Merry Pranksters

Timeline

One continuing story — from the Beat scene and the 1964 trip, through the long aftermath of the seventies, eighties and nineties, to the bus’s trip to San Francisco in 2026. Dates for people and events come from Wikidata; milestones are short, sourced notes; interviews and sources come from the catalog.

Before 1900 (4)

Founding dates and births that predate the story, kept out of the main run so the decades stay readable.

1900s

  1. January 11, 1906 Born
    Albert Hofmann

    Swiss chemist (1906–2008)

1910s

  1. February 5, 1914 Born
    William S. Burroughs

    American writer and visual artist (1914–1997)

  2. January 6, 1915 Born
    Alan Watts

    British and American writer and lecturer (1915–1973)

  3. 1917 Born
    Ralph J. Gleason

    American music critic (1917–1975)

  4. July 1, 1917 Born
    Humphry Osmond

    British psychiatrist (1917–2004)

  5. March 24, 1919 Born
    Lawrence Ferlinghetti

    American poet (1919–2021)

1920s

  1. 1920–2012 Primary source
    Oregon Daily Emerald, digitized run (University of Oregon student newspaper) ↗

    Ken Kesey · Historic Oregon Newspapers (University of Oregon)

  2. April 7, 1920 Born
    Ravi Shankar

    Indian musician and sitar player (1920–2012)

  3. October 22, 1920 Born
    Timothy Leary

    American psychologist (1920–1996)

  4. March 12, 1922 Born
    Jack Kerouac

    American writer (1922–1969)

  5. January 31, 1923 Born
    Norman Mailer

    American writer (1923–2007)

  6. April 28, 1923 Born
    Carolyn Cassady

    American writer (1923–2013)

  7. October 20, 1923 Born
    Philip Whalen

    American poet (1923–2002)

  8. February 8, 1926 Born
    Neal Cassady

    American writer (1926–1968)

  9. June 3, 1926 Born
    Allen Ginsberg

    American poet and writer (1926–1997)

  10. August 16, 1926 Born
    Lew Welch

    American poet (1926–1971)

  11. January 29, 1927 Born
    Edward Abbey

    American author advocating Radical Environmentalism (1927–1989)

1930s

  1. March 2, 1930 Born
    Tom Wolfe

    American author and journalist (1930–2018)

  2. March 26, 1930 Born
    Gregory Corso

    American writer (1930–2001)

  3. May 8, 1930 Born
    Gary Snyder

    American poet (born 1930)

  4. January 8, 1931 Born
    Bill Graham (promoter)

    American rock music impresario (1931–1991)

  5. April 6, 1931 Born
    Ram Dass

    American spiritual teacher (1931–2019)

  6. January 14, 1932 Born
    Lenore Kandel

    American poet (1932– 2009)

  7. February 18, 1932 Born
    Miloš Forman

    Czech and American film director (1932–2018)

  8. April 9, 1932 Born
    Paul Krassner

    American writer and satirist (1932–2019)

  9. October 5, 1932 Born
    Ed McClanahan

    American writer (1932–2021)

  10. October 12, 1932 Born
    Dick Gregory

    American comedian, actor, writer, activist and social critic (1932–2017)

  11. October 20, 1932 Born
    Michael McClure

    American writer (1932–2020)

  12. July 8, 1933 Born
    Peter Orlovsky

    American poet and actor (1933–2010)

  13. August 6, 1934 Born
    Diane di Prima

    American poet (1934–2020)

  14. October 7, 1934 Born
    Amiri Baraka

    African-American writer (1934–2014)

  15. January 19, 1935 Born
    Owsley Stanley

    American sound engineer and chemist (1935–2011)

  16. January 30, 1935 Born
    Richard Brautigan

    American writer (1935–1984)

  17. September 17, 1935 Born
    Ken Kesey

    American writer and countercultural figure (1935–2001)

  18. May 15, 1936 Born
    Wavy Gravy

    American entertainer and peace activist (born 1936)

  19. May 18, 1936 Born
    Ralph Metzner

    German-American psychologist, psychotherapist, and researcher (1936–2019)

  20. June 3, 1936 Born
    Larry McMurtry

    American novelist (1936–2021)

  21. July 18, 1937 Born
    Hunter S. Thompson

    American journalist and author (1937–2005)

  22. August 21, 1937 Born
    Robert Stone (novelist)

    American writer (1937–2015)

  23. December 8, 1937 Born
    Michael Bowen

    American fine artist

  24. July 14, 1938 Born
    Jerry Rubin

    American social activist and counterculture icon (1938–1994)

  25. October 8, 1938 Born
    Sonny Barger

    American outlaw biker (1938–2022)

