One of the most popular comedic actors of the silent film era, Buster Keaton appeared in dozens of short and feature-length films. His comedies Our Hospitality and The General are considered landmark achievements in early cinema.

Buster Keaton was a popular vaudeville performer in the 1910s when Fatty Arbuckle encouraged him to experiment in cinema. The two became friends and Arbuckle helped Keaton make his first short films. Only a few years later, Keaton released a string of enduring silent comedies, including The Navigator and the short film Sherlock Jr.

Though The General was a box office disappointment and critical failure upon its release, it has since become one of the most critically acclaimed of all silent comedies. Film critic Roger Ebert and filmmaker Richard Lester each list it among their ten favorite films of all time.

Many silent film stars were affected by the addition of sound to motion pictures. After the failure of The General, studios were not as willing to give Keaton creative control. In 1928, Keaton signed with MGM, a decision he later regretted due to their restrictive control over his productions. Keaton's films in the early 1930s had limited success, and he stopped consistently producing movies for Hollywood studios later in the decade.

• Note: The majority of the links in this timeline are to IMDb, which has pop-ups.

• October 4, 1895: Born

• 1917: First film The Butcher Boy

• 1917-1919: Keaton teamed with "Fatty" Arbuckle for 14 short films

• 1920: First solo movie, One Week and five other films

• 1921: The Haunted House and five other films

• 1922: The Paleface and six other films

• 1923: Our Hospitality and three other films

• 1924: Sherlock Jr. and The Navigator

• 1925: Seven Chances and Go West

• 1926: Battling Butler

• 1927: The General and College

• 1928: Steamboat Bill, Jr. and The Cameraman

• 1929: Spite Marriage

• 1930: Free and Easy and four other films

• 1931: Parlor, Bedroom and Bath and three other films

• 1932: The Passionate Plumber and Speak Easily

• 1933: What! No Beer?

• 1934: Allez Oop, The Gold Ghost and The Champs of the Champs Elysees

• 1935: The Invader and six other films

• 1936: Blue Blazes and four other films

• 1937: Jail Bait, Ditto and Love Nest on Wheels

• 1939: Pest from the West and Mooching Through Georgia

• 1940: Nothing But Pleasure and seven other films

• 1941: So You Won't Squawk and three other films

• 1943: Forever and a Day

• 1944: San Diego I Love You

• 1945: That's the Spirit and That Night with You

• 1946: God's County and A Modern Bluebeard

• 1949: In the Good Old Summertime and three other films

• 1950: The Buster Keaton Show and The Misadventures of Buster Keaton

• 1951: Life with Buster Keaton

• 1956: Around the World in Eighty Days

• 1960: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

• 1963: The Triumph of Lester Snapwell

• 1964: Pajama Party

• 1965: Beach Blanket Bingo, The Railrodder, How to Stuff a Wild Bikini and Film

• 1966: The Scribe and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

• February 1, 1966: Died