Literature in English

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Timeline: Literature in English

Years: 731 - 2000	Subject: Literature
Publisher: HistoryWorld	Online Publication Date: 2012
Current online version: 2012	eISBN: 9780191737060

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BCE CE

Year	Event
731	The Venerable Bede, in his monastery at Jarrow, completes his history of the English church and people Go to Bede (673–735) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 8th century Literature English literature British Isles Europe Britain
c. 800	Beowulf, the first great work of Germanic literature, mingles the legends of Scandinavia with the experience in England of Angles and Saxons Go to Beowulf in A Dictionary of English Folklore (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 8th century 9th century Literature English literature British Isles Europe Germany Britain
c. 950	The material of the Eddas, taking shape in Iceland, derives from earlier sources in Norway, Britain and Burgundy Go to Edda in The Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 10th century Literature English literature Poetry British Isles Europe France Norway Britain
1078	Anselm includes in his Proslogion his famous 'ontological proof' of the existence of God Go to ontological argument in The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy (2 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 11th century Literature Philosophy Religion Christianity Europe France
c. 1300	Duns Scotus, known as the Subtle Doctor in medieval times, later provides humanists with the name Dunsman or dunce Go to Duns Scotus, Bl Johannes (c.1265–1308) in The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (2 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: Britain 1066-1500 13th century 14th century Literature English literature Philosophy British Isles Europe Britain
c. 1340	William of Ockham advocates paring down arguments to their essentials, an approach later known as Ockham's Razor Go to Ockham's razor n. in A Dictionary of Psychology (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: Britain 1066-1500 14th century Literature English literature Philosophy British Isles Europe Britain
c. 1367	A narrator who calls himself Will, and whose name may be Langland, begins the epic poem of Piers Plowman Go to Piers Plowman in A Dictionary of British History (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: Britain 1066-1500 14th century Literature English literature Poetry British Isles Europe Britain One of four new yeomen of the chamber in Edward III's household is Geoffrey Chaucer Go to Chaucer, Geoffrey (c.1343–1400 in A Dictionary of British History (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: Britain 1066-1500 14th century Literature English literature Poetry British Isles Europe Britain
c. 1375	The courtly poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight tells of a mysterious visitor to the round table of King Arthur Go to Gawain and the Green Knight, Sir in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: Britain 1066-1500 14th century Literature English literature Poetry British Isles Europe Britain
1385	Chaucer completes Troilus and Criseyde, his long poem about a legendary love affair in ancient Troy Go to Troilus and Criseyde in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: Britain 1066-1500 14th century Literature English literature Poetry British Isles Europe Britain
c. 1387	Chaucer begins an ambitious scheme for 100 Canterbury Tales, of which he completes only 24 by the time of his death Go to Canterbury Tales in A Dictionary of British History (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: Britain 1066-1500 14th century Literature English literature Poetry British Isles Europe Britain
1469	Thomas Malory, in gaol somewhere in England, compiles Morte d'Arthur – an English account of the French tales of King Arthur Go to Malory, Sir Thomas (d. 1471) in A Dictionary of British History (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: Britain 1066-1500 15th century Literature English literature British Isles Europe Britain
1510	Erasmus and Thomas More take the northern Renaissance in the direction of Christian humanism Go to humanism in The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy (2 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 16th century Literature English literature British Isles Europe Belgium Netherlands Britain
1524	William Tyndale studies in the university at Wittenberg and plans to translate the Bible into English Go to Tyndale, William (c.1494–1536) in A Dictionary of British History (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 16th century Reformation Literature English literature German literature Religion Christianity British Isles Europe Germany Britain
1549	The first version of the English prayer book, or Book of Common Prayer, is published with text by Thomas Cranmer Go to Book of Common Prayer noun in Oxford Dictionary of English (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 16th century Reformation Literature English literature Religion Christianity British Isles Europe Britain
1564	Marlowe and Shakespeare are born in the same year, with Marlowe the older by two months Go to Marlowe, Christopher in Oxford Dictionary of English (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 16th century Literature English literature Drama British Isles Europe Britain
1567	The Book of Common Prayer and the New Testament are published in Welsh, to be followed by the complete Bible in 1588 Go to Book of Common Prayer noun in Oxford Dictionary of English (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 16th century Reformation Literature English literature Religion Christianity Wales British Isles Europe Britain
1582	The 18-year-old William Shakespeare marries Anne Hathaway in Stratford-upon-Avon Go to Shakespeare, William (1564–1616) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 16th century Literature English literature Drama British Isles Europe Britain
