Celine Dion & Rene Angelil's Romance Remembered: A Timeline

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Celine Dion and Rene Angelil may have had one of the most well-documented romances in the music business.

The "My Heart Will Go On" singer's 73-year-old husband of 21 years died on Thursday after a long battle with throat cancer. The legendary music manager is also survived by the couples three children, René-Charles, 14, and 5-year-old twins Nelson and Eddy, along with three children from previous relationships -- Patrick, Jean-Pierre, and Anne-Marie.

After meeting when Celine was just 12, as her manager and mentor, the couple's relationship turned romantic in 1987. When looking back at their storied relationship, it's impossible not to see how deeply these two cared for one another. Here is a timeline of some of those special moments in Celine and Rene's long and enduring love.


1987: The relationship begins.

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When Celine turns 19, she and Rene, 45, become romantically involved, and will continue dating for four years.


1991: Celine and Rene get engaged.

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1992: Rene has a heart attack.

The same year as Rene's health scare, Celine begins to break out into pop superstardom after recording the theme song to Beauty and the Beast, a duet with Peabo Bryson.


Dec. 17, 1994: Rene and Celine marry at Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal, Quebec.

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This is Rene's third marriage, and will ultimately be his last.

WATCH: Celine Dion Reveals How Husband Rene Helped Her Return to the Las Vegas Stage


1995: Celine opens up about her marriage.

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"I went to his office and I sang in front of him and I was 12 years old, and we've been working together since that time," Celine tells ET in a candid interview with ET.

"I'm not surprised that we married each other, because we have the same dreams," she continues. "We have the same goals. We respect each other."

1998-1999: Rene's cancer fight begins.

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After discovering a lump in his neck, Rene is diagnosed with throat cancer. Celine takes two years off to be with her husband as he undergoes two operations and six weeks of radiation treatment.

"When something like this happens to you it hits you so hard," Celine says at the time. "But I felt very strong because I said to myself, 'Rene needs me maybe for the first time in my life.'"


Jan. 2000: Vow renewal in Las Vegas
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Rene is declared cancer free in 2000 and the couple renew their vows at an Arabian nights-themed ceremony in Las Vegas.


Jan. 25, 2001: Their first son, Rene-Charles Angelil, is born.

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2003: So in love at the Super Bowl.

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2003: Las Vegas nights.

WATCH: Celine Dion on Caring for Ailing Husband Rene Angelil: 'He's Such a Champ'


2009: Rene reportedly undergoes heart-related medical procedure.

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This is said to have been planned for months, and is not "heart surgery."


Oct. 23, 2010: Their fraternal twins, Eddy and Nelson, are born.

Celine and Rene now have three children together.


2011: The whole family.

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Dec. 2013: Rene's cancer returns.

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Rene has a second tumor removed from his throat, prompting Celine to take an indefinite leave of absence from her Las Vegas residency.


June 2014: Rene steps down as Celine's manager.

However, he stays involved in her business decisions.


May 2015: Celine opens up about delaying her residency.

Celine reveals to ET that the decision to postpone her residency was not a difficult one to make.

"It's not hard to take time off," the legendary singer shares. "It's not hard to be with him, obviously. It's not hard to be with the family and the kids. It's hard because life imposes things on you."

"We know the path that he's going, the treatments," she adds. "I knew he was amazing. He's such a champ."

FLASHBACK: 22-Year-Old Celine Dion Admires Madonna, Mariah and Whitney


Aug. 2015: Rene convinces Celine to return to her residency.

Celine tells ET that Rene wants her back on stage.

"We don't know what the future holds," she says, adding that Rene told her to be "back, strong, [to] do it, still share your passion."

Sept. 2015: Celine says Rene's throat cancer is "terminal."

Celine appears to come to terms that Rene's life is coming to an end, after revealing to fans, "Rene says to me, ‘I want to die in your arms.'"

"We have asked [doctors] many times, 'How long does he have? Three weeks? Three months?’ Rene wants to know,” the pop star tells Closer Weekly. “But they say they don’t know.”

"He's been there for me all my life, and I've been there for him all my life," she adds. "There's a part of me that never really left the stage. I wanted to be there but I needed to be someplace else which was much more important at that time. To be by his side. To be by my family."

PHOTOS: Stars We've Lost In Recent Years


Dec 17, 2015: Celine and Rene celebrate their last anniversary together.

21 years.

Jan. 14, 2016: Rene's death.

Less than a month after the couple's 21st anniversary, Rene dies of throat cancer at home in Henderson, Nevada.

"René Angélil passed away this morning at his home in Las Vegas after a long and courageous battle against cancer," his rep says in a statement. "The family requests that their privacy be respected at the moment; more details will be provided at a later time."

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