Filmmaker Timeline

  • Birth

    Birth

    Steven Spielberg was born on December 18, 1946, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He grew up in a Jewish family.
  • Childhood in Arizona

    Childhood in Arizona

    He moved to Phoenix, Arizona. Steven loved adventure and started filming small stories with his friends using his dad's camera.
  • First Short Film

    First Short Film

    When he was only 12, Steven made his first short movie called The Last Gunfight. It was a western-style film, and it showed how much he loved storytelling.
  • Wins a Local Film Contest

    Wins a Local Film Contest

    At age 17, he made a sci-fi movie called Firelight that won a local film contest. It was one of his first big moments as a young filmmaker.
  • Period: to

    College Years

    Steven attended California State University, Long Beach, to study English. Even though he didn’t get into USC’s film school, he never gave up on becoming a director.
  • Start at Universal Studios

    Start at Universal Studios

    He got an internship at Universal Studios, where he made a short film called Amblin. It impressed the studio so much that they gave him a directing job.
  • Jaws

    Jaws

    Spielberg directed Jaws, which became a huge hit and scared people out of the water. It’s known as the first summer blockbuster and made him famous.
  • Raiders of the Lost Ark

    Raiders of the Lost Ark

    He teamed up with George Lucas to create Indiana Jones. The movie became an instant classic and started one of the most popular adventure series ever.
  • E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

    E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

    Spielberg made E.T., a movie about a boy and an alien. It became one of the most loved family movies and showed his talent for emotional storytelling.
  • Marriage

    Marriage

    He married actress Kate Capshaw, who starred in one of his Indiana Jones movies. Together they built a big family and raised several kids.
  • Schindler’s List

    Schindler’s List

    That same year, he released Schindler’s List, a powerful movie about the Holocaust. It won him his first Oscar for Best Director and many other awards.
  • Jurassic Park

    Jurassic Park

    Spielberg amazed audiences again with Jurassic Park. The dinosaurs looked so real because he used new computer effects that changed movies forever.
  • Saving Private Ryan

    Saving Private Ryan

    He directed Saving Private Ryan, a very emotional World War II movie. The opening battle scene was so realistic that people said it felt like real history.
  • A.I. Artificial Intelligence

    A.I. Artificial Intelligence

    Spielberg made A.I., a sci-fi movie that explored love and humanity in robots. It showed his deeper side and interest in futuristic stories.
  • War of the Worlds and Munich

    War of the Worlds and Munich

    He released two serious films this year. Both focused on fear, war, and survival in a changing world after the events of 9/11.
  • War Horse and The Adventures of Tintin

    War Horse and The Adventures of Tintin

    Spielberg showed he could still handle all kinds of stories. War Horse was emotional, while Tintin was an animated adventure full of fun and action.
  • Presidential Medal of Freedom

    Presidential Medal of Freedom

    He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama for his huge impact on film and American culture.
  • West Side Story

    West Side Story

    Spielberg directed a new version of the classic musical West Side Story. It proved that even after decades, he could still bring emotion and beauty to the screen.
  • The Fabelmans

    The Fabelmans

    He made The Fabelmans, a movie inspired by his own childhood. It showed how his early life and family shaped him into the director he became.
  • Present Day

    Present Day

    Today, Steven Spielberg is still working on new movies and producing through his company, Amblin Entertainment. He’s known as one of the greatest filmmakers in history.