  26. December 14, 1938 Born
    Stewart Brand

    American project developer (born 1938)

  27. January 14, 1939 Born
    Ken Babbs

    American novelist (born 1936)

  28. February 12, 1939 Born
    Ray Manzarek

    American keyboardist (1939–2013)

  29. August 17, 1939 Born
    Ed Sanders

    American poet and activist (born 1939)

1940s

  1. 1940 Born
    Allen Cohen

    American poet

  2. March 15, 1940 Born
    Phil Lesh

    American musician (1940–2024)

  3. January 9, 1941 Born
    Joan Baez

    American contemporary folk musician (born 1941)

  4. May 24, 1941 Born
    Bob Dylan

    American singer-songwriter (born 1941)

  5. June 23, 1941 Born
    Robert Hunter

    Lyricist and member of the Grateful Dead (1941–2019)

  6. January 1, 1942 Born
    Country Joe McDonald

    American musician (1942–2026)

  7. August 1, 1942 Born
    Jerry Garcia

    American guitarist and singer (1942–1995)

  8. August 2, 1942 Born
    Chet Helms

    American music promoter (1942–2005)

  9. November 27, 1942 Born
    Jimi Hendrix

    American guitarist (1942–1970)

  10. January 19, 1943 Born
    Janis Joplin

    American singer-songwriter (1943–1970)

  11. September 11, 1943 Born
    Mickey Hart

    American percussionist (born 1943)

  12. December 11, 1944 Born
    Michael Lang

    American concert promoter and record producer (1944–2022)

  13. September 8, 1945 Born
    Ron “Pigpen” McKernan

    American musician (1945–1973)

  14. May 6, 1946 Born
    Carolyn “Mountain Girl” Garcia

    Merry Prankster and former wife of Jerry Garcia (born 1946)

  15. May 7, 1946 Born
    Bill Kreutzmann

    American drummer (born 1946)

  16. October 16, 1947 Born
    Bob Weir

    American musician (1947–2026)

  17. March 17, 1948 Formed
    Hells Angels

    International motorcycle club

1950s

  1. 1950-12-17 Primary source
    Neal Cassady: The Joan Anderson Letter (surviving text) ↗

    Neal Cassady · International Times

  2. 1950-12-17 Primary source
    “Love to you, anyhow” — Cassady’s Joan Anderson Letter ↗

    Neal Cassady · Emory University — Dream Machine blog

  3. October 23, 1953 Born
    Alex Gibney

    American film director and producer (born 1953)

  4. 1954 Created
    The Doors of Perception

    1954 book by Aldous Huxley

  5. October 7, 1955 Event
    Six Gallery reading

    1955 poetry event at which "Howl" was first read

  6. 1956 Primary source
    Researcher finds first recording of Ginsberg’s “Howl” (Reed College, 1956) ↗

    Allen Ginsberg, Gary Snyder · History News Network (Reed College tape)

  7. 1956 Created
    Howl

    1955 poem by Allen Ginsberg, part of the Beat Generation movement

  8. September 5, 1957 Created
    On the Road

    1957 novel by Jack Kerouac

  9. 1958 Created
    The Dharma Bums

    1958 novel by Jack Kerouac

  10. 1958 Created
    The Subterraneans

    1958 novel by Jack Kerouac

  11. 1959 Talk
    Alan Watts — Death (KQED, 1959) ↗

    Alan Watts · Internet Archive (classic TV, KQED San Francisco)

  12. 1959 Talk
    Alan Watts — The Silent Mind (KQED, 1959) ↗

    Alan Watts · Internet Archive (classic TV, KQED San Francisco)

  13. 1959 Created
    Naked Lunch

    1959 novel by William S. Burroughs

1960s

  1. 1961 Created
    Kaddish

    Poem by Allen Ginsberg

  2. June 1, 1961 Created
    Stranger in a Strange Land

    1961 science fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein

  3. 1962 Formed
    The Rolling Stones

    English rock band

  4. 1962 Created
    One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (novel)

    1962 novel by Ken Kesey

  5. 1962 Created
    Big Sur

    1962 novel by Jack Kerouac

  6. 1962 Created
    Island

    1962 novel by Aldous Huxley

  7. February 21, 1962 Born
    Chuck Palahniuk

    American novelist (born 1962)

  8. July 6, 1962 Died
    William Faulkner

    American writer (1897–1962)

  9. November 22, 1963 Died
    Aldous Huxley

    English writer and philosopher (1894–1963)

  10. 1964 Created
    The Psychedelic Experience

    Book by Timothy Leary, Ralph Metzner, and Richard Alpert

  11. January 16, 1964 Formed
    Whisky a Go Go

    Nightclub in West Hollywood, California

  12. February 1964 Formed
    The Who

    English rock band

  13. 1964-06 Milestone
    The bus gets its name

    Artist Roy Sebern paints the bus’s destination sign. Accounts disagree on whether he wrote “Further” or “Furthur” — see the spelling debate.