1587	Marlowe's first play, Tamburlaine the Great, introduces the swaggering blank verse of Elizabethan and Jacobean drama Go to Marlowe, Christopher in Oxford Dictionary of English (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 16th century Performing arts Theatre Literature English literature Drama British Isles Europe Britain
1590	English poet Edmund Spenser celebrates the Protestant Elizabeth I as The Faerie Queene Go to Spenser, Edmund in Oxford Dictionary of English (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 16th century Literature English literature Poetry British Isles Europe Britain
1592	After tentative beginnings in the three parts of Henry VI, Shakespeare achieves his first masterpiece on stage with Richard III Go to Shakespeare, William (1564–1616) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 16th century Performing arts Theatre Literature English literature Drama British Isles Europe Britain
1601	Shakespeare's central character in Hamlet expresses both the ideals of the Renaissance and the disillusion of a less confident age Go to Hamlet [Shakes.] in The Oxford Dictionary of Reference and Allusion (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 17th century Performing arts Theatre Literature English literature Drama British Isles Europe Britain
1604	James I commissions the Authorized version of the Bible, which is completed by forty-seven scholars in seven years Go to Durgāpur (West Bengal/India) in The Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names (2 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 17th century Reformation Literature English literature Religion Christianity British Isles Europe Britain
1605	Ben Jonson writes The Masque of Blackness, the first of his many masques for the court of James I Go to masque in The Oxford Dictionary of Dance (2 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 17th century Performing arts Theatre Literature English literature Drama British Isles Europe Britain
1606	The satirical voice of the English playwright Ben Jonson is heard to powerful effect in Volpone Go to Volpone [Lit.] in The Oxford Dictionary of Reference and Allusion (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 17th century Performing arts Theatre Literature English literature Drama British Isles Europe Britain
1609	Shakespeare's sonnets, written ten years previously, are published Go to Shakespeare, William (1564–1616) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 17th century Literature English literature Poetry British Isles Europe Britain
c. 1611	Shakespeare's last completed play, The Tempest, is performed Go to Shakespeare, William (1564–1616) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 17th century Performing arts Theatre Literature English literature Drama British Isles Europe Britain
1616	John Smith publishes A Description of New England, an account of his exploration of the region in 1614 Go to Smith, John (1580–1631) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 17th century Literature American literature English literature Politics Conquest and colonization Exploration British Isles American Indians British colonial America British empire European empires from 1415 Europe Society Empires Britain North America United States
1620	William Bradford begins a journal of the Pilgrims' experience in New England, subsequently published (in 1856) as History of Plymouth Plantation Go to Plimmoth Plantation, History of in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 17th century Literature American literature Politics Conquest and colonization British colonial America British empire European empires from 1415 Europe Empires North America United States
1621	John Donne, England's leading Metaphysical poet, becomes dean of St Paul's Go to Donne, John (c.1572–1631) in The Oxford Dictionary of the Renaissance (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 17th century Literature English literature British Isles Europe Britain
1623	John Heminge and Henry Condell publish thirty-six Shakespeare plays in the First Folio Go to Folio, the First in A Dictionary of Shakespeare (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 17th century Literature English literature Drama British Isles Europe Britain
1633	George Herbert's only volume of poems, The Temple, is published posthumously Go to Herbert, George (1593–1633) in A Dictionary of British History (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 17th century Literature English literature Poetry British Isles Europe Britain
1637	John Milton's Lycidas is published in memory of a Cambridge friend, Edward King Go to Milton, John (1608–74) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 17th century Literature English literature Poetry British Isles Europe Britain
1650	The poems of Massachusetts author Anne Bradstreet are published in London under the title The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America Go to Bradstreet, Anne (c.1612–1672) in The Oxford Companion to English Literature (7 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 17th century Literature American literature English literature Poetry British Isles British colonial America Europe Britain North America United States
1653	Devoted fisherman Izaak Walton publishes the classic work on the subject, The Compleat Angler Go to Walton, Izaak (1593–1683) in The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (2 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 17th century Literature English literature British Isles Europe Britain
1660	On the first day of the new year Samuel Pepys gets up late, eats the remains of the turkey and begins his diary Go to Pepys, Samuel (1633–1703) in A Dictionary of World History (2 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 17th century Literature English literature British Isles Europe Britain
