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Eminem is born Marshall Bruce Mathers III in St. Joseph, Missouri. He eventually settles in Warren, Michigan.More

Eminem's daughter, Hailie Jade, is born. He mentions her in many of his songs, and in 1999 her cooing appears on his track "'97 Bonnie & Clyde" (where Em imagines killing Hailie's mother, Kim). Eminem gets her name tattooed on his arm.

Eminem drops his first major-label album, The Slim Shady LP. He quickly becomes the most controversial rapper in the game.More

Eminem's mother, Debbie Mathers-Briggs, files a lawsuit against him, claiming that his allegations in the press and on records that she was an unfit mother have ruined her life, as she can no longer get a job or a line of credit. In his song "My Name Is," Eminem raps: "I just found out my mom does more dope than I do." The case is eventually settled for $25,000.

Eminem's second major-label album, The Marshall Mathers LP, becomes the fastest-selling rap album ever when it sells 1.76 million copies in its debut week.More

"The Real Slim Shady" debuts at #1 in the UK, giving Eminem his first chart-topper on the Singles chart. He doesn't reach #1 in America until two years later with "Lose Yourself."

Eminem lands his second UK #1 when "Stan" tops the chart. The song, which tells the story of a deranged, obsessive fan, samples the lilting Dido song "Thank You," giving her a huge boost in America.More

After months of wrangling over child support, rapper Eminem's divorce becomes official.

At the 75th Academy Awards, Eminem becomes the first rapper to take home an Oscar when "Lose Yourself," from his semi-biographical film 8 Mile, wins Best Original Song. Eminem doesn't bother to attend the ceremony, thinking he has no chance of winning, so his friend and producer Luis Resto accepts the honor in his absence.

Eminem's The Eminem Show hits #1 on both the UK and US album charts.

Eminem, still without an American chart-topper, lands his third UK #1 hit with "Without Me," where he takes shots at a number of soft targets including Chris Kirkpatrick, Limp Bizkit and Moby.

8 Mile, starring Eminem, tops the box office while his song from the film, "Lose Yourself," sits at #1, making him the first performer since Prince (Purple Rain and "When Doves Cry") in 1984 with a song and movie simultaneously at #1.

Eminem hits #1 on the Hot 100 for the first time when "Lose Yourself," from his movie 8 Mile, tops the chart.

8 Mile, a semi-biographical look at Eminem's early days as a struggling rapper in Detroit, opens in theaters. The film is a critical and commercial success, and Eminem's "Lose Yourself" becomes the first rap song to win the Oscar for Best Original Song.More

Eminem gets his own radio channel on Sirius satellite radio. He launches the Shade 45 channel with a gathering called the Shady National Convention, which also promotes his album Encore.

Thanks to the song by Eminem, the word "stan" is added to the Oxford American Dictionary, defined as "an overzealous or obsessive fan of a particular celebrity."

Eminem is questioned by the Secret Service about lyrics in his song "Framed," where he imagines Ivanka Trump murdered in the trunk of his car. Agents determine he is not a threat; Eminem later raps about it on his song "The Ringer": "Agent Orange just sent the Secret Service to meet in person."

In downtown Detroit, Eminem opens the restaurant Mom's Spaghetti, named after a line in his song "Lose Yourself." The first fans in line are served by Slim Shady himself.