TIMELINE - LED ZEPPELIN

1944-Jimmy Page was born.

1946-John Paul Jones was born.

1948-John “Bonzo” Bonham was born.

1948-Robert Plant was born.

1966-Ahmet Ertegun signs the English group Cream. Atlantic will become a major force in British rock, releasing albums by such artists as the Bee Gees, Mott the Hoople, Yes, Genesis, Derek and the Dominos, Emerson, Lake and Palmer and Led Zeppelin.

1968-The Yardbirds break up, guitarist Jimmy Page forms the New Yardbirds and changes the group’s name to Led Zeppelin, allegedly on the advice of the Who’s Keith Moon.

1968-Led Zeppelin performs its first show, at Surrey University in England.

1968-Atlantic Record announces its signing of a “hot new English group” named Led Zeppelin.

1969-The hotly anticipated, self-titled debut album by Led Zeppelin enters the album charts, ultimately reaching #10.

1969-Led Zeppelin enters the Top Forty with “Whole Lotta Love,” which reaches #4. It is this album-oriented band’s highest-charting single.

1969-‘Led Zeppelin II’ tops the U.S. album charts for the first of seven weeks; it will reach #1 in the U.K. in February 1970.

1970-The more folk-oriented ‘Led Zeppelin III’ becomes the band’s second #1 album.

1971-Led Zeppelin hits #15 with “Immigrant Song”.

1971-Led Zeppelin’s fourth album, which features four runes (symbols) as its title, enters Billboard’s album chart, where it will remain for the next five years. Oddly, it doesn’t quite reach #1, peaking at #2.

1972-Led Zeppelin hits #15 with “Black Dog”.

1972-Led Zeppelin hits #47 with “Rock and Roll”.

1973-‘Houses of the Holy,’ Led Zeppelin’s fifth album, becomes their third to reach #1.

1973-Led Zeppelin hits #20 with “D’yer Mak’er”.