(Updates with Harvey Weinstein's conviction being overturned by

top New York court)

       April 25 (Reuters) - Harvey Weinstein, the former

Hollywood producer who transformed the independent film world

with Oscar-winning movies such as "Shakespeare in Love" and "The

English Patient," was convicted of sex crimes in two states, but

his New York conviction was overturned on Thursday by the

state's highest court.    

    More than 80 women have accused Weinstein, 72, of sexual

misconduct. He denies having had non-consensual sex with anyone.

Here is a timeline of the rise and fall of one of the most

powerful Hollywood producers:

    1979 - Harvey Weinstein and his brother Bob found

independent film production company Miramax, naming it after

their parents, Miriam and Max.

    1993 - The Walt Disney Company buys Miramax for $80 million.

The brothers stay with Miramax until 2005.

    1994 - Director Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction," starring

Uma Thurman and John Travolta and backed by Miramax, wins the

prestigious Palme d'Or award at the Cannes Film Festival.

    1997 - Miramax wins its first Academy Award for best picture

with "The English Patient."

    1999 - "Shakespeare in Love" from Miramax wins seven Oscars,

including best picture and best actress for Gwyneth Paltrow.

    2004 - Weinstein divorces his first wife Eve Chilton, with

whom he has three daughters.

    2005 - The Weinstein brothers leave Miramax to set up their

own production company, The Weinstein Company.

    2007 - Weinstein marries English fashion designer Georgina

Chapman.

    Oct. 5, 2017 - The New York Times reports that Weinstein

reached legal settlements with eight women who accused him of

unwanted physical contact and sexual harassment over three

decades. Weinstein apologized for causing pain to colleagues and

said he was taking a leave of absence and entering therapy.

Reuters did not independently verify the details of the New York

Times report.

    Oct. 6, 2017 - Weinstein takes an indefinite leave of

absence from The Weinstein Co. The company later says he is

fired.

    Oct. 10, 2017 - The New Yorker reports allegations by 13

women who said Weinstein sexually harassed or assaulted them,

including three who said he raped them. Weinstein again denies

non-consensual sex. Reuters did not independently verify the

details of The New Yorker's accounts.

    Oct. 10, 2017 - Chapman, Weinstein's wife, says she is

leaving him.    

    Oct. 14, 2017 - The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and

Sciences, the group that selects the Oscar winners, expels

Weinstein.

    October 2017 - Actress Alyssa Milano fuels the expansion of

the #MeToo movement, founded by Tarana Burke, by writing on

Twitter: "If you've ever been sexually harassed or assaulted

write 'me too' as a reply to this tweet." In the following

weeks, #MeToo would be used by millions of women.

    January 2018 - Hollywood celebrities launch the Time's Up

organization to fight sexual harassment in the workplace.

    May 2018 - Weinstein surrenders to New York police on

charges of rape and a criminal sex act involving alleged

assaults of two women.  

    June 2018 - Weinstein pleads not guilty to the charges, and

later to a third charge from another woman. One of the charges

eventually is dropped.

    December 2019 - Weinstein and his bankrupt studio reach a

tentative $25 million settlement with dozens of women who

accused him of sexual misconduct.

    February 2020 - Weinstein is convicted in Manhattan of

sexually assaulting a former production assistant and raping an

aspiring actress.

    March 2020 - Weinstein is sentenced to 23 years in prison

for the New York convictions.

    December 2022 - A Los Angeles jury convicts Weinstein of

raping an actress in Los Angeles.        

    February 2023 - Weinstein is sentenced to 16 years in prison

for the Los Angeles conviction. The sentence is set to run

consecutively to the 23-year prison term he is serving in New

York.

    April 25, 2024 - Weinstein's New York conviction is

overturned by the state's Court of Appeals, which orders a new

trial. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg plans to retry

the case, a spokesperson says.

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(Reporting by Diane Craft and Lisa Richwine; Editing by Noeleen

Walder and Howard Goller)

((diane.craft@thomsonreuters.com; +1(646) 223-6234;))