David Bowman Timeline and Summary

Bowman learns science and space-stuff on earth. You don't learn much more about his early life than that.
He goes on the Discovery mission to Saturn, not knowing the plan is to try to find aliens.
Hal, the ship's computer, goes nuts and kills all the other crew-members.
Bowman disconnects Hal and flies on to Saturn.
He finds the Stargate on Saturn and goes through it to the far side of the galaxy.
He meets the aliens and is turned into a super-powered space baby.
He whooshes back to earth, blows up a bunch of launched nuclear weapons, and tries to figure out what to do next.