Bill Tilden
Chronology
| 1893 | Born February 10, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to William Tatem Sr. and Selina Hey Tilden |
| 1898 | First picks up a tennis racquet, copying serve and volley style of his brother |
| 1901 | Wins first singles title in 15-and-under tournament |
| 1908 | Upon illness of his mother, is sent to live with his aunt |
| 1910 | Graduates from Germantown Academy in Philadelphia and enters the University of Pennsylvania |
| 1911 | Mother dies |
| 1913 | Coaches Germantown Academy tennis team and begins serious study of lawn tennis |
| 1913 | Wins first U.S. mixed doubles title, with Mary Kendall Browne |
| 1915 | Both father and brother die and Tilden leaves college to work as a reporter and build a tennis career |
| 1916 | Loses first U.S. singles championship |
| 1917 | Enlists in U.S. Army, serving in Pennsylvania |
| 1918 | Discharged from the army, he wins 11 of 15 singles tournaments and maintains a number two ranking |
| 1919 | Spends almost a year developing a driving backhand |
| 1921 | Publishes book of instruction, The Art of Lawn Tennis |
| 1922 | Top joint of right middle finger is amputated |
| 1924 | Challenges U.S. Lawn Tennis Association ban on amateur players writing about tennis |
| 1925 | Publishes Match Play and the Spin of the Ball, considered a classic in tennis technique |
| 1926 | Knee injury leads to his first loss in a match in six years |
| 1928 | USLTA suspends Tilden for his tennis writing |
| 1930 | Ends amateur career |
| 1930 | Signs movie contract with MGM |
| 1930 | Publishes novel, Glory's Net, |
| 1931 | Enters professional playing career with Tilden Tennis Tour |
| 1934 | Tours with tennis great Ellsworth Vines |
| 1937 | Tours with Fred Perry |
| 1939 | Moves from Philadelphia and his aunt's house to Los Angeles, California |
| 1941-45 | Plays benefit tournaments to support the war effort |
| 1946 | Arrested for contributing to the delinquency of a minor for sexually molesting a 14-year-old boy and sentenced to a year in prison |
| 1948 | Again convicted of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and sentenced to a second prison term |
| 1950 | Publishes How to Play Better Tennis, the distillation of his tennis wisdom |
| 1950 | Named greatest player of 1900-1950 by Associated Press poll |
| 1953 | Dies of a heart attack in Los Angeles |
| 1959 | Inducted posthumously into the Tennis Hall of Fame |
| 1969 | Voted greatest male player of all time by panel of international tennis journalists |
Additional topics
Famous Sports StarsTennisBill Tilden Biography - Born Into Privilege, Chronology, A Self-taught Genius, Awards And Accomplishments, The Tilden Age