1667	Paradise Lost is published, earning its author John Milton just £10 Go to Paradise Lost in A Dictionary of British History (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 17th century Literature English literature Poetry British Isles Europe Britain
1669	Samuel Pepys ends his diary, after only writing it for nine years Go to Pepys, Samuel (1633–1703) in A Dictionary of World History (2 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 17th century Literature English literature British Isles Europe Britain
1674	Samuel Sewall begins a diary of daily life in Boston, Massachusetts, that will span a period of more than fifty years Go to Sewall, Samuel (1652–1730) in The Oxford Companion to United States History (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 17th century Literature American literature Politics Conquest and colonization Social and domestic Society North America United States
1678	Part I of The Pilgrim's Progress, written during John Bunyan's two spells in Bedford Gaol, is published and is immediately popular Go to Pilgrim's Progress in The Oxford Companion to British History (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 17th century Literature English literature British Isles Europe Britain
1688	Aphra Behn's novel Oroonoko makes an early protest against the inhumanity of the African slave trade Go to Behn, Mrs Afra (1640–89) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 17th century Literature English literature Fiction Slavery British Isles Europe Society Britain
1690	John Locke publishes his Essay concerning Human Understanding, arguing that all knowledge is based on experience Go to Locke, John (1632–1704) in A Dictionary of British History (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 17th century Literature English literature Philosophy British Isles Europe Britain
1700	Boston merchant Samuel Sewall publishes The Selling of Joseph, a very early anti-slavery tract Go to Sewall, Samuel (1652–1730) in The Oxford Companion to United States History (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 17th century 18th century Literature American literature Slavery Society North America United States
1702	The Augustan Age begins in English literature, claiming comparison with the equivalent flowering under Augustus Caesar Go to Augustan age in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century Literature English literature British Isles Europe Britain
1709	The Tatler launches a new style of journalism in Britain's coffee houses, followed two years later by the Spectator Go to Tatler in The Oxford Companion to English Literature (7 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century Literature English literature Great Britain - from 1707 British Isles Europe Britain
1710	25-year-old George Berkeley attacks Locke in his Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge Go to Berkeley, George (1685–1753) in The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (2 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century Literature English literature Philosophy Great Britain - from 1707 British Isles Europe Britain
1712	Alexander Pope's Rape of the Lock introduces a delicate vein of mock-heroic in English poetry Go to Pope, Alexander (1688–1744) in A Dictionary of British History (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century Literature English literature Poetry Papacy Great Britain - from 1707 British Isles Europe Britain
1719	Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe, with its detailed realism, can be seen as the first English novel Go to Robinson Crusoe in The Oxford Companion to English Literature (7 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 British Isles Europe Britain
1722	16-year-old Benjamin Franklin contributes the 'Dogood Papers', essays on moral topics, to a Boston journal, The New England Courant Go to Franklin, Benjamin (1706–90) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century Literature American literature North America United States
1726	Jonathan Swift sends his hero on a series of bitterly satirical travels in Gulliver's Travels Go to Swift, Jonathan (1667–1745) in The Oxford Companion to British History (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century Literature English literature Great Britain - from 1707 British Isles Europe Britain
1739	David Hume publishes his Treatise of Human Nature, in which he applies to the human mind the principles of experimental science Go to Hume, David (1711–76) in The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (2 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century Literature English literature Philosophy Great Britain - from 1707 British Isles Europe Britain
1747	Samuel Richardson's Clarissa begins the correspondence that grows into the longest novel in the English language Go to Clarissa: or The History of a Young Lady in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century Britain 1500-1750 Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 British Isles Europe Britain
1749	Henry Fielding introduces a character of lasting appeal in the lusty but good-hearted Tom Jones Go to Tom Jones, The History of in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century Britain 1500-1750 Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 British Isles Europe Britain
1751	English poet Thomas Gray publishes his Elegy written in a Country Church Yard Go to Gray, Thomas (1716–71) in A Dictionary of British History (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 British Isles Europe Britain
1755	Samuel Johnson publishes his magisterial Dictionary of the English Language Go to Johnson, Samuel (1709–84) in The Oxford Companion to the Book (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Great Britain - from 1707 British Isles Europe Britain
