Dinkytown
Performs in the Dinkytown folk scene before moving to New York.
Role range: 1960-1961
Historical biography archive · Updated 2026-11-03
Bob Dylan Biography and Timeline
Follow Bob Dylan through 91 dated historical records for United States of America.
Bob Dylan, historical timeline
A chronological timeline drawn from matching World History Database records.
91Distinct records
1 of 3Page
1960–1966Years on this page
1960
1961
New York Arrival
Arrives in New York and enters the Greenwich Village folk scene.
Role range: 1941-
Gerde's Folk City
Performs at Gerde's Folk City during his early New York breakthrough.
Role range: 1941-
Woody Guthrie Visit
Visits Woody Guthrie while seeking connection with his folk hero.
Role range: 1941-
Carolyn Hester
Plays harmonica on Carolyn Hester's third album.
Role range: 1941-
1962
Bob Dylan Album
The first Columbia album mixes folk, blues, gospel and two originals.
Role range: 1941-
Bob Dylan
Releases his debut Columbia album Bob Dylan.
Role range: 1941-
Song to Woody
Includes Song to Woody on his debut album.
Role range: 1941-
Blowin in the Wind
Records Blowin in the Wind during Freewheelin sessions.
Role range: 1941-
Robert Dylan
Legally changes his name from Robert Allen Zimmerman to Robert Dylan.
Role range: 1941-
Blind Boy Grunt
Records Broadside material under the pseudonym Blind Boy Grunt.
Role range: 1941-
Blind Boy Grunt
Records several songs for Broadside under the name Blind Boy Grunt.
Role range: 1941-
Bob Dylan Album Sales
The first Columbia album makes limited commercial impact in its first year.
Role range: 1941-
1963
A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall
Releases A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall on Freewheelin.
Role range: 1941-
Don't Think Twice It's All Right
Releases Don't Think Twice It's All Right on Freewheelin.
Role range: 1941-
The Freewheelin Bob Dylan
Releases The Freewheelin Bob Dylan and becomes known as a songwriter.
Role range: 1941-
The Freewheelin Bob Dylan
Releases The Freewheelin Bob Dylan.
Role range: 1941-
Newport Folk Festival
Performs at Newport Folk Festival during his folk breakthrough.
Role range: 1941-
Blowin in the Wind
Popularises protest songwriting during the civil rights era.
Role range: 1941-
The Times They Are a-Changin
Works on political material later central to The Times They Are a-Changin.
Role range: 1941-
Tom Paine Award
Accepts the Tom Paine Award after the assassination of John F. Kennedy.
Role range: 1941-
1964
The Times They Are a-Changin
Releases The Times They Are a-Changin.
Role range: 1941-
With God on Our Side
Releases With God on Our Side on the third album.
Role range: 1941-
Another Side of Bob Dylan
Releases Another Side of Bob Dylan.
Role range: 1941-
My Back Pages
Releases My Back Pages on Another Side of Bob Dylan.
Role range: 1941-
1965
Subterranean Homesick Blues
Records Subterranean Homesick Blues with electric backing.
Role range: 1941-
Bringing It All Back Home
Releases Bringing It All Back Home.
Role range: 1941-
Bringing It All Back Home
Releases an album mixing acoustic songs with electric instruments.
Role range: 1941-
Like a Rolling Stone
Releases Like a Rolling Stone, expanding expectations of a pop single.
Role range: 1941-
Maggie's Farm
Performs electric material at Newport Folk Festival.
Role range: 1941-
Ballad of a Thin Man
Releases Ballad of a Thin Man on Highway 61 Revisited.
Role range: 1941-
Desolation Row
Releases Desolation Row on Highway 61 Revisited.
Role range: 1941-
Highway 61 Revisited
Releases Highway 61 Revisited.
Role range: 1941-
Like a Rolling Stone
Like a Rolling Stone reaches major chart positions in America and Britain.
Role range: 1941-
Mr Tambourine Man
Sees Mr Tambourine Man become central to the folk-rock breakthrough.
Role range: 1941-
1966
Blonde on Blonde
Releases the double album Blonde on Blonde.
Role range: 1941-
Just Like a Woman
Releases Just Like a Woman on Blonde on Blonde.
Role range: 1941-
Visions of Johanna
Releases Visions of Johanna on Blonde on Blonde.
Role range: 1941-
Motorcycle Accident
Suffers a motorcycle accident near Woodstock.
Role range: 1941-
Highway 61 Revisited
Highway 61 Revisited connects Dylan's roots to blues, folk and rock.
Role range: 1941-
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.