Pick a Day

Louis Tomlinson, the oldest member of One Direction, is born in Doncaster, England.

Zayn Malik, the first One Direction member to go solo, is born in East Bowling, Bradford, England.

Liam Payne of One Direction is born in Wolverhampton, England. After the band's 2016 split he releases a successful solo album in 2019 but is plagued by addiction and mental health issues, leading to his death in 2024 at 31 when he falls from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires.

Niall Horan of One Direction is born in Mullingar, Westmeath, Ireland. He's the only member who isn't English.

Harry Styles is born in Worcestershire, England. He rises to fame in the boy band One Direction, and after their breakup in 2016, he becomes the best-selling solo artist of the bunch, with hits like "Sign of the Times," "Watermelon Sugar" and "Aperture."

On Season 7 of The X Factor (UK), One Direction perform as a group for the first time, singing a cover of "Torn" for judge Simon Cowell at his villa in Marbella, Spain. The guys had been eliminated as soloists and tried their luck as a group. They finish the competition in third place.

Louis Tomlinson of One Direction sends a tweet to his bandmate Harry Styles that becomes the second-most-retweeted in history.More

One Direction play their first show, performing at Watford Colosseum in London. It does not go well. "We were just a joke," Niall Horan says.

One Direction, already superstars in their native UK with the #1 single "What Makes You Beautiful," establish boy band dominance in America with the release of their debut album, Up All Night.

One Direction's video release of Up All Night: The Live Tour debuts at #1 on the Billboard Music Video Sales chart, while their first single, "What Makes You Beautiful," goes to #4 on the Hot 100.

At the People's Choice Awards, One Direction win Favorite Album (Up All Night) and Favorite Song ("What Makes You Beautiful"). Katy Perry gets Favorite Music Video ("Part of Me"), Favorite Female Artist, Favorite Pop Artist, and Favorite Music Fan Following for her fan club, the Katycats.

One Direction fans freak out when Zayn Malik announces he is leaving the group.More

One Direction's Louis Tomlinson loses his 43-year-old mother, Johannah Deakin, to leukemia. His songs "Just Hold On" and "Two of Us" are about her.

Harry Styles becomes the second One Direction member (following Zayn Malik) to release a solo album. The eponymous album is a departure from his boy band material in 1D, with meaty songs like "Sign of the Times" and "Sweet Creature." It goes to #1 in many countries (including the US and UK) and establishes Styles as a solo artist.

Former One Direction star Liam Payne dies at 31 after falling from the third-floor balcony of his hotel room in Buenos Aires. Toxicology tests find traces of alcohol and cocaine in his system.

Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, and Louis Tomlinson attend the funeral for their One Direction bandmate Liam Payne, who died a month earlier after falling from a balcony. Payne's death dashed hopes of a reunion for the group, which split up in 2016.