1758	James Woodforde, an English country parson with a love of food and wine, begins a detailed diary of everyday life Go to Woodforde, Revd James (1740–1803) in The Oxford Companion to English Literature (7 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Great Britain - from 1707 British Isles Europe Britain
1759	Laurence Sterne publishes the first two volumes of Tristram Shandy, beginning with the scene at the hero's conception Go to Sterne, Laurence (1713–68) in A Dictionary of British History (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 British Isles Europe Britain
1762	Fingal, supposedly by the medieval poet Ossian, is a forgery in the spirit of the times by James MacPherson Go to Macpherson, James (1736–96) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 British Isles Europe Britain
1763	James Boswell meets Samuel Johnson for the first time, in the London bookshop of Thomas Davies Go to Boswell, James (1740–95) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Great Britain - from 1707 British Isles Europe Britain
1764	English historian Edward Gibbon, sitting among ruins in Rome, conceives the idea of Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Go to Gibbon, Edward (1737–94) in A Dictionary of British History (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Great Britain - from 1707 British Isles Europe Britain English author Horace Walpole provides an early taste of Gothic thrills in his novel Castle of Otranto Go to Walpole, Horace, 4th earl of Orford (1717–97) in A Dictionary of British History (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 British Isles Gothic Europe Britain
1768	A Society of Gentlemen in Scotland begins publication of the immensely successful Encyclopaedia Britannica Go to Encyclopaedia Britannica in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Great Britain - from 1707 Scotland British Isles Europe Britain
1770	17-year-old Thomas Chatterton, later hailed as a significant poet, commits suicide in a London garret Go to Chatterton, Thomas (1752–70) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Great Britain - from 1707 British Isles Europe Britain
1773	Oliver Goldsmith's play She Stoops to Conquer is produced in London's Covent Garden theatre Go to Goldsmith, Oliver (1728–74) in A Dictionary of British History (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century Britain 1750-1900 Performing arts Theatre Literature English literature Drama Great Britain - from 1707 British Isles Europe Britain Samuel Johnson and James Boswell undertake a journey together to the western islands of Scotland Go to Johnson, Samuel (1709–84) in The Oxford Companion to the Book (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Great Britain - from 1707 Scotland British Isles Europe Britain
1774	Encouraged by Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Paine emigrates to America and settles in Philadelphia Go to Paine, Thomas (1737–1809) in The Oxford Companion to British History (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century Britain 1750-1900 Literature American literature English literature Great Britain - from 1707 British Isles British colonial America Europe Britain North America United States
1776	In Common Sense, an anonymous pamphlet, English immigrant Thomas Paine is the first to argue that the American colonies should be independent Go to Paine, Thomas (1737–1809) in The Oxford Companion to British History (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century American Revolution Literature American literature Politics Protest and rebellion British colonial America European empires from 1415 Europe Empires Wars and Revolutions North America United States English historian Edward Gibbon publishes the first volume of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Go to Gibbon, Edward (1737–94) in A Dictionary of British History (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Great Britain - from 1707 British Isles Europe Britain Scottish economist Adam Smith analyzes the nature and causes of the Wealth of Nations Go to Smith, Adam (1723–90) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Commerce and industry Great Britain - from 1707 Scotland British Isles Europe Society Britain
1777	Richard Brinsley Sheridan's second play, The School for Scandal, is an immediate success in London's Drury Lane theatre Go to Sheridan, Richard Brinsley (1751–1816) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century Britain 1750-1900 Performing arts Theatre Literature English literature Drama Great Britain - from 1707 British Isles Europe Britain
1778	Francis Hopkinson's popular ballad The Battle of the Kegs describes an ingenious American threat to the British navy Go to Battle of the Kegs, The in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century American Revolution American Revolutionary War Literature American literature Poetry War Wars and Revolutions North America United States
1781	US poet Philip Freneau describes in The British Prison Ship the horrors of his experiences as a prisoner Go to Freneau, Philip Morin (1752–1832) in The Oxford Companion to English Literature (7 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century American Revolution American Revolutionary War Literature American literature Poetry War Wars and Revolutions North America United States
1783	US lexicographer Noah Webster publishes a Spelling Book for American children that eventually will sell more than 60 million copies Go to Webster, Noah (1758–1843) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century Literature American literature North America United States
1786	US author Philip Freneau publishes his first collection of poems, dating back to 1771 Go to Freneau, Philip Morin (1752–1832) in The Oxford Companion to English Literature (7 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States
