December 6, 1956  
Peter Lawrence Buck born in Oakland, California  

July 31, 1958  
William Thomas Berry born in Duluth, Minnesota  

December 17, 1958  
Michael Edward Mills born in Orange Country, California  

January 4, 1960  
John Michael Stipe born in Decature, Georgia  

April 5, 1980  
R.E.M. (playing under the name of Twisted Kites) make their first public appearance at a friend's birthday party in Athens, Georgia  

May 15, 1980  
R.E.M. make their first headline appearance at Tyrone's Club, Athens, Georgia  

December, 1980  
R.E.M. support The Police at the Fox Theatre, Atlanta  

April, 1981  
R.E.M. record their first demo tape with producer Mitch Easter  

May, 1982  
R.E.M. release their debut EP - Chronic Town  

April, 1983   
R.E.M. release their debut album Murmur, recorded in Athens with producer Mitch Easter  

July, 1983   
R.E.M. release Radio Free Europe as a single  

August, 1983   
R.E.M. support The Police at New York's Shea Stadium  

January, 1984   
Peter Buck, Bill Berry and Mike Mills form a side-project band, the Hindu Love Gods, with singer Warren Zevon  

April, 1984   
R.E.M. release their second album Reckoning, recorded in Athens with producer Mitch Easter  

December, 1984   
R.E.M. contribute the song Windout to the soundtrack for the movie Bachelor Party  

June, 1985   
R.E.M. release their third album Fables of the Reconstruction, recorded in London with producer Joe Boyd  

September, 1986   
R.E.M. release their fourth album Life’s Rich Pageant, recorded in Indiana, with producer Don Gehman  

October, 1986   
The single Fall on Me reaches number 94 in the US charts!  

January, 1987    
R.E.M. begin a US tour  

May, 1987   
R.E.M. release a compilation album b-sides and out-takes - Dead Letter Office  

September, 1987   
R.E.M. release their fifth album Document, recorded in Nashville, with producer Scott Litt  

October, 1987   
R.E.M. play their first UK tour for 3 years  

December, 1987   
The single The One I Love reaches number 9 in the US charts  

June, 1988   
R.E.M. sign to Warner Brothers  

October, 1988   
IRS release a best of R.E.M. compilation entitled Eponymous  

November, 1988   
R.E.M. release their sixth album Green, recorded in Memphis with producer Scott Litt  

June, 1988   
The single Orange Crush reaches number 28 in the UK singles chart. R.E.M. make their debut appearance on the UK TV show Top of the Pops  

August, 1989   
Michael Stipe forms his own film company C-100 and releases the live R.E.M. video Tourfilm  

January, 1990   
R.E.M. release a collection of their promo videos - Pop Screen  

March, 1991   
R.E.M. release their seventh album Out of Time, recorded in Woodstock and Athens, with producer Scott Litt  

May, 1991   
Out of Time reaches number 1 in the US charts  

September, 1991   
R.E.M. win six awards at the MTV awards  

October, 1991   
IRS release another compilation album entitled The Best of R.E.M.  

February, 1992   
R.E.M. receive a Grammy award for Best Alternative Album  

October, 1992   
R.E.M. release their eighth album Automatic For the People, which reaches number 1 in the UK, number 2 in the USA  

September, 1994   
R.E.M. release their ninth album Monster