May 15, 1918 -- According to the Web site, EddyArnold.com, Arnold was born in Henderson, Tenn. Arnold’s rural routes and farm upbringing would later lead his peers and fans to call him the "Tennessee Plowboy."

1936 -- Arnold leaves home to try to make it in the music industry. He made his first appearance on radio in 1936.

1941 -- Arnold marries his wife Sally Gayheart. The couple spent 66 years together until Sally Arnold died in March 2008.

December, 1944 -- Arnold cuts his first record for RCA Victor. He had gained fame by becoming a star in the Grand Ole Opry in 1943.

1946 -- Arnold scores his first big hit with "That's How Much I Love You."

1947-1948 -- Arnold becomes a fixture on the charts with 13 of the top 20 songs. Arnold was also managed during this time by Col. Tom Parker, who is also well-known for his time managing the career of Elvis Presley.

1964 -- Arnold launches into what some call his "second career." His rendition of "Make the World Go Away" became an international hit and probably the biggest of his career. Country legend Chet Atkins and pianist Floyd Cramer were among the people who helped make Arnold’s rendition of the song an astounding success.

1966 -- Arnold is inducted to the Country Music Hall of Fame.

1967 -- Arnold is named the Country Music Association's first Entertainer of the Year.

1980 -- Arnold scores his last Country chart hit with "Let's Get It While the Gettin's Good."

1985 -- Arnold is awarded the Academy of Country Music’s Pioneer Award. Arnold is credited with introducing Country music to a wider audience with his mixture of traditional country and pop sound.

May 11, 1999 -- During a week of performances in Las Vegas, Arnold announces his retirement from performing. His final concert would be on May 16 at Vegas’ Hotel Orleans. During his career, Arnold sold more than 85 million records and registered 28 No. 1 hits on Billboard’s Country Singles charts. According to his Web site, Johnny Cash and Marty Robbins, among others, called Arnold the best singer in Country music history.

2002 -- At the age of 83, Arnold releases an album titled "Looking Back." He described the album as "songs to fall in love to."

May 8, 2008 -- Eddy Arnold dies in Nashville at the age of 89. Arnold was preceded in death by his wife Sally. The couple are survived by their two children, "Dickie" and Jo Ann, two children and four great-grandchildren.

* Information courtesy of EddyArnold.com, Wikipedia, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum and the Associated Press.