1789	William Blake publishes Songs of Innocence, a volume of his poems with every page etched and illustrated by himself Go to Blake, William (1757–1827) in The Oxford Companion to British History (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 British Isles Europe Britain In his Principles Jeremy Bentham defines 'utility' as that which enhances pleasure and reduces pain Go to Bentham, Jeremy (1748–1832) in The Oxford Companion to English Literature (7 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Philosophy Great Britain - from 1707 British Isles Europe Britain The autobiography of Olaudah Equiano, a slave captured as a child in Africa, becomes a best-seller on both sides of the Atlantic Go to Equiano, Olaudah [Gustavas Vassa] (1745?–1801?) in The Oxford Companion to American Literature (6 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century Literature American literature Migration Slavery Society North America United States US painter and author William Dunlap has great success with his comedy The Father; or, American Shandyism Go to Dunlap, William (19 Feb. 1766) in The Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists (4 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century Performing arts Theatre Literature American literature Drama North America United States
1790	Anglo-Irish politician Edmund Burke publishes Reflections on the Revolution in France, a blistering attack on recent events across the Channel Go to Burke, Edmund (1729–97) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century French Revolution Britain 1750-1900 Literature French literature English literature Politics Protest and rebellion Great Britain - from 1707 British Isles Europe Ireland Wars and Revolutions Britain
1791	Thomas Paine publishes the first part of The Rights of Man, his reply to Burke's Reflections on the Revolution in France Go to Rights of Man, The in A Dictionary of British History (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century French Revolution Britain 1750-1900 Literature French literature English literature Politics Protest and rebellion Great Britain - from 1707 British Isles Europe Wars and Revolutions Britain
1792	English author Mary Wollstonecraft publishes a passionately feminist work, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman See this event in other timelines: 18th century Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Politics Great Britain - from 1707 British Isles Europe Britain Thomas Paine moves hurriedly to France, to escape a charge of treason in England for opinions expressed in his Rights of Man Go to Rights of Man, The in A Dictionary of British History (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century French Revolution Britain 1750-1900 Literature French literature English literature Politics Protest and rebellion Great Britain - from 1707 British Isles Europe France Wars and Revolutions Britain
1794	William Blake's volume Songs of Innocence and Experience includes his poem 'Tyger! Tyger! burning bright' See this event in other timelines: 18th century Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 British Isles Europe Britain
1795	Thomas Paine publishes his completed Age of Reason, an attack on conventional Christianity Go to Age of Reason, The in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Religion Christianity Great Britain - from 1707 British Isles Europe Britain
1796	US author Joel Barlow publishes his mock-heroic poem The Hasty Pudding, inspired by a dish eaten in 1793 in France Go to Hasty Pudding, The in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States
1797	Samuel Taylor Coleridge says that while writing Kubla Khan he is interrupted by 'a person on business from Porlock' Go to ‘Kubla Khan: a Vision in a Dream’ in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 British Isles Europe Britain
1798	US author Charles Brockden Brown publishes Wieland, the first of four novels setting Gothic romance in an American context Go to Brown, Charles Brockden (1771–1810) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States English poets Wordsworth and Coleridge jointly publish Lyrical Ballads, a milestone in the Romantic movement Go to Lyrical Ballads, with a Few Other Poems in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 British Isles Europe Britain Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner' is published in Lyrical Ballads Go to Ancient Mariner, The Rime of the in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 British Isles Europe Britain
1800	The Library of Congress, the US national library in all but name, is founded in Washington Go to Library of Congress in The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (2 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century 19th century Literature American literature North America United States
1804	William Blake includes his poem 'Jerusalem' in the Preface to his book Milton Go to Milton in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Poetry Jerusalem Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1805	Walter Scott publishes The Lay of the Last Minstrel, the long romantic poem that first brings him fame Go to Lay of the Last Minstrel, The in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1809	Washington Irving uses the fictional Dutch scholar Diedrich Knickerbocker as the supposed author of his comic History of New York Go to History of New York, A in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature North America United States
