1957
Releases first album, "Johnny Cash and His Hot and Blue Guitar."

1959
Switches labels from Sun Records to Columbia Records. His first album on Columbia is "Hymns by Johnny Cash." A gospel album he wasn't given the freedom to do while working with Sun.

1969
Records with Bob Dylan at CBS Studios. Recordings are never released but bootlegs are later passed around on the Internet.

1980
Cash is inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

1985
Toured with Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson under the name, The Highwaymen. The musicians recorded old cowboy songs together for the album of the same name.

1992
Johnny Cash is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

1994
Releases the first alum in his American Recording series with producer Rick Rubin. The series included covers of U2, Soundgarden, Tom Waits and Nine Inch Nails songs.

1998
Takes out an ad in Billboard magazine with Rick Rubin featuring a picture of Cash giving the middle finger to the camera during a visit to San Quentin prison in 1970. The ad says, "American Recordings and Johnny Cash would like to acknowledge the Nashville music establishment and country radio for your support."

May 15, 2003
June Carter Cash dies.

Sept. 12, 2003
Johnny Cash dies at 71 due to compications from Diabates.

Source: Dr. Jocelyn Neal