| 1937 |
Born July 2 in Level Cross, North Carolina to Lee and Elizabeth Petty |
| 1949 |
Becomes Lee Petty's crew chief at age twelve |
| 1958 |
Drives in his first NASCAR event |
| 1959 |
Wins his first NASCAR race at Columbia Speedway |
| 1960 |
Richard, Maurice, and Lee Petty race in the same event for the first and only time |
| 1965 |
Pettys and Chrysler boycott NASCAR for part of the season when it bans their hemi-engine; Richard wins a national drag racing event |
| 1967 |
Passes his father, Lee, for most career wins |
| 1967 |
Wins ten consecutive races and 27 for the season |
| 1970 |
Helps develop window net for stock cars after nearly losing his life in crash in race at Darlington, South Carolina |
| 1973-74 |
Wins Daytona 500 two years in a row |
| 1983 |
Celebrates 25 years in professional racing |
| 1984 |
Wins 200th and final career race at Firecracker 400 at Daytona |
| 1986 |
Makes 1000th career start |
| 1988 |
Nearly loses his life in crash at Daytona 500 |
| 1991 |
Announces retirement |
| 1992 |
Makes Fan Appreciation Tour |
| 1995 |
Makes debut as color commentator on televised racing events |
| 1999 |
Petty Enterprises celebrates 50th anniversary |
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