    Sources: Ken Babbs interview (Jambands, 2012) · AP via The Spokesman-Review (2006)

  14. 1964-06 Milestone
    Furthur leaves La Honda

    Kesey and thirteen Pranksters board the bus at the La Honda ranch for the cross-country trip; a fifteenth joins in Canada. Sources differ on the date — June 14 or June 17 — and on exactly who was aboard.

    Sources: Merry Pranksters (Wikipedia) · Furthur (bus) (Wikipedia)

  15. July 27, 1964 Created
    Sometimes a Great Notion

    1964 novel by Ken Kesey

  16. 1965–1980 Primary source
    Berkeley Barb digital archive (Aug 1965 – Apr 1980) ↗

    Counterculture press · Berkeley Public Library

  17. 1965 Primary source
    Drive Five — Neal Cassady tapes, Fall 1965 (transcribed text) ↗

    Neal Cassady · New York Public Library — Research Catalog (Berg Collection)

  18. 1965 Talk
    Allen Ginsberg lecture at the Berkeley Poetry Conference (introduced by Gary Snyder) ↗

    Allen Ginsberg, Gary Snyder · University at Buffalo Poetry Collection

  19. 1965 Event
    Acid Tests

    LSD experiments/parties in the 1960s

  20. 1965 Formed
    Grateful Dead

    American rock band (1965–1995)

  21. 1965 Formed
    Jefferson Airplane

    American rock band

  22. 1965 Formed
    Country Joe and the Fish

    American psychedelic rock band

  23. 1965 Created
    Desolation Angels

    1965 novel by Jack Kerouac

  24. 1965-05-17 Primary source
    The Motorcycle Gangs: Losers and Outsiders (reprint of the 1965 Nation article) ↗

    Hunter S. Thompson · Encyclopedia.com (reprint of The Nation, May 17, 1965)

  25. August 1965 Created
    Berkeley Barb

    1965-80 underground newspaper

  26. 1966 Interview
    Ken Kesey interviewed at Winterland ↗

    Ken Kesey · San Francisco State University — DIVA (SF Bay Area TV Archive)

  27. 1966-01 Primary source
    Trips Festival program, Longshoremen’s Hall, Jan 21–23, 1966 ↗

    Stewart Brand · New York Public Library — Research Catalog

  28. 1966-01 Primary source
    Trips Festival handbill, Longshoremen’s Hall, 1966 (poster dealer listing) ↗

    Merry Pranksters · Wolfgang’s Vault (commercial)

  29. 1966 Created
    San Francisco Oracle

    Underground newspaper

  30. 1966-04 Primary source
    Dress the way you are — Trips, Longshoremen’s Hall, April 22–24 [1966] (poster) ↗

    Grateful Dead, Merry Pranksters · Grateful Dead Archive Online (UC Santa Cruz)

  31. 1966-05 Primary source
    Ken “Cuckoo Nest” Kesey: One Who Wigged Out ↗

    Ken Kesey · The Village Voice (archive)

  32. 1966-10-25 Primary source
    Ken Kesey press conference in Redwood City (KRON-TV film) ↗

    Ken Kesey · San Francisco State University — DIVA

  33. 1966-10-27 Interview
    Ken Kesey interviewed on Further Bus (KRON-TV, Winterland) ↗

    Ken Kesey · San Francisco State University — DIVA (KRON-TV)

  34. 1966-10-31 Primary source
    Grateful Dead live at Winterland Arena, 1966-10-31 (Acid Test Graduation) ↗

    Grateful Dead, Merry Pranksters · Grateful Dead Archive Online (UC Santa Cruz)

  35. 1967 Created
    Hell's Angels (Thompson)

    1966 book by Hunter S. Thompson

  36. January 14, 1967 Event
    Human Be-In

    1967 countercultural gathering in San Francisco, California

  37. June 1967 Event
    Summer of Love

    1967 social phenomenon in San Francisco

  38. June 16, 1967 Event
    Monterey International Pop Festival

    Three-day concert in California in 1967

  39. August 23, 1967 Created
    The Trip (1967 film)

    1967 American counterculture-era film directed by Roger Corman

  40. October 12, 1967 Created
    Trout Fishing in America

    1967 novella by Richard Brautigan

  41. 1968 Primary source
    Revolution (San Francisco documentary, 1968) ↗

    Haight-Ashbury scene · Internet Archive (community upload)

