Father Loren was a salesman of Dutch descent and mother Hazel was of Scottish stock. The family moved from Missouri to Danville, Illinois when Dick was quite young.
Formed a night club stand-up comedy act in the late 1940s with his pal from Danville, Phil Erickson. They toured the country as the slapstick, lip-synching "Merry Mutes". The act eventually broke up in 1954 and Dick went solo, finding work on New Orleans local TV.
Got the lead role of Rob Petrie on "The Dick Van Dyke Show" (1961), after producer Sheldon Leonard was so impressed with Van Dyke's performance in the stage production of "Bye, Bye Birdie.".
Grew up in Danville, Illinois, with brother Jerry Van Dyke and fellow celebrities Gene Hackman and Bobby Short. Was a graduate of Danville High School, where he was in the drama club.
Had a brief stint as a TV weatherman in New Orleans.
He and his wife Margie married on the radio show "Bride and Groom" because the show paid for the wedding rings, a honeymoon and household appliances. After their wedding, the Van Dykes were so poor that they had to live in their car for a while.
He enlisted to be a pilot in the Army Air Corps during WWII, but initially did not make the cut because he did not meet the weight requirement, as he was underweight. He tried 3 times to enlist, before barely making the cut. He actually served as a radio announcer during the war, and he did not leave the United States.
He finally received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1992. But when the star was unveiled, his name was misspelled on the star as "VANDYKE". Being a good sport he laughed, took a pen and drew a slash between "VAN" and "DYKE". The star was corrected soon after.
He threatened to leave his role on "Diagnosis Murder" (1993), at the end of the second season, but CBS insisted that he came back, which fortunately he did, and stayed on the show, for the next six seasons.
He was also a two-time children's host, before he became a successful comedian and an actor.
He was nearly cast as Fagin in Oliver! (1968) since the Columbia producers felt that Ron Moody, who had played the part in the London stage version, wasn't famous enough to attract movie audiences. Van Dyke ultimately chose to star in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) instead.
Helped his ex-"The Dick Van Dyke Show" (1961) co-star, Mary Tyler Moore get her own sitcom, in the 1970s.
His "Diagnosis Murder" (1993) co-star, Charlie Schlatter, would reprise his role on an episode of "The Sopranos" (1999), in 2000.
His album "Songs I Like By Dick Van Dyke" (Command Records, 1963), released at the height of his TV success and just before the release of Mary Poppins (1964), was actually a best-seller, remaining on Billboard's top-40 albums chart for several weeks in late 1963-early 1964.
His cockney accent in Mary Poppins (1964) was so heavily criticized that it may have cost him a Best Leading Actor Academy Award nomination the following year.
His comic inspiration was Stan Laurel. He says he was able to find him by looking up his name in the phone book in Santa Monica, California, where Laurel lived. He called and Laurel invited him over. The two became good friends. When Laurel died, Van Dyke delivered his eulogy at the funeral.
His favorite episode of "The Dick Van Dyke Show" (1961) is "Where Did I Come From?".
His future "Diagnosis Murder" (1993) co-star and son, Barry Van Dyke, is associated with his father's productions, and other shows. He began working alongside his father, since he was 10.
His mother, Hazel McCord Van Dyke, died at age 95, in 1992.
His mother, Hazel Voice McCord was a Sunday School teacher (before her son) and a housewife, and his father, Loren Van Dyke, was a baseball player for the Terre Haute Huts, and tenor saxophonist for the Danville Schoenbeck Orchestra.