Highlights in Bob Hope's life:

May 29, 1903 -- Leslie Towns Hope born in Eltham, England.

1907 -- Family emigrates to the United States, settling in Cleveland.

1920s -- Becomes rising vaudeville star, at first as part of a dancing act.

1927 -- New York stage debut in Sidewalks of New York.

1932 -- Makes radio debut on Capitol Family Hour.

1932-36 -- Appears in several important Broadway productions, including Roberta, the 1935 Ziegfeld Follies and Red, Hot and Blue.

1934 -- Marries singer Dolores Reade. They adopted four children: Linda, Anthony, William Kelly and Honora.

1934 -- First radio show premieres, beginning a record 62-year affiliation with NBC.

1938 -- Feature film debut in The Big Broadcast of 1938, in which he and Shirley Ross sing "Thanks for the Memory."

Feb. 23, 1939 -- First Oscar appearance, presenting the awards for best short films.

Feb. 29, 1940 -- First appearance as Academy Awards master of ceremonies. In all, he served as an emcee or co-host 20 times between 1940 and 1978.

1940 -- Co-stars with Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour in first of the Road pictures, The Road to Singapore.

May 6, 1941 -- Plays first camp show for servicemen at March Field in California.

1948 -- First Christmas tour for servicemen taking part in Berlin airlift.

1950 -- Makes first television specials, including first Christmas special.

March 19, 1953 -- Serves as co-host for first televised Oscar ceremony.

1969 -- Receives Medal of Freedom from President Lyndon B. Johnson.

March 29, 1978 -- Host of Oscar ceremony for the last time.

December 1990 -- Goes to Persian Gulf to entertain troops on the eve of the Gulf War; his last Christmas show for troops overseas. He joked: "If anybody tells you I was in the Civil War, I'm denying it."

May 1993 -- 90th birthday celebrated with a TV special featuring President Clinton and former presidents Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan and Bush.

November 1996 -- NBC airs his last special, Laughing with the Presidents.

March 1997 -- U.S. Navy christens the USNS Bob Hope, a 950-foot, 33,000-ton support ship.

May 2000 -- Library of Congress opens the Bob Hope Gallery of American Entertainment.