  42. 1968 Created
    The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test

    1968 book by Tom Wolfe

  43. 1968 Created
    Slouching Towards Bethlehem

    1968 collection of essays by Joan Didion

  44. 1968 Created
    The Teachings of Don Juan

    Book by Carlos Castaneda

  45. February 4, 1968 Died
    Neal Cassady

    American writer (1926–1968)

  46. August 1968 Created
    The Pump House Gang

    1968 collection of essays by Tom Wolfe

  47. September 1, 1968 Created
    Whole Earth Catalog

    American counterculture publication

  48. 1969 Primary source
    Woodstock, 1969 (John Dominis photographs for LIFE) ↗

    Woodstock · Briscoe Center for American History, UT Austin

  49. 1969 Event
    Oregon Country Fair

    Art and music fair in Oregon, United States

  50. 1969 Formed
    New Riders of the Purple Sage

    American country rock band

  51. 1969 Created
    The Making of a Counter Culture

    1969 book by Theodore Roszak

  52. June 20, 1969 Created
    Aoxomoxoa

    1969 studio album by Grateful Dead

  53. August 15, 1969 Event
    Woodstock

    1969 music festival in Bethel, New York, US

  54. October 21, 1969 Died
    Jack Kerouac

    American writer (1922–1969)

  55. November 10, 1969 Created
    Live/Dead

    1969 live album by Grateful Dead

  56. December 6, 1969 Event
    Altamont Free Concert

    1969 music festival in northern California

1970s

  1. 1970 Interview
    Alex Bennett with the Grateful Dead (WMCA radio interview, 1970) ↗

    Grateful Dead · Grateful Dead Archive Online (UC Santa Cruz)

  2. 1970 Created
    Woodstock (film)

    1970 documentary film by Michael Wadleigh

  3. 1970 Created
    The Greening of America

    Book written by Charles Reich in 1970 on the counterculture in the United States

  4. June 14, 1970 Created
    Workingman's Dead

    1970 album by Grateful Dead

  5. September 18, 1970 Died
    Jimi Hendrix

    American guitarist (1942–1970)

  6. October 4, 1970 Died
    Janis Joplin

    American singer-songwriter (1943–1970)

  7. November 1, 1970 Created
    American Beauty (album)

    1970 studio album by Grateful Dead

  8. December 30, 1970 Created
    Naked Angels

    1969 film

  9. 1971 Created
    Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

    1971 novel by Hunter S. Thompson

  10. 1971 Created
    Be Here Now

    1971 book by Ram Dass

  11. 1971 Created
    Steal This Book

    1971 book by Abbie Hoffman

  12. May 23, 1971 Died
    Lew Welch

    American poet (1926–1971)

  13. 1972 Interview
    Gary Snyder: From the Archives (College at Brockport interview) ↗

    Gary Snyder · SUNY digital repository (The College at Brockport)

  14. 1972 Created
    Visions of Cody

    1972 novel by Jack Kerouac

  15. April 14, 1972 Created
    Sometimes a Great Notion (film)

    1971 film by Paul Newman

  16. 1973 Talk
    Ginsberg on Kerouac, Kesey and Cassady (Salem State College Kerouac Festival) ↗

    Allen Ginsberg · AllenGinsberg.org

  17. 1973 Created
    Kesey's Garage Sale

    1973 collection of essays by Ken Kesey

  18. March 8, 1973 Died
    Ron “Pigpen” McKernan

    American musician (1945–1973)

  19. November 16, 1973 Died
    Alan Watts

    British and American writer and lecturer (1915–1973)

  20. 1974 Milestone
    Kesey starts publishing Spit in the Ocean

    Between 1974 and 1980 Kesey puts out six issues of the literary magazine Spit in the Ocean from Oregon.

    Sources: Ken Kesey (Wikipedia)

  21. 1974 Milestone
    A second bus joins the family

    The Daily Beast reports that Kesey bought a very similar bus in 1974 — the one often written “Further” with an e — ten years after the original trip.

    Sources: The Daily Beast

  22. 1974 Formed
    Naropa University

    University in Boulder, Colorado, United States

  23. 1974 Created
    Turtle Island

    1974 book by Gary Snyder

  24. 1975 Died
    Ralph J. Gleason

    American music critic (1917–1975)

  25. 1976 Talk
    Ken Kesey in Portland (KBOO archive reel) ↗

    Ken Kesey · KBOO Community Radio, Portland

  26. March 18, 1976 Created
    One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (film)

    1975 American drama film

  27. 1977 Created
    The Grateful Dead Movie

    1977 rock concert documentary by Jerry Garcia, Leon Gast

  28. 1977-04-30 Talk
    Country Joe McDonald at KPFA ↗

    Country Joe McDonald · Other Minds archive (Internet Archive)

