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A Legend is Born
Terrance Stanley Fox is born in Winnepeg, Manitoba, to parents Betty and Rolly Fox. He joined his older brother Fred, and siblings Darrell and Judith would follow to complete the family. -
The Fox family moves to Vancouver, B.C.
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Graduation and University
Fox graduates from Port Coquitlam High School with distinction and recognition as the Athlete of the Year. He subsequently enters Simon Fraser University to study kinesiology. -
Terry Crashes his Car
Fox crashes his car into a half-ton truck and injures his right knee. He later suspects this caused his cancer, although doctors deny this possibility. -
Cancer Diagnosis
Fox is told he has osteogenic sarcoma, a cancerous tumour that makes the bone go soft, in his right leg. Four days later, his leg is amputated six inches above the knee in an attempt to remove the cancer. -
Terry plays Basketball with the Candian Wheelchair Sports Association
Fox joins the basketball team of the Canadian Wheelchair Sports Association. He will play in three national championships victories with the team. -
The Marathon of Hope Begins
Fox begins the Marathon of Hope by dipping his artificial leg into the Atlantic Ocean in St. John’s, Newfoundland. -
Terry's brother joins him on the run
Fox’s brother Darrell joins him on the Marathon of Hope in Saint John, New Brunswick. -
Terry runs 48 km in one day
Fox runs 48 km in one day, marking his all-time high. He averaged 42 km a day during the run. -
First day off after 73 days of running
After 73 consecutive days of running, Fox takes his first day off in order to stall his entry into Ontario and give the Ontario wing of the Canadian Center Society time to prepare fundraising events and parties across the province. -
Terry meets Prime Minister Trudeau
Fox runs into Ottawa on Canada Day, where he meets then-Prime Minister Trudeau. -
Terry raises over $100,000 as he runs into Toronto
Fox is greeted by a crowd of 10,000 in Toronto’s Nathan Phillips Square. Fox raises $100,000 for the Canadian Cancer Society that day. -
Terry's cancer returns, after 143 days of running, crossing 5,373 km
Fox stops running just outside of Thunder Bay, Ontario. Over the course of his 143 day run, covering 5,373 km, previously undetected stray sarcoma cells had spread to his lungs and metastasized into cancerous tumours in his chest. One tumour in his left lung was the size of his fist; another in his right lung was the size of a golf ball. Fox returns to B.C. to undergo treatment with chemotherapy and interferon. -
CTV telethon raises over $10 million for Cancer research
The CTV network organizes a five-hour telethon with performances by John Denver, Elton John, and Anne Murray. The telethon raises over $10 million. -
Fox recieved the Order of Canada
Fox becomes the youngest companion of the Companion of the Order of Canada. -
Terry is awarded the Order of Dogwood
Fox is awarded the Order of the Dogwood, Canada’s highest civilian order. -
Terry Fox Marathon of Hope reaches $24.1 million
The Terry Fox Marathon of Hope fund reaches $24.1 million, representing one dollar for every person in Canada. -
Terry Fox stamp is issued
Canada Post issues a Terry Fox stamp, marking the first time an
honourary stamp was issued before ten years after
the death of the honouree. -
Terry dies, one month before his 23rd birthday
After contracting pneumonia, Fox dies at Royal Columbian Hospital, New Westminster, British Columbia. It was one month before his 23rd birthday. -
Mount Terry Fox is named
Mount Terry Fox is named. This mountain is located in the Rocky Mountains in British Columbia. -
Section of the Trans-Canada renamed "Terry Fox Courage Highway"
An 83-kilometre section of the Trans-Canada highway, located between Thunder Bay and Nipignon, is renamed the Terry Fox Courage Highway. On the same day, the Canadian government introduces the Terry Fox Humanitarian Award, a $5 million fund to provide scholarships to students who demonstrate humanitarian and service and citizenship. -
Induction into the Candian Sports Hall of Fame
Fox is posthumously inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame. -
First Terry Fox Run raises $3.5 million
The first Terry Fox Run is held at 760 sites across Canada. $3.5 million is raised by 300,000 people. Terry Fox Runs are now held yearly in 60 countries and have raised over $360 million for cancer research. -
Steve Fonyo completes Fox's intended route
Cancer survivor and amputee Steve Fonyo completes the full length of Fox’s intended route, running from St. John’s, Newfoundland to Victoria, B.C over the course of 425 days. He raised $13 million for cancer research. -
Terry Fox Foundation becomes independent from the Canadian Cancer Society
The Terry Fox Run fund becomes The Terry Fox Foundation, a trust independent from the Canadian Cancer Society. -
The Terry Fox Hall of Fame is established
The Terry Fox Hall of Fame is established to recognize Canadians who have made extraordinary contributions to assist people with disabilities. -
Fox’s stamp is included in the Millennium Collection of influential Canadians.
Fox’s stamp is included in the Millennium Collection of influential Canadians. -
Olympians Joannie Rochette and Petra Majdic recieve the Terry Fox Award
Joannie Rochette and Petra Majdic are co-recipients of the Vancouver Olympic Committee’s Terry Fox Award, awarded to the athletes who best demonstrated the qualities that Fox represents: courage, perseverance, and determination. After her mother suddenly died two days before her short program performance, Rochette persevered to earn the bronze medal in figure skating. After falling in warm-up and sustaining five broken ribs and a collapsed lung, Majdic went on to earn a bronze medal. -
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The Making of a Marathon
Fox begins devising a plan to run across Canada, starting in St. John’s New Brunswick on April 12, 1980 and ending on the west coast of Vancouver Island on September 10. He plans to raise $1 for every Canadian. He writes to the Canadian Cancer Society to ask for support and recruits Ford, Adidas, Safeway, and Imperial Oil as sponsors.