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The life of William "Billy" Pilgrim began in 1922 in Ilium, New York. As a young boy, Billy was tall and weak, but graduated in the upper third of his class.
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Billy's life is forever affected by his childhood. As a young child, he was thrown into a pool by his father. His family also took him to the rim of the Grand Canyon, which greatly impacted his mind.
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Billy finds himself unstuck in time way before he is abducted by the Tralfamadorians. He first experiences this while learning against a tree in the middle of a forest.
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ON the night of February 13th, 1945, the greatest massacre in European history occured. Billy witnessed this terrible fire-bombing in person.
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In 1945, Billy is discharged from the Army. He was honored for his service in the European infantry in World War II.
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After suffering a mental breakdown, Billy is admitted to Lake Placid's veteran hospital for nonviolent mental patients, where he was given shock treatment. During this time, he meets Eliot Rosewater, the man who introduces the writings of Kilgore Trout to him.
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After completing his studies at the Ilium School of Optometry, Billy began his practice. He became successful, partly due to his strategic location and business partnering in Ilium.
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Billy marries Valencia, the daughter of the founder and owner of the Illium School of Optometry. However, Billy is not happy with his marrriage. He questions the reasons he proposed to her in the first place.
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Shortly after their marriage, Billy and Valencia produce two kids, Barbara and Robert. Barbara later takes care of Billy in his old age, and Robert becomes a member of the prestigious Green Berets.
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In 1964, Billy meets his favorite science-fiction authore, Kilgore Trout, at an alley meeting. Trout's writings have a significant influence on Billy's thought process.
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Eliot Rosewater, Billy's friend in the veteran's hospital, experiments with benig nice to others by talking to Billy's mother. Rosewater finds the conversation amusing, but Billy just wants her to elave because she makes him feel embarrassed.
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One night in 1967, Billy Pilgrim was abducted by aliens, known as the Tralfamadorians. During his time with them, he gains a new perspective to life on Earth through the Tralfamadorians’ teachings.
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In 1968, everyone but Billy was killed in a plane crash. The plane carried a group of optometrists and was headed to Montreal, but crashed into a mountain in Vermont.
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Billy Pilgrim was murdered on Feburary 13th, 1976, by Paul Lazarro with a high-powered laser gun. Billy had already known he was to die on this day, but felt indifferent because he knew death wasn't permanent.
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In 1976, Billy travels to Chicago to speak to the public about time travel and flying saucers. During his speech, he predicts and describes his death, which would take place in the upcoming hour.
