1928 – Born in Floral, Saskatchewan

1943 – Attends New York Rangers' tryout in Brooklyn, NY

1944 – Signs with Detroit Red Wings and is assigned to junior team in Galt, ON

1945 – Promoted to Red Wings' USHL affiliate-Omaha Knights, registering 48 points in 51 games

1946 – Makes his NHL debut, finishing rookie season with seven goals and 15 assists in 58 games played

1948 – After Roy Conacher leaves the Red Wings, Howe wears the No. 9
- Red Wings are swept 4-0 by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Stanley Cup Final

1949 – Named an All-Star for the first of 21 times
- Red Wings are again swept 4-0 by the Leafs in the Stanley Cup Final

1950 – Finishes the season with 35 goals, beginning a streak of 22 years with 20 or more goals
- His 35 goals and 33 assists are good for third in league scoring, finishing behind 'Production Line' teammates Ted Lindsay and Sid Abel
- Fractures skull in playoff game against the Leafs; needs surgery to relieve swelling on brain
- Red Wings defeat the Rangers in double overtime of Game 7 to win the Stanley Cup

1951 – Notches 43 goals and 43 assists to win the Art Ross Trophy as league's top scorer for the first of six scoring championships, beating the next closest competitor by 20 points

1952 – Repeats as Art Ross Trophy winner and wins first Hart Memorial Trophy as league's most valuable player with 47 goals and 37 assists
- Red Wings sweep the Montreal Canadiens to win the Stanley Cup

1953 – Repeats as both Art Ross and Hart Trophy winner, posting 49 goals and 46 assists

1954 – Wins fourth-straight Art Ross Trophy (33 goals, 48 assists)
- Red Wings defeat Montreal Canadiens in seven games to win the Stanley Cup

1955 – Red Wings repeat as Stanley Cup winners with seven-game series victory over the Canadiens
- Scores Stanley Cup-winning goal in the second period of a 3-1 Game 7 win

1957 – Captures his third Hart Memorial Trophy and fifth Art Ross Trophy

1958 – Wins fourth Hart Memorial Trophy (33 goals, 44 assists)

1960 – Wins fifth Hart Memorial Trophy (28 goals, 45 assists)

1963 – Records 38 goals and 86 assists to win sixth and final Art Ross and Hart Memorial Trophies
- Scores 545th goal to break Maurice Richard's goal-scoring record
- Wins Lionel Conacher Award given to Canada's male athlete of the year

1967 – Wins Lester B. Patrick Trophy given for outstanding contribution to the game of hockey in the United States

1969 – Eclipses the 100-point plateau for first and only time at age 40 with 44 goals and 59 assists

1971 – After 25 seasons, citing a chronic wrist problem, he retires to take job with the Red Wings' front office
- Named to the Order of Canada

1972 – Elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame
- Red Wings retire his No. 9

1973 – Comes out of retirement to play alongside sons Mark and Marty with the Houston Aeros of the newly formed World Hockey Association

1974 – Tallies three goals and four assists in eight games in Canada's Summit Series loss to the USSR
- Finishes first WHA season with 31 goals and 69 assists to win Gary L. Davidson Award as league MVP
- Aeros defeat Chicago Cougars in a four-game sweep to win the Avco Cup as WHA champions

1975 – Aeros repeat as WHA champions in sweep of Quebec Nordiques
- Elected to Canada's Sports Hall of Fame

1976 – Gary L. Davidson Award given to the WHA's MVP is renamed the Gordie Howe Trophy

1977 – Signs with the New England Whalers along with Mark and Marty

1979 – Plays alongside 18-year-old Wayne Gretzky in WHA All-Star Game
- Returns to NHL with league-bound Hartford Whalers

1980 – Retires at age 52 after only NHL season with Whalers (15 goals, 26 assists)
- Leaves the NHL with most career goals (801), assists (1,049), points (1,850), consecutive 20-goal seasons (22) and games played (1,767), as well as being the oldest player to compete in an NHL game

1997 – Signs one-day contract with the Detroit Vipers of the IHL and plays in a single shift at age 69

2007 – Red Wings erect statue of Howe outside Joe Louis Arena

2008 – Named recipient of the NHL's Lifetime Achievement Award

2009 – Colleen Howe, Gordie's wife of 56 years, passes away at age 76

2016 - Passes away at the age of 88