1908 20th May
Birth of James Maitland Stewart
Birth of James Maitland Stewart
Cinema history · permanent subject timeline
James Stewart
American actor associated with comedy, drama, westerns and Alfred Hitchcock. This page combines historical context with 19 matching records drawn directly from the World History Database cinema archive.
Historical context
James Stewart: overview and significance
What happened?
James Stewart developed a long Hollywood career across romantic comedy, wartime service, post-war drama, westerns and suspense films.
Why was it important?
Stewart's screen persona and range made him one of the defining American actors of classical Hollywood and the post-war period.
World History Database records
James Stewart timeline
The records below are selected from the 2,036-record Cinema History archive and rendered as static HTML in chronological order.
1908
1939
1939
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Stars in, "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington". Stars in, "Its a Wonderful World". Stars in, "Destry Rides Again"
1940
1940
Academy Award
Winner of the Oscar for Best Actor, "The Philadelphia Story" as Macaulay Connor
1940
The Philadelphia Story
Stars in, "The Philadelphia Story"
1946
1946
Its a Wonderful Life
Stars in, "Its a Wonderful Life"
1949
1949
Broken Arrow
Stars in, "Broken Arrow"
1952
1952
Bend of the River
Stars in, "Bend of the River"
1953
1953
The Glenn Miller Story
Stars in, "The Glenn Miller Story"
1954
1954
Rear Window
Stars in, "Rear Window"
1955
1955
The Man from Laramie
Stars in, "The Man from Laramie"
1957
1957
The Spirit of St. Louis
Stars in, "The Spirit of St. Louis"
1958
1958
Vertigo
Stars in, "Vertigo"
1959
1959
Anatomy of a Murder
Stars in, "Anatomy of a Murder"
1962
1962
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
Stars in, "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance". Stars in, "How the West Was Won"
1965
1965
The Flight of the Phoenix
Stars in, "The Flight of the Phoenix". Stars in, "Shenandoah"
1976
1976
The Shootist
Stars in, "The Shootist"
1985
1985
Academy Honorary Award
Presented an Academy Honorary Award, "for his fifty years of memorable performances, for his high ideals both on and off the screen, with respect and affection of his colleagues"
1997
1997 2nd July
Death of James Maitland Stewart
Death of James Maitland Stewart
1997 2nd July
Death of James Stewart
Death of James Stewart
Editorial provenance
Sources and editorial review
Compiled and edited by World History Database.
Historical context is editorial material; the chronology is generated from World History Database cinema records.
Last reviewed: September 2026.
British Film Institute · Library of Congress · Academy Awards
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