Cole Porter was born in Peru, Indiana on June 9, 1891. As a boy he took lessons in piano and violin, and began writing songs while in prep school. He attended Yale College (Class of 1913), where he composed fight songs that are still used today. After graduating, he went on to Harvard Law School, but he had little interest in law and soon began studying music instead. Porter would later complete his musical education at the Schola Cantorum in Paris.
Porter's first Broadway show, See America First, was staged in 1916, and over the ensuing decade he wrote several more shows, but did not have his first big hit until 1929, with Fifty Million Frenchmen . From then on he was one of Broadway's most popular composers; his subsequent credits included Gay Divorce, Anything Goes, Panama Hattie, and Kiss Me, Kate . He composed numerous songs that became standards, including "Let's Do It," "What Is This Thing Called Love?," "Night and Day," "Anything Goes," "You're the Top," "I've Got You Under My Skin," "Begin the Beguine," "Just One of Those Things," " Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye," "Don't Fence Me In," and "Brush Up Your Shakespeare." In an era when most composers of popular songs worked with lyricists, Porter distinguished himself by writing his own verses, which were notable for their wit and sophistication.
1891 Jun 9Born
the only child of Kate Cole and Samuel Fenwick Porter. Cole Porter later added
the middle name, Albert, himself.1901Writes first
known composition, "Song of the Birds," for piano.1902Writes "Bobolink Waltz" for piano. It is privately published
by his mother.19051909Attends
Worcester Academy, Worcester, Massachusetts.1909Summer European tour: France, Switzerland, Germany.1909 FallEnters Yale College.1911 Nov 28Cora presented by Phi Opera Company at the
Delta Kappa Epsilon Fraternity House.1912 Apr1912 MayAnd the Villain Still Pursued Her produced
by Yale University Dramatic Association in New Haven and New York City.1912
NovThe Pot of Gold
produced by Delta Kappa Epsilon Fraternity at the Hotel Taft.1913
Apr-MayThe Kaleidoscope
produced by Yale University Dramatic Association at the Hotel Taft, New Haven
and the Yale Club, New York City.1913 SpringGraduates from Yale College.1913 SummerTrip to England.1913 FallEnters
Harvard Law School. (Rooms at Craigie Hall with T. Lawrason Riggs.)1914
Apr 24Paranoia produced
by Yale University Dramatic Association at the Hotel Taft, New Haven. Music and
lyrics by Porter, book by T. Lawrason Riggs.1914 May 22We're All Dressed Up and We Don't Know Huerto
Go produced by Yale University Dramatic Association in Cincinnati,
Ohio.19141915Switches
to Graduate School of Arts and Sciences to major in music.1916See America First, Porter's
first Broadway show, opens at the Maxine Elliott Theatre. Music and lyrics by
Porter, and T. Lawrason Riggs.1917Studies music
with Pietro Yon in New York City.19171918Resides
in France.1918Meets Linda
Lee Thomas in Paris.1919 Oct 6Hitchy-Koo of 1919 opens on Broadway.1919
Dec 18Marries Linda Lee Thomas in Paris.1920Attends classes in orchestration and
counterpoint at the Schola Cantorum in Paris.1920 Sep 18A Night Out, a London musical show,
includes three songs with music by Porter and lyrics by Clifford Grey.1922
Mar 9Mayfair and
Montmartre, a London musical show, including six songs by
Porter.1922 Oct 10Hitchy-Koo of 1922 opens and closes in
Philadelphia.1923 SummerThe
Porters rent the Palazzo Barbara in Venice.1923 Oct 25Within the Quota, a ballet-sketch
performed by the Ballet Suedois in Paris; music by Porter, orchestration by
Charles Koechlin, and scenario, sets, and costume design by George Murphy. (New
York debut on Nov. 28, 1923.)1924 SummerPorters rent the Palazzo Papadopoli in Venice.1924 Sep 16Greenwich Village Follies opens
in New York.19251926Out of Luck produced by the Yale University
Dramatic Association.19251927Porters
rent the Palazzo Rezzonico in Venice.1928 May 10La Revue des Ambassadeurs produced in
Paris by Edmond Sayag at des Ambassadeurs Cafe.1928 Oct 8Paris opens at the Music Box
Theatre, New York.1929 Mar 27Wake Up and Dream produced in London. (New York
opening on December 30, 1929.)1929 Nov 30The Battle of Paris, a Paramount motion picture
including two songs by Porter, is released.1929 Nov 27Fifty Million Frenchmen opens in New
York.1930Six month
trip to Far East and Europe.1930 Dec 8The New Yorkers opens in New York.1931Star Dust,
unproduced musical, planned for production by E. Ray Goetz.1932 Nov 29Gay Divorce opens in New
York.19321933Trip to
Paris, Vienna, Carlsbad, etc.1933 Oct 6Nymph Errant opens in London.19331934Once Upon a Time (Ever Yours),
unproduced musical intended for production by Gilbert Miller.1934"Thank You So Much Mrs.
