Timeline

Nov. 27, 1916: Born Francis Dayle Hearn in Aurora, Ill.

1931: Given the nickname “Chick” when he was handed a box of sneakers only to be surprised to find a live chicken inside.

1952: In one of the first weekly sporting events on television, ABC shows stock car races from the 87th Street Speedway in Chicago. Chick Hearn is the announcer.

1956: Hearn begins broadcasting USC football and basketball.

1957: ABC debuts new series “The All-American Football Game of the Week” featuring play-by-play announcer Hearn.

1960: Lakers move from Minneapolis to Los Angeles and hire Hearn to be their play-by-play man. The price of gas is 18 cents a gallon and Kobe Bryant is still 18 years away from being born.

Nov. 21, 1965: Hearn broadcasts Laker game against Philadelphia. It is the first of a record 3,338 consecutive Laker games he broadcasts.

1967: Hearn hosts the L.A. version of “Bowling for Dollars.”

April 29, 1970: Hearn broadcasts what he later calls the most memorable game of his career as Jerry West makes a 60-foot shot as time expires to send a playoff game against the New York Knicks into overtime.

Jan. 14, 1971: Hearn broadcasts game 500 of his streak.

1972: Hearn’s son, Gary, dies at age 27 of a drug overdose.

May 9, 1972: Hearn is behind the mike as the L.A. Lakers win their first NBA title with a victory over the Knicks.

April 8, 1977: Game 1,000 of the streak.

May 16, 1980: In another game Hearn chose as one of his most memorable, the Lakers win their second title in L.A. when Magic Johnson scores 42 points in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s absence.

Feb. 16, 1982: Game 1,500 of the streak.

June 8, 1982: Lakers win the third of their titles in L.A., defeating Philadelphia.

June 9, 1985: Lakers finally defeat arch-rival Boston for title number four in L.A.

1986: Hearn is honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Feb. 28, 1987: Game 2,000 of the streak.

June 14, 1987: Lakers win their fifth title in L.A., defeating Boston.

1988: Lakers defeat Detroit to win title number six.

1991: Hearn’s daughter, Samantha, dies at age 41.

March 13, 1992: Game 2,500 of the streak.

Summer, 1992: Hearn joins NBC’s Olympics coverage, broadcasting the “Dream Team’s” games as they romp to a gold medal.

Nov. 30, 1995: Hearn is elected to the American Sportscasters Hall of Fame.

Jan. 19, 1998: Game 3,000 of the streak.

June 19, 2000: After a 12-year drought, Shaq and Kobe lead the Lakers to their seventh title in L.A.

June 15, 2001: Lakers win second consecutive title, eight overall in L.A.

Dec. 16, 2001: Hearn calls the last game (vs. Golden State Warriors at Staples Center) of his streak of 3,338 Laker broadcasts before suffering a heart attack.

Dec. 19, 2001: Undergoes heart valve replacement surgery.

Dec. 20, 2001: Paul Sunderland becomes the first person other than Hearn to call a Laker game (vs. Rockets at Houston) in 36 years.

Feb. 17, 2002: Suffers broken hip during a fall at a service station.

April 9, 2002: Comes back from heart and hip-replacement surgery to call his first game (vs. Utah Jazz at Staples Center) in 113 days.

June 12, 2002:Lakers complete their three-peat, winning ninth title in L.A.

Aug. 2-3, 2002: Undergoes surgery twice for bleeding in the skull after falling in his backyard.

Aug. 5, 2002: Hearn dies at Northridge Hospital Medical Center.

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Researched by Houston Mitchell