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1960

Bob Dylan was born Robert Allen Zimmerman in 1941. Growing up in Hibbing, Minnesota, the singer developed his talent for music early and was influenced by performers such as Elvis Presley and Little Richard.

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1960

In 1960, the musician left the University of Minnesota and headed to New York City. He adapted the stage name Bob Dylan and began performing in the Greenwich Village folk scene, a.k.a. coffeehouses and clubs.

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1961

Dylan got his big break after one of his performances was reviewed by The New York Times. The rave review prompted a record deal with Columbia Records that same year.

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1961

After signing his record deal, Dylan got hard at work on his first album, which was self-titled Bob Dylan. Here, the artist is seen with his record producer, John Hammond, during one of their recording sessions in New York.

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1961

In 1961, the singer legally changed his surname from Zimmerman to Dylan. The origin of his stage name has never been confirmed, though some say it was inspired by a character on Gunsmoke.

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1961

Dylan plays the acoustic guitar in New York City while his girlfriend, Suze Rotolo, looks on. The couple began dating in 1960, after meeting backstage at one of Dylan's performances. Rotolo is credited with shaping the singer's political awareness.

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1962

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1962

The couple reunited in 1963, which is when Don Hunstein captured that famous shot of the two of them walking down Jones Street. Rotolo recounted the day in her memoir A Freewheelin' Time: A Memoir of Greenwich Village in the Sixties, "We walked the length of Jones Street facing West Fourth with Bleecker Street at our backs. In some outtakes it's obvious that we were freezing; certainly Bob was, in that thin jacket. But image was all. As for me, I was never asked to sign a release or paid anything. It never dawned on me to ask."

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1962

Dylan performs at the Singers Club Christmas Party in the U.K. in December 1962.

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1963

Dylan became more involved in the protest movement in the mid-'60s, penning songs like "The Times They Are A-Changin" that would become anthems for the change.

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1963

Dylan's credibility within the protest movement was significantly raised by his partnership—which was both romantic and professional—with singer-songwriter Joan Baez. Her established career and strong fan base gave Dylan lots of exposure, as the couple toured together throughout the early '60s. Here they are at Newport's Folk Festival in 1963.

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1963

In 1963, Dylan released his second album, The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan. The album was a huge hit, including tracks like "Blowin' in the Wind" and "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall," and cemented his position as one of America's top folk singers.

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1963

Dylan was set to appear on The Ed Sullivan Show in New York City in 1963. After the singer-songwriter preformed "Talkin' John Birch Paranoid Blues" during rehearsals, he was asked to change his song choice, but he refused and walked out of the studio.

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1964

Dylan's third album, Times They Are A-Changin' ,was released in 1964, which furthered his reputation as the voice of the movement. However, the folk singer was growing weary of this title.

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1964

By 1964, Dylan had become one of the biggest folk singers in the country. He was billing 200 concerts a year, while touring the United States at this time.

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1964

Another Side of Bob Dylan, the singer's fourth album, was released in 1964. A departure from his previous work, the album's message was more personal and less politicized.

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1965

Dylan's biggest time of creative reinvention came in 1965. He released his fifth album, Bringing It All Back Home, which included half acoustic and half electric tracks⁠—an unprecedented move for a folk singer at that time.

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1965

In July 1965, the singer was booed by fans at the Newport Folk Festival. Dylan's experimentation with electric instrumentals alienated his hard-core folk fan base.

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1965

That same year, Dylan worked tirelessly to follow up the now-controversial Bringing It All Back Home release. Here, Dylan is photographed with his electric guitar in a studio, with his acoustic placed by the wayside.

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1965

The addition of electronic instrumentals allowed Dylan's unique voice and lyrics to flourish under the new banner of rock. By 1965, the artist had fully transitioned to the new genre.

Erica Gonzales is the Senior Culture Editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage on TV, movies, music, books, and more. She was previously an editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com. There is a 75 percent chance she's listening to Lorde right now. 

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