  29. 1977-08-05 Talk
    Philip Whalen class, part 1 ↗

    Philip Whalen · Naropa University Archive (Internet Archive)

  30. 1979-08-13 Talk
    William S. Burroughs class on creative reading — Part 1 ↗

    William S. Burroughs · Naropa University Archive (Internet Archive)

1980s

  1. 1980 Created
    Heart Beat (1980 film)

    1980 film by John Byrum

  2. 1980-08-11 Talk
    William S. Burroughs lecture on public discourse ↗

    William S. Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg · Naropa University Archive (Internet Archive)

  3. 1981-05-18 Talk
    Allen Ginsberg class: Literary history of the Beat generation, the 50s (part 17) ↗

    Allen Ginsberg · Naropa University Archive (Internet Archive)

  4. 1982-07-26 Talk
    On the Road: The Jack Kerouac conference — Sam Charters lecture, “Jack and jazz” ↗

    Sam Charters · Naropa University Archive (Internet Archive)

  5. 1982-07-26 Talk
    On the Road: The Jack Kerouac conference — Ann Charters workshop ↗

    Ann Charters · Naropa University Archive (Internet Archive)

  6. 1983 Created
    Flashbacks

    1983 book by Timothy Leary

  7. 1984-01 Milestone
    Jed Kesey dies after a wrestling-team van crash

    Kesey’s son Jed, a University of Oregon wrestler, is fatally injured when the team’s van crashes on the way to Washington State. A memorial to Jed on Mount Pisgah later received a donation from promoter Bill Graham, per Wikipedia.

    Sources: Ken Kesey (Wikipedia)

  8. October 25, 1984 Died
    Richard Brautigan

    American writer (1935–1984)

  9. 1986 Milestone
    Demon Box published

    Kesey’s collection of essays and stories appears (dated by Wikipedia’s bibliography).

    Sources: Ken Kesey (Wikipedia)

  10. 1986 Event
    Burning Man

    Annual experimental event in Nevada, US

  11. 1986 Created
    Acid Dreams

    1986 non-fiction book by Martin A. Lee and Bruce Shlain

  12. 1986 Created
    Demon Box

    1986 book by Ken Kesey

  13. 1986-08-17 Talk
    Edward Abbey reading at the Telluride Ideas Festival ↗

    Edward Abbey · Other Minds archive (Internet Archive)

  14. 1987 Primary source
    L.S.D.: The Beyond Within (BBC documentary, community upload) ↗

    Ken Kesey, Timothy Leary, Albert Hofmann · Internet Archive (community upload)

  15. 1987-07-19 Primary source
    Bob Dylan & the Grateful Dead, Eugene, Oregon, 1987 (KLCC broadcast recording) ↗

    Bob Dylan, Grateful Dead · Internet Archive (radio-broadcast archive)

  16. 1988 Event
    Second Summer of Love

    1980s British social phenomenon

  17. 1989 Milestone
    Caverns, written with his students

    Kesey publishes Caverns, a novel written collaboratively with a University of Oregon writing class under the name O.U. Levon (a 1990 edition also exists).

    Sources: Ken Kesey (Wikipedia)

  18. 1989 Created
    Caverns

    Collaborative novel by Ken Kesey and creative writing class

  19. March 14, 1989 Died
    Edward Abbey

    American author advocating Radical Environmentalism (1927–1989)

  20. 1989-07-31 Talk
    Michael McClure lecture about the origins of theater ↗

    Michael McClure · Naropa University Archive (Internet Archive)

  21. 1989-12-15 Interview
    Ken Kesey discusses his life and career ↗

    Ken Kesey · Fresh Air (NPR) archive

1990s

  1. 1990 Created
    Off the Road

    Autobiographical book by Carolyn Cassady

  2. 1990-02-24 Talk
    Timothy Leary lecture in Maryland, Feb. 24, 1990 (part 1) ↗

    Timothy Leary · Timothy Leary Archive (Internet Archive)

  3. 1990-03-05 Interview
    Ken Kesey discusses his life and career (second interview) ↗

    Ken Kesey · Fresh Air (NPR)

  4. 1990-10-01 Milestone
    Further Inquiry is published

    Kesey’s Further Inquiry, a look back at the 1964 trip with photographs by Ron Bevirt and Kesey, is released.

    Sources: Kirkus Reviews listing

  5. 1990-10-01 Primary source
    Further Inquiry (Kirkus review) ↗

    Ken Kesey · Kirkus Reviews

  6. October 25, 1991 Died
    Bill Graham (promoter)

    American rock music impresario (1931–1991)

  7. 1992 Milestone
    Sailor Song published

    Kesey’s novel Sailor Song is published; Wikipedia says it was met with lukewarm reviews.

