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Began weekly “Hour of Decision” radio program. Graham later apologizes.

June 24-26, 2005 - Graham leads "his last crusade" at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, New York, speaking to more than 230,000 people.

May 31, 2007 - The Billy Graham Library and Museum in Charlotte, North Carolina, is dedicated.

Has preached to over 215 million people in more than 185 countries.

Billy Graham's illnesses include fluid on the brain, prostate cancer, and Parkinson's disease.

Timeline: 1934 - Graham becomes "born again" after hearing an evangelist preach in Charlotte, North Carolina.

December 4, 1938 - Graham is baptized in Silver Lake, Florida.

1939 - Is ordained by a Southern Baptist Convention church.

1943-1945 - Takes over a Chicago radio program, "Songs in the Night".

1944 - Works with the Youth for Christ organization and travels the country speaking at rallies.

1947 - Accepts the presidency of Northwestern Schools, an educational complex founded by the First Baptist Church of Minneapolis.

1948 - Resigns from Youth for Christ.

1949 - Holds crusades in tents in downtown Los Angeles.

Ruth Graham, his wife of more than 63 years, died.

— 2018: Died February 21 2018, at age 99.

Last modified: March 18, 2024

Remembering Billy Graham: A timeline of the evangelist's life and ministry

Here's a look at the life of evangelist Billy Graham.

Personal: Birth date: November 7, 1918

Birth place: Charlotte, North Carolina

Birth name: William Franklin Graham Jr.

Father: William Franklin Graham Sr., dairy farmer

Mother: Morrow (Coffey) Graham

Marriage: Ruth (Bell) Graham (August 13, 1943-June 14, 2007, her death)

Children: Nelson Edman, William Franklin, Ruth Bell, Anne Morrow and Virginia

MORE: A timeline of historic events as listed by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
PHOTOS: Remembering Billy Graham, 1918-2018

Education: Florida Bible Institute (now called Trinity College), Th.B.

(Theology), 1940; Wheaton College, B.A., 1943

Religion: Baptist

Other Facts: Grew up on a dairy farm near Charlotte, North Carolina.

Graham has been listed by Gallup as one of the "Ten Most Admired Men in the World" more than 50 times.

Has met with every US president from Harry Truman to Barack Obama.

Began Billy Graham Films, which became World Wide Pictures in 1952.

— 1952: Started “My Answer,” syndicated newspaper column.

— 1956: Founded Christianity Today magazine.

— 1957: Led a New York City crusade in Madison Square Garden nightly for 16 weeks.

— 1966: Convened the World Congress on Evangelism in Berlin.

— 1974: Convened the Lausanne Conference for religious leaders to develop evangelism strategies.

— 1982: Awarded Templeton Foundation Prize for Progress in Religion.

— 1989: Received star on Hollywood Walk of Fame; first clergyman to receive the honor.

— 1995: His ministry transmitted a “Global Mission” evangelistic conference via satellite to 185 countries in 116 languages.

He was born on November 7, 1918, and reared on a dairy farm in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Evangelist Billy Graham died on Wednesday, February 21, 2018, at the age of 99.

Here’s a timeline of Evangelist Billy Graham’s life, from birth to his death.

— 1918: Born Nov.

7 in Charlotte, N.C.

— 1934: Made personal commitment to Jesus during Charlotte, N.C., revival meeting.

— 1936: Earned money for college as a Fuller Brush salesman. Originally scheduled for three weeks, the crusades are so popular they run for seven weeks.

1950 - Founds the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) to establish order and policies for his crusades.

1950 - Begins a weekly Sunday night radio program, "The Hour of Decision".

1950s - Founds World Wide Pictures, a motion picture division of BGEA.

1952 - Begins a daily column of advice, "My Answer," still distributed by Tribune Media Service.

1954 - Crusade in London lasts twelve weeks and draws huge crowds.

1957 - Crusade at Madison Square Garden in New York runs nightly for sixteen weeks and is covered by the national press.

1981 - Wins the Religious Broadcasting Hall of Fame award.

1983 - Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

1986 - Wins the National Religious Broadcasters Award of Merit.

1996 - Awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.

1999 - First non-musician to be inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.

2000 - Wins the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation Freedom Award, for monumental and lasting contributions to the cause of freedom.

2001 - Awarded an honorary knighthood.

November 2000 - Franklin Graham takes over for his father as Chief Executive Officer for the BGEA.

2002 - A recording of a 1972 conversation between Graham and President Nixon, in which they both make anti-Semitic remarks, is released.

Former Presidents George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Jimmy Carter attend.

August 2007 - Graham is hospitalized for 11 days to treat intestinal bleeding.

February 2008 - Graham is hospitalized for six days to replace a valve in a shunt designed to regulate brain pressure.

August 12, 2012 - Admitted to Mission Hospital in Asheville for treatment of a pulmonary infection believed to be bronchitis.

Attended Bob Jones College in Cleveland, Tenn.

— 1937-40: Attended and graduated from Florida Bible Institute near Tampa, Fla.

— 1939: Ordained to the ministry in a Southern Baptist church in Florida.

Recommended: List of Books By Billy Graham

— 1943: Graduated from Wheaton College, Wheaton, Ill. Married Ruth McCue Bell.

— 1943-45: Pastor, First Baptist Church, Western Springs, Ill.

— 1945-50: Charter vice president, Youth for Christ International, Chicago.

— 1947-52: President, Northwestern Schools, which included a liberal arts college, Bible school and theological seminary in Minneapolis.

— 1949: Gained national attention with Los Angeles crusade.

— 1950: Founded Billy Graham Evangelistic Association in Minneapolis.

He is released two days later.

.

YearAgeEvent19180 (born)Born in Charlotte, North Carolina193416Becomes born again193921Ordained as a minister194325Marries Ruth Bell, graduates from Wheaton College194527Becomes a full-time evangelist194729First citywide crusade in Grand Rapids194931Los Angeles crusade gains national attention195032Founds BGEA, launches “Hour of Decision”, meets President Truman195234Holds crusade in London195335Removes segregation ropes in Chattanooga195436Greater London crusade19573916-week crusade in New York City, Martin Luther King Jr.

joins196042Begins advising presidents, gives invocation for Nixon196345Meets President Kennedy, participates in March on Washington196547President Johnson attends Houston crusade196648World Congress on Evangelism in Berlin196951Holds first White House church service for Nixon197355Holds crusade in Seoul, South Korea197456Holds mixed-race crusade in South Africa198163Holds crusade in Dallas198971Holds crusade in Cleveland199173Holds crusade in Moscow199577“Global Mission” event199678Receives Congressional Gold Medal199981Opens Billy Graham Library200587Last crusade in New York City200789Wife Ruth dies2018100 (died)Dies on February 21

A Timeline Of Billy Graham’s Life

Billy Graham was an American evangelical Christian evangelist and a prominent evangelical Christian figure in the United States and the world, whose life and ministry left indelible marks on the sands of time.

His son Franklin, also an evangelist, is named eventual successor to lead Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

Recommended: List of Books By Billy Graham

— 1996: Awarded Congressional Gold Medal.

— 1999: First nonmusician inducted into Gospel Music Hall of Fame by the Gospel Music Association.

— 2000: His ministry sponsored Amsterdam 2000, an international meeting of evangelists.

— 2002: Son Franklin Graham named president of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

— 2005: Hosted dedication ceremony with son Franklin at new headquarters of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association in Charlotte, N.C.

Preached last New York City crusade.

— 2007: Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, N.C., opened.

billy graham biography timeline activities