1811	Percy Bysshe Shelley is expelled from Oxford university for circulating a pamphlet with the title The Necessity of Atheism Go to Shelley, Percy Bysshe (1792–1822) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain English author Jane Austen publishes her first work in print, Sense and Sensibility, at her own expense Go to Austen, Jane in Oxford Dictionary of English (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1812	The first two cantos are published of Byron's largely autobiographical poem Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, bringing him immediate fame Go to Byron, George Gordon, 6th Baron Byron (1788–1824) in A Dictionary of British History (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1813	Pride and Prejudice, based on a youthful work of 1797 called First Impressions, is the second of Jane Austen's novels to be published Go to Austen, Jane in Oxford Dictionary of English (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1814	US lawyer Francis Scott Key writes The Star-Spangled Banner after seeing the British bombard Fort McHenry Go to Star-spangled Banner in Oxford Dictionary of English (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States
1817	US poet William Cullen Bryant publishes Thanatopsis, written seven years previously at the age of 16 Go to Bryant, William Cullen (1794–1878) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States
1818	Percy Bysshe Shelley publishes probably his best-known poem, the sonnet Ozymandias Go to Shelley, Percy Bysshe (1792–1822) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Two of Jane Austen's novels, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, are published in the year after her death Go to Austen, Jane (1775–1817) in A Dictionary of British History (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Mary Shelley publishes Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus, a Gothic tale about giving life to an artificial man Go to Shelley, Mary in Oxford Dictionary of English (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1819	William Cobbett brings back to England the bones of Thomas Paine, who died in the USA in 1809 Go to Cobbett, William (1763–1835) in A Dictionary of World History (2 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Byron begins publication in parts of his longest poem, Don Juan an epic satirical comment on contemporary life Go to Don Juan in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Walter Scott publishes Ivanhoe, a tale of love, tournaments and sieges at the time of the crusades Go to Ivanhoe in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 Scotland British Isles Europe Britain
1820	Washington Irving tells the story of the long sleep of Rip Van Winkle in his Sketch Book Go to Irving, Washington in Oxford Dictionary of English (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States English poet John Keats publishes Ode to a Nightingale, inspired by the bird's song in his Hampstead garden Go to Keats, John (1795–1821) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain English poet Percy Bysshe Shelley publishes Ode to the West Wind, written mainly in a wood near Florence Go to ‘Ode to the West Wind’ in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Florence Europe Britain 7-year-old Henry Wadsworth Longfellow has a poem published in a newspaper in his home town of Portland, Maine Go to Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth (1807–82) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States
1821	English author Thomas De Quincey publishes his autobiographical Confessions of an English Opium-Eater Go to De Quincey, Thomas in Oxford Dictionary of English (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain English poet John Keats dies in Rome at the age of twenty-five Go to Keats, John (1795–1821) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Italian literature Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Rome Europe Italy Britain English radical William Cobbett begins his journeys round England, published in 1830 as Rural Rides Go to Cobbett, William (1763–1835) in A Dictionary of British History (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Social and domestic Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Society Britain The Spy, a romance set in the American Revolution, establishes the reputation of US author James Fenimore Cooper Go to Cooper, James Fenimore (1789–1851) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States English author William Hazlitt publishes Table Talk, a two-volume collection that includes most of his best-known essays Go to Hazlitt, William in Oxford Dictionary of English (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain The spoken language of the Cherokee Indians is captured in written form – an achievement traditionally attributed to Sequoyah Go to Sequoya in New Oxford American Dictionary (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature American Indians North America United States
1823	James Fenimore Cooper's The Pioneers introduces Natty Bumppo, frontiersman known for his 'leather stockings' Go to Bumppo, Natty in The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (2 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States An American poem, A Visit from St Nicholas, describes in every detail the modern Santa Claus Go to Moore, Clement Clarke (1779–1863) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States
1824	12-year-old Charles Dickens works in London in Warren's boot-blacking factory Go to Dickens, Charles John Huffam (1812–70) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1826	In James Fenimore Cooper's The Last of the Mohicans, Natty Bumppo sides with a Mohican chief Go to Last of the Mohicans, The in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States
1828	Connecticut lexicographer Noah Webster publishes the definitive 2-volume scholarly edition of his American Dictionary of the English Language Go to Webster, Noah in Oxford Dictionary of English (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature North America United States
1829	20-year-old Edgar Allan Poe publishes Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane, and Minor Poems Go to Poe, Edgar Allan in Oxford Dictionary of English (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States
1830	Oliver Wendell Holmes' poem 'Old Ironsides' prompts a public response that saves the frigate from the scrapyard Go to Holmes, Oliver Wendell (1809–94) