Birth: Born Leila Marie Koerber, November 9, at 212 King St. W., Cobourg, Ontario; her father was a music teacher; her mother was a pianist.

Early Talent: Sang in choirs, acted in amateur theatricals. The family moved frequently between Canada and the U.S.

First Step on Stage: Ran away from home and joined the Nevada Stock Company at age 14–15; adopted the stage name Marie Dressler.

Touring Performer: Worked in light opera and chorus lines; built a reputation for bold, comic performances.

Broadway Debut: appeared in The Robber of the Rhine and in Princess Nicotine with top star Lillian Russell, the beginnings of a successful New York stage career 

Musical Comedy Star: Played hearty, comedic women in vaudeville and musicals across the U.S. and London.

Stage Hit: Starred in Tillie’s Nightmare, a comedic triumph that became her signature role.

Film Breakthrough: Starred in Tillie’s Punctured Romance with Charlie Chaplin and Mabel Normand – the first feature-length silent comedy film, based on the successful theatrical production “Tillie’s Nightmare” 

Marie becomes one of the first female comedy stars of American cinema 

War Effort: raised funds for WWI troops; toured extensively across the U.S. for Liberty Loan campaigns appearing with Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and Charlie Chaplin 

Actors’ Strike: represented chorus girls; when the strike was settled, theatre owners on Broadway blacklisted her from performing

Career Decline: Took small performances and odd jobs during lean years; declared bankrupt in 1923.

Publishes her autobiography “The Life Story of an Ugly Duckling” - her remarkable journey from a self-described "ugly duckling" to becoming a celebrated star of Broadway and cinema 

Stage Comeback: Returned to the theatre in The Call of Life, reviving public interest.

Hollywood Return: appeared in the silent film, The Callahans and the Murphys, marking her return to films after 10 years

Transition to Talkies: Appeared in Dangerous Females, proving her comedic style worked in talkies.

Dramatic Turn: Praised for her role as Marthy in Anna Christie alongside Greta Garbo.

Oscar Triumph: Won Best Actress for Min and Bill; at age 61, became an unlikely box-office sensation.

Box Office Queen: Starred in Emma (Oscar-nominated), Prosperity, and Dinner at Eight, beloved for her wit and warmth.

Illness: Diagnosed with cancer, but continued acting, keeping her illness private.

Marie’s health dramatically declines after being diagnosed with cancer 

Hollywood celebrates Marie’s 65th birthday with a gala party in the midst of the depression; this is to be Marie’s final public appearance 

Her follow-on autobiography My Own Story is published posthumously 

Marie was celebrated as Hollywood’s top box office draw in 1933 and again in 1934 

Final Curtain: Died July 28 in Santa Barbara at age 65; mourned internationally as a trailblazer for women in film.

Inducted to the Hollywood Walk of Fame on February 8, 1960, at its inauguration 

Inducted to the Canadian Comedy Hall of Fame