (October 4); Tapster.com disappears (December 31).

2001: Tap plays a private concert in Anaheim, California (January 19); Tap tours the U.S. for its Back From the Dead Tour, with gigs at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles (June 1); Carnegie Hall (June 4); a corporate party at the Regency in San Francisco (June 6); the House of Blues in Las Vegas (June 8); the Warfield in San Francisco (June 10); Humphrey's in San Diego (June 12); the Sun Theatre in Anaheim, California (July 14); the Beacon Theater in New York (July 16); and at the Just For Laughs Fest, Montreal (July 19).