Summary

• Forrest Gump's timeline entwines with historical moments, showing the character's unlikely but charming journey through American history.
• The film portrays Forrest's extraordinary achievements as he meets presidents, wins medals, and builds a shrimp empire, all against the odds.
• Forrest's heartwarming story reflects on destiny and chance, culminating in his role as a father and the impact of his adventures on history.

The Forrest Gump timeline spanned over 30 years and covered several iconic moments in American history. Forrest Gump is based on the 1986 novel of the same name by author Winston Groom and follows the titular hero as he grows up and finds himself in unusual and inspiring circumstances, especially impressive since Forrest is called "stupid" around every corner. Ultimately, the events of Forrest Gump were beyond belief, but the tale still worked since it was woven into the years of true history.

Audiences aren't expected to think that any one man could pull off all the things Forrest did in Forrest Gump. Meeting multiple presidents, receiving medals of honor, running for years on end, and becoming a ping-pong champion and a shrimping tycoon is a lot to get casually swept up in, and he achieved even more in the Forrest Gump novel. Still, there is a charm to Forrest's story, which can largely be attributed to how Forrest Gump's meticulously thought-out timeline melds perfectly with that of the real world.

Forrest Gump Runs From Bullies & Breaks His Braces

1956

Forrest begins leaving his mark on the world from the beginning of Forrest Gump. The quiet boy with a heartwarming accent has been bullied by classmates from the moment he started at school, but he manages to get through okay. Of course, this was precisely how he wound up in one of the most memorable scenes of Forrest Gump, the one set in 1951, in which the boy first learned how to "run, Forrest, run!" It is Jenny who tells Forrest to run from the bullies, and he never stops running.

Forrest Goes To College On A Football Scholarship

1962

After Forrest runs away from his bullies and breaks free of his leg braces, running becomes his favorite thing to do. When he attends high school, he learns that running makes him a great asset to the football team. Forrest is so impressive that he earns a full-ride college scholarship. So, even though it seems unlikely that the boy will even get through primary school, Forrest winds up playing football at the University of Alabama in 1962, becoming an All-American under legendary coach, Bear Bryant.

Forrest Tells President Kennedy That He Has To Pee

1963

John Fitzgerald Kennedy was elected President of the United States in 1961 and was unfortunately assassinated before the end of his first term in 1963. In Forrest Gump's version of this historical event, one of his last actions as president is meeting the National Champion football team from the University of Alabama, including Forrest Gump. This is a remarkable achievement for Forrest, only made more so by the fact that the only thing he can think of to tell the President is that he has to go pee.

Forrest Enlists In The Army & Leaves For Vietnam

1967

Forrest winds up in so many wild situations because he is always willing to go with the flow. This makes him easily manipulated, but his never-ending good luck always sees him through okay. This is how he ended up joining the army in 1967 and heading out to fight in the Vietnam War (which wouldn't end until 1975). Once again, against all odds, Forrest has a knack for military life. He meets Lieutenant Dan and Benjamin Buford (Bubba) Blue, two individuals who significantly impact his story.

Forrest’s Platoon Is Ambushed & Bubba Is Killed

1967

Forrest had spent his childhood running from bullies and his teenage and young adult years running on the football field. Little did he know, but this primed him for the running he would do in 1967 when Viet Cong soldiers ambushed his platoon. During this moment in Forrest Gump, Forrest carries and runs everyone he can out of harm's way, taking a bullet in the buttock while he is at it. He successfully saves Lieutenant Dan, but like many real-life US soldiers, Bubba doesn't make it out alive

Forrest Receives The Congressional Medal Of Honor

1968

Though Lieutenant Dan is furious to hear about it, Forrest earns the Congressional Medal of Honor for his bravery in Vietnam. This is when he met his second US president, President Lyndon B. Johnson, who served in office from 1963 to 1969. According to Forrest Gump, he awarded Forrest the Medal of Honor in 1968 after the soldier had recovered at the military hospital. It is this same day (November 19) that Forrest accidentally winds up speaking at a peace rally and reuniting briefly with Jenny.

Forrest Becomes A National Ping-Pong Champion

1971

During Forrest's recovery at the military hospital, he starts to play ping-pong. He is so good that the army decides that he should instead travel around to various military bases and hospitals to cheer up the troupes. One such demonstration was on July 16, 1969, and the soldiers were so absorbed in watching Forrest play ping-pong that they completely ignored the moon landing playing out on TV. In 1971, Forrest was sent to China to participate in the National Ping-Pong Championships, which he won.

Forrest Is Reunited With Lt. Dan & Celebrates The New Year

1972

After returning to the United States from the Ping-Pong Championships in China, Forrest appeared on the Dick Cavett show, along with John Lennon. Among the show's home audience was Lieutenant Dan, who tracked Forrest down to show his disapproval over the fact he had been awarded the Medal of Honor. The duo wound up ringing in 1972 together with a couple of Dan's friends. Forrest's old Lieutenant sarcastically promised to be Forrest's first mate if he ever became a shrimp boat captain.

Forrest Is Discharged From The Army & Starts Bubba Gump Shrimp

1974

The same year that President Richard Nixon, whom Forrest had met in 1971, gave his resignation speech, Forrest was discharged from the army. He returned to Alabama, where he made good on his promise to Bubba and bought a shrimping boat, which he named Jenny. Forrest eventually struck gold, and Bubba Gump Shrimp, which has become a real company, developed a monopoly on the shrimping industry. Eventually, Lieutenant Dan made good on his promise to be the first mate.

Forrest’s Mother Dies Of Cancer

1976

Mrs. Gump was a constant support in Forrest's life, which made her illness in 1976 particularly hard to cope with. Forrest rushed home, leaving Bubba Gump in Lieutenant Dan's capable hands, and said his final words to his momma. This was when she said her famous "life is like a box of chocolates" quote and when Forrest first questioned what his destiny was. This is because Mrs. Gump said that her destiny was to be his mom. Of course, the answer to Forrest's question was on its way.

Forrest Has His Heart Broken & Sets Off On His Famous Three-Year Run

1976

After Mrs. Gump passed away, Forrest decided to stay in Greenbow. Lieutenant Dan had invested Forrest's Bubba Gump money in Apple Computer, Inc., so he had no shortage of funds. He gave Bubba's share to his family and donated a good chunk of his own to various causes. It got a lot better when Jenny came home and lived with him for a time. Unfortunately, Jenny was overwhelmed when Forrest confessed his feelings, and she left. This inspired Forrest to do what he did best. He went on the famous Forest Gump three-year run.

Forrest Tells His Life Story To Strangers At A Bus Stop

1981

Everything that happened in Forrest Gump until the film's final quarter was narrated by the titular hero, sitting on a bench at a bus stop, holding a box of chocolates. Forrest finished his story by explaining that he had received a letter from Jenny asking to meet her. When he finally set out from that iconic bench to meet his childhood friend, she broke the news that they had a child together, Forrest Jr. That same year, Jenny and little Forrest moved to Greenbow, and the couple were married.

Forrest Says His Final Goodbye To Jenny

1982