A Timeline of The Velvet Underground

1938

 * March 14th: Angus William MacLise is born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, U.S.

1942

 * March 2nd: Lewis Allan Reed is born in New York City, USA.
 * March 9th: John Davies Cale is born in Garnant, Carmarthenshire, Wales.
 * August 29th: Sterling Morrison is born in East Meadow, New York, USA.

1943

 * January 13: Willie Alexander is born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

1944

 * August 26: Maureen Ann Tucker is born in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York City, USA

1946

 * August 4: Walter Powers is born in Boston, Massachusetts, USA

1947

 * February 25: Douglas Alan Yule is born in Mineola, New York, U.S.
 * Lewis Reed attends Atkinson Elementary School, Freeport, New York

1954

 * Lewis Reed studies at Freeport Junior High School

1958

 * Lewis Reed begins experimenting with drug use. With ' The Jades ' he releases his first single, ' Leave Her For Me / So Blue'

1960

 * After being sent home from college due to a severe mental breakdown, Lou Reed's parents consent to give him electroconvulsive therapy to help. After this Reed enrolls in Syracuse University.

1961

 * Lou Reed begins hosting a late night radio program titled, Excursions on a Wobbly Rail. He met Sterling Morrison through mutual friend Jim Tucker.

1962

 * The Theatre of Eternal Music is formed in New York City, featuring John Cale and Angus MacLise.

1964

 * Lou Reed moves from Syracuse to New York City to work as a songwriter and session musician for Pickwick Records. With this label he forms ' The Primitives '. The group write the song 'The Ostrich ', which Pickwick believed had potential.
 * December: 'The Ostrich ' is released Pickwick asks Reed to form a band to tour and promote the single. For this group John Cale was brought in. Cale was impressed with Reeds' ideas but not his performance. The 'ostrich' tuning and Reeds' song 'Heroin' in particular interested him..
 * December 3rd: The Primitives record a seven track demo tape. Shortly after this Cale and Reed moved in together on the Lower East Side. The group began to evolve; Reed invited Sterling Morrison to play guitar, and Cale invited Angus MacLise to play drums. John Cale records 'Loop '

1965

 * March: The Primatives perform live for the first time, at The Filmmakers' Cinematheque.
 * May 11th: The Primatives record a four track demo tape
 * May 28th: The Primatives perform at The Cinematheque
 * May: The Primatives record a 15 track demo tape
 * June: The Falling Spikes are formed, the group features Lou Reed, John Cale, Sterling Morrison and Electra. They perform at Café Wha.
 * July: The Falling Spikes record two demo tapes, the second of which was released in its entirety on the box-set Peel Slowly and See.
 * August 11th: The Falling Spikes perform at The Broadway Central Hotel
 * November 1st: The Velvet Underground perform live for the first time, at The Filmmakers' Cinematheque.
 * November 5th: The Velvet Underground perform at The Filmmakers' Cinematheque
 * November 10th: The Velvet Underground perform at The Filmmakers' Cinematheque
 * December 11th: The Velvet Underground perform at The Summit High School Auditorium, Summit, New Jersey. Angus MacLise quits the band the morning of the show, and Maureen Tucker is brought on as his replacement. After this The Velvets record a five track demo tape, and get a residency at Café Bizarre.
 * December 30th: The Velvet Underground perform 'Black Angel's Death Song ' at Café Bizarre, and are fired from their residency.

1966

 * January 3rd: The Velvet Underground rehearse at The Factory.
 * January 13th: The Velvet Underground perform at the Delmonico Hotel.
 * February 6th: The Velvet Underground perform at The Filmmakers' Cinematheque
 * February 8th: The Velvet Underground perform at The Filmmakers' Cinematheque
 * February 9th: The Velvet Underground perform at The Filmmakers' Cinematheque
 * February 10th: The Velvet Underground perform at The Filmmakers' Cinematheque
 * February 11th: The Velvet Underground perform at The Filmmakers' Cinematheque
 * February 12th: The Velvet Underground perform at The Filmmakers' Cinematheque
 * February 13th: The Velvet Underground perform at The Filmmakers' Cinematheque
 * March 7th: The Velvet Underground perform at The Factory
 * March 9th: The Velvet Underground perform at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey
 * March 12th: The Velvet Underground perform at Architecture And Design Auditorium, Ann Arbor, Michigan
 * March 22nd: The Velvet Underground perform at The Southampton East Gallery
 * March ??: The Velvet Underground perform at The Paraphernalia Store
 * March 31st: The Velvet Underground perform at The Village Gate
 * April 1st: The Velvet Underground perform at The Open Stage