Lowsborough-Goodby" and "Miss Otis Regrets" are published.1934 Oct 12The Gay Divorcee, an RKO-Radio
Picture, is released.1934 Nov 21Anything Goes opens in New York.1935
JanPorter and Moss Hart embark on a
four-and-a-half-month cruise around the world to work on Jubilee.1935Porter goes
to Hollywood.1935 Oct 12Jubilee opens in New York.1936 NovBorn to Dance, an MGM motion
picture, is released.1936Anything Goes, a Paramount film version, is
released.1936 Oct 29Red, Hot and Blue opens in New York.1937
Dec 24Rosalie, an MGM
motion picture, is released.1937 JunPorter
joins Linda in Paris; meets Howard Sturges and Ed Tauch for walking tour of
Germany, Austria, Yugoslavia and Italy; moves on to Scandinavia.1937
Oct 4Serious riding accident in Locust Valley, Long
Island.19371938Break the News, a Monogram motion picture, is
released in England and includes "It All Belongs to You" by Porter.Greek to You, unproduced musical show, intended
for production by Vinton Freedley.1938 Sep 21You Never Know opens in New York.1938
Nov 9Leave It to Me
opens in New York.1939The Man Who Came to Dinner, a George S.
Kaufman-Moss Hart play, opens and includes Porter's parody of the Noel Coward
style in song: "What Am I to Do?"1939 Dec 6Du Barry Was a Lady opens in New York.1940Broadway Melody
of 1940, a MGM motion picture, is released.1940 Jan 20Trip to Cuba, Panama Canal Zone, Mexico, and the South
Seas.1940 JunThe
Porters buy a house on Buxton Hill, Williamstown, Mass.1940 Oct 30Panama Hattie opens in New
York.1941 Oct 23You'll Never Get Rich, a Columbia motion picture,
is released.1941 Oct 29Let's Face It opens in New York.1943
FebSomething to Shout
About, a Columbia motion picture, is released.1943 Jan 7Something for the Boys opens in
New York.1943 SpringThe
Porters move to Beverly Hills, California.19431944Mississippi Belle, unproduced musical film
planned by Warner Brothers .1944 Jan 28Mexican Hayride opens in New York.1944
Dec 7Seven Lively Arts
opens in New York.1946Night and Day, a motion picture based on the life
and music of Porter, is released.1946 May 31Around the World in Eighty Days opens in New
York.1948 Mar 24The Pirate, an MGM motion picture, is
released.1948 Dec 30Kiss Me Kate opens in New York.1949
SpringLinda suffers from pleurisy and leaves for
Arizona to convalesce.1949Adam's Rib, an MGM film, is released and includes
the song, "Farewell, Amanda" by Porter.1950 Dec 21Out of This World opens in New
York.1952 Aug 3Kate
Cole dies.1953 May 7Can-Can opens in New York.1954 May 20Linda Porter dies at age 71.1955 Feb 24Silk Stockings opens in New York.1955
Feb-JunPorter makes a final trip to Europe.1955
Jun 12Porter receives an honorary degree from
Williams College in Williamstown, Mass.1955 OctHoward Sturges, a close friend of Porter, dies in Paris.1956
Aug 3High Society, an
MGM musical based on Philip Barry's stage play The
Philadelphia Story, is released.1956 DecPorter enters Columbia Presbyterian Hospital and requires surgery for
stomach ulcer.1957 NovLes Girls, an MGM musical motion picture, is
released.1958 Jan 14
Porter enters Columbia Presbyterian Hospital and is treated for intestinal
ulcer.1958 Feb 21Aladdin, a Du Pont Show-of-the-Month musical, is
aired on CBS television.1958 Apr 3Porter's right leg is amputated.19581964Health problems multiply, requiring frequent hospitalization.1960Film version of Can Can is released.1960 Jun 9Yale University awards Porter the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane
Letters.1964 Oct 15Porter
dies in a Santa Monica, California hospital.From the guide to the The Cole Porter Collection, 1901-1992 (inclusive), (Irving S. Gilmore Music Library, Yale University)