Joy Division
Joy Division is formed, originally named Warsaw, the band consists of Ian Curtis (vocals and guitar), Bernard Sumner (guitar and keyboards), Peter Hook (bass guitar and vocals), and Stephen Morris (drums and percussion)
Historical biography archive · Updated 2026-11-03
Ian Curtis Biography and Timeline
Follow Ian Curtis through 13 dated historical records for Great Britain.
Ian Curtis, historical timeline
A chronological timeline drawn from matching World History Database records.
13Distinct records
1 of 1Page
1976–1980Years on this page
1976
1977
Joy Division
The band rename themselves Joy Division in late 1977, borrowing their new name from the prostitution wing of a Nazi concentration camp in the 1965 novel The House of Dolls
1978
Joy Division
The group played their first gig as Joy Division
Joy Division
Ian Curtis suffers his first recognisable epileptic fit, after a show Curtis has a seizure during the ride home and has to be taken to a hospital, In spite of Curtis illness, Joy Divisions career continues to progress
Joy Division
Joy Division contribute two tracks recorded with producer Martin Hannett to the compilation double 7" EP A Factory Sample, the first release by Tony Wilson's record label Factory Records
1979
Joy Division
Curtis appears on the front cover of the NME due to the persistence of music journalist Paul Morley and that same month the band record their first radio session for BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel
Joy Division
The band begin recording their debut album Unknown Pleasures at Strawberry Studios, producer Martin Hannett contributes significantly to the final sound
1980
Joy Division
Joy Division is set to play a gig at the Derby Hall in Bury, Curtis had attempted suicide the previous night by overdosing on phenobarbitone prescribed for his epilepsy
Suicide
Joy Division is set to play a gig at the Derby Hall in Bury, Curtis had attempted suicide the previous night by overdosing on phenobarbitone prescribed for his epilepsy
Joy Division
With Martin Hannett again producing, the band record their second album Closer Britannia Row Studios
Death of Ian Curtis
Curtis hangs himself in the kitchen of his home; Deborah Curtis, his wife, discovers his body
Joy Division
Curtis hangs himself in the kitchen of his home; Deborah Curtis, his wife, discovers his body
Joy Division
The posthumous single "Love Will Tear Us Apart" is released
Records, sources and methodology
These dates and descriptions come from the historical_events database. Exact duplicate records have been collapsed. Names are grouped by the country, Name 2 and Name 1 fields; records with missing Name 2 cannot be reliably assigned to an individual biography. Check the underlying sources before formal citation.