    Sources: Ken Kesey (Wikipedia)

  8. 1992 Created
    Sailor Song

    1992 novel by Ken Kesey

  9. 1992-07-25 Talk
    Allen Ginsberg, Anne Waldman and Amiri Baraka reading with Steven Taylor song performance ↗

    Allen Ginsberg, Amiri Baraka, Anne Waldman · Naropa University Archive (Internet Archive)

  10. 1992-09-13 Interview
    Comes Spake the Cuckoo (Far Gone interview about Sailor Song) ↗

    Ken Kesey · The Blacklisted Journalist (Al Aronowitz column, reprinted 2002)

  11. 1993-04-06 Interview
    Albert Hofmann interviewed on 50 years of LSD ↗

    Albert Hofmann · Internet Archive (community upload)

  12. 1994 Interview
    Ken Kesey, The Art of Fiction No. 136 ↗

    Ken Kesey · The Paris Review (Issue 130, Spring 1994)

  13. 1994 Created
    Last Go Round

    1994 novel by Ken Kesey and Ken Babbs

  14. 1994-07-06 Talk
    Amiri Baraka lecture on revolutionary poetry ↗

    Amiri Baraka · Naropa University Archive (Internet Archive)

  15. August 12, 1994 Event
    Woodstock '94

    1994 music festival in New York, United States

  16. November 28, 1994 Died
    Jerry Rubin

    American social activist and counterculture icon (1938–1994)

  17. August 9, 1995 Died
    Jerry Garcia

    American guitarist and singer (1942–1995)

  18. 1996 Interview
    Gary Snyder, The Art of Poetry No. 74 ↗

    Gary Snyder · The Paris Review (no. 141, Winter 1996)

  19. 1996 Formed
    Long Now Foundation

    American nonprofit organization

  20. May 31, 1996 Died
    Timothy Leary

    American psychologist (1920–1996)

  21. April 5, 1997 Died
    Allen Ginsberg

    American poet and writer (1926–1997)

  22. August 11, 1997 Died
    William S. Burroughs

    American writer and visual artist (1914–1997)

  23. 1998-03-07 Talk
    Peter Lamborn Wilson and Lawrence Ferlinghetti reading ↗

    Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Peter Lamborn Wilson · Naropa University Archive (Internet Archive)

2000s

  1. January 17, 2001 Died
    Gregory Corso

    American writer (1930–2001)

  2. November 10, 2001 Died
    Ken Kesey

    American writer and countercultural figure (1935–2001)

  3. 2001-11-11 Primary source
    Author Ken Kesey, icon of the 1960s drug culture, dies ↗

    Ken Kesey · The Seattle Times (archive)

  4. June 26, 2002 Died
    Philip Whalen

    American poet (1923–2002)

  5. 2003-03 Interview
    Erowid: Wavy Gravy (includes “The Insider: Wavy Gravy” interview) ↗

    Wavy Gravy · Erowid

  6. 2004 Interview
    Interview Stewart Brand (2004) ↗

    Stewart Brand · Internet Archive

  7. February 6, 2004 Died
    Humphry Osmond

    British psychiatrist (1917–2004)

  8. April 29, 2004 Died
    Allen Cohen

    American poet

  9. February 20, 2005 Died
    Hunter S. Thompson

    American journalist and author (1937–2005)

  10. June 25, 2005 Died
    Chet Helms

    American music promoter (1942–2005)

  11. 2006-01 Milestone
    Plans to restore the original bus

    News coverage describes plans to restore the original 1939 International Harvester bus, which had sat for years on the Kesey family farm.

    Sources: AP via The Spokesman-Review · NPR Day to Day (via APR)

  12. 2006-01-08 Primary source
    Furthur gets new lease on life ↗

    Furthur (the bus) · The Spokesman-Review (AP)

  13. 2006-01-20 Interview
    Restoring Kesey’s famed Acid Test school bus ↗

    Zane Kesey · NPR Day to Day (via APR)

  14. 2007 Interview
    Ken Babbs interview ↗

    Ken Babbs · Beatdom (Vol. 1, City of Recovery Press)

  15. 2007 Interview
    Notorious LSD chemist Owsley Stanley gives rare interview ↗

    Owsley Stanley · Laughing Squid

  16. November 10, 2007 Died
    Norman Mailer

    American writer (1923–2007)

  17. 2008 Milestone
    Furthur Down the Road Foundation founded

    Stephanie Kesey founds the nonprofit that looks after the bus and its story.

    Sources: Lookout Eugene-Springfield (2026)

  18. April 29, 2008 Died
    Albert Hofmann

    Swiss chemist (1906–2008)

  19. 2009 Formed
    Furthur (the band, 2009–2014)

    American rock band (2009–2014)

  20. March 7, 2009 Died
    Michael Bowen

    American fine artist

  21. October 18, 2009 Died
    Lenore Kandel

    American poet (1932– 2009)

2010s

  1. 2010 Created
    Howl (2010 film)

    2010 American film by Jeffrey Friedman and Rob Epstein

  2. May 30, 2010 Died
    Peter Orlovsky

    American poet and actor (1933–2010)

  3. 2010-11-01 Interview
    Mountain Girl (Carolyn Garcia) — McKiernan interview ↗

    Carolyn “Mountain Girl” Garcia · Binghamton University Libraries (Omeka)

  4. 2010-12-10 Interview
    GRITtv: Wavy Gravy — Fools and Nobody for President ↗

    Wavy Gravy · GRITtv (via Internet Archive)

  5. 2011 Interview
    Director Alison Ellwood on Ken Kesey’s Magic Trip, old footage and on-screen acid trips ↗

    Alison Ellwood · Westword

  6. 2011 Interview
    Alison Ellwood on Magic Trip ↗

    Alison Ellwood · Filmmaker Magazine

  7. 2011 Created
    Magic Trip

    2011 American documentary film

  8. March 12, 2011 Died
    Owsley Stanley

    American sound engineer and chemist (1935–2011)

  9. 2011-03-16 Interview
    SFBG Radio: Wavy Gravy & Owsley ↗

    Wavy Gravy, Owsley Stanley · San Francisco Bay Guardian archive (48hills)

  10. 2011-04 Interview
    Hearing Voices HV113: Hippies (Mountain Girl & Hardly Visible) ↗

    Carolyn “Mountain Girl” Garcia, George “Hardly Visible” Walker · Hearing Voices (produced for PRI Weekend America)

  11. 2011-08-12 Interview
    Ken Kesey on misconceptions of counterculture ↗

    Ken Kesey · KANW (public radio)

  12. 2011-08-12 Interview
    Tom Wolfe: Chronicling counterculture’s Acid Test ↗

    Tom Wolfe · NPR

  13. 2011-10 Primary source
    Living Color, Living Sound (Washington Rainbow Gathering documentary) ↗

    Rainbow Family · Internet Archive (community upload)

  14. 2012-01-21 Interview
    Kesey, Cassady, Meatspace, and the Fourth World: Checking in with Ken Babbs ↗

    Ken Babbs · Relix / Jambands.com (page 3 of 4)

  15. October 4, 2012 Created
    On the Road (2012 film)

    2012 French film

  16. December 11, 2012 Died
    Ravi Shankar

    Indian musician and sitar player (1920–2012)

  17. 2013 Milestone
    University of Oregon buys the Kesey papers

    The University of Oregon acquires Ken Kesey’s personal papers for $1.4 million.

    Sources: KVAL · Archives West finding aid

  18. 2013 Interview
    Ken Kesey talks about the meaning of the Acid Tests ↗

    Ken Kesey · Open Culture (post date; the interview itself is older)

  19. 2013 Primary source
    Oregon buys Ken Kesey’s personal papers for $1.4M ↗

    Ken Kesey · KVAL

  20. January 23, 2013 Created
    Big Sur (film)

    2013 American film

  21. May 20, 2013 Died
    Ray Manzarek

    American keyboardist (1939–2013)

  22. September 23, 2013 Died
    Carolyn Cassady

    American writer (1923–2013)

  23. 2013-11-05 Interview
    Jerry Garcia on The Acid Tests ↗

    Jerry Garcia · Blank on Blank (via Internet Archive)

  24. 2013-11-25 Interview
    Robert Stone at Politics & Prose ↗

    Robert Stone · Politics & Prose (Internet Archive)

  25. 2014 Milestone
    A 50th-anniversary trip

    Zane Kesey launches a crowd-funded, drug-free anniversary journey on the second bus.

    Sources: The Daily Beast

  26. 2014 Primary source
    On the road with Kesey’s drug-free Acid Test ↗

    Zane Kesey · The Daily Beast

  27. January 9, 2014 Died
    Amiri Baraka

    African-American writer (1934–2014)

  28. January 10, 2015 Died
    Robert Stone (novelist)

    American writer (1937–2015)

  29. 2015-09-18 Interview
    Rag Radio: Beatnik man of letters Ed Sanders of The Fugs ↗

    Ed Sanders · Rag Radio (Internet Archive)

  30. 2015-09-29 Interview
    The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, with special guest Merry Prankster Ken Babbs ↗

    Ken Babbs · Internet Archive

  31. 2016 Interview
    Q&A: Stewart Brand revisits the Trips Festival 50 years later ↗

    Stewart Brand · KQED Arts

  32. 2016-04-13 Interview
    Ken Babbs 01 ↗

    Ken Babbs · Internet Archive

  33. 2016-10-28 Interview
    Merry Pranksters swap stories — extended interview with Mountain Girl and George Walker ↗

    Carolyn “Mountain Girl” Garcia, George “Hardly Visible” Walker · KLCC (Eugene, Oregon public radio)

  34. August 19, 2017 Died
    Dick Gregory

    American comedian, actor, writer, activist and social critic (1932–2017)

  35. 2017-10-06 Primary source
    Fleeing marijuana charges, Ken Kesey hid from the FBI — his FBI file ↗

    Ken Kesey · MuckRock

  36. 2017-10-19 Interview
    A Conversation with Jami Cassady ↗

    Jami Cassady · Internet Archive

  37. April 13, 2018 Died
    Miloš Forman

    Czech and American film director (1932–2018)

  38. May 14, 2018 Died
    Tom Wolfe

    American author and journalist (1930–2018)

  39. March 14, 2019 Died
    Ralph Metzner

    German-American psychologist, psychotherapist, and researcher (1936–2019)

  40. July 21, 2019 Died
    Paul Krassner

    American writer and satirist (1932–2019)

  41. 2019-08-13 Interview
    The Oral History of Woodstock on WAMC ↗

    Wavy Gravy, Graham Nash, Melanie, Michael Lang · WAMC Northeast Public Radio (The Roundtable)

  42. September 23, 2019 Died
    Robert Hunter

    Lyricist and member of the Grateful Dead (1941–2019)

  43. December 22, 2019 Died
    Ram Dass

    American spiritual teacher (1931–2019)

2020s

  1. May 4, 2020 Died
    Michael McClure

    American writer (1932–2020)

  2. October 25, 2020 Died
    Diane di Prima

    American poet (1934–2020)

  3. 2021 Primary source
    We Are As Gods (documentary on Stewart Brand and the Whole Earth Catalog) ↗

    Stewart Brand · Internet Archive

  4. February 22, 2021 Died
    Lawrence Ferlinghetti

    American poet (1919–2021)

  5. March 25, 2021 Died
    Larry McMurtry

    American novelist (1936–2021)

  6. September 29, 2021 Died
    Lee Quarnstrom

    American journalist (1939 – 2021 )

  7. November 27, 2021 Died
    Ed McClanahan

    American writer (1932–2021)

  8. January 8, 2022 Died
    Michael Lang

    American concert promoter and record producer (1944–2022)

  9. 2022-01-11 Interview
    Cronies to the end: Ken Babbs talks of Ken Kesey and decades of Merry Pranksterhood ↗

    Ken Babbs · KLCC (Eugene, Oregon public radio)

  10. June 29, 2022 Died
    Sonny Barger

    American outlaw biker (1938–2022)

  11. 2022-09-23 Interview
    Stewart Brand reflects on a lifetime of staying hungry and foolish ↗

    Stewart Brand · TED Radio Hour (NPR)

  12. October 25, 2024 Died
    Phil Lesh

    American musician (1940–2024)

  13. January 10, 2026 Died
    Bob Weir

    American musician (1947–2026)

  14. March 7, 2026 Died
    Country Joe McDonald

    American musician (1942–2026)

  15. 2026-04-28 Talk
    David Streitfeld on Western Star: The Life and Legends of Larry McMurtry (with Marie Arana) ↗

    Larry McMurtry · Politics & Prose (Internet Archive)

  16. 2026-08-17 Milestone
    The original bus leaves the Oregon farm

    After almost six decades at the Pleasant Hill farm, the 1939 bus heads to San Francisco for a Grateful Dead exhibition at Golden Gate Park.

    Sources: Lookout Eugene-Springfield · Furthur (bus) (Wikipedia)

  17. 2026-08-17 Primary source
    After almost six decades on the farm, Ken Kesey’s Furthur bus leaves Oregon ↗

    Furthur (the bus), Zane Kesey · Lookout Eugene-Springfield

  18. 2026-09-04 Primary source
    Grateful Dead exhibit featuring Ken Kesey’s Furthur bus opens Saturday in SF ↗

    Furthur (the bus) · SFist

  19. 2026-09-05 Milestone
    “Forever Grateful” opens in Golden Gate Park

    The Haight Street Art Center’s Grateful Dead celebration, featuring the bus, opens and is scheduled to run to October 25.

    Sources: Lookout Eugene-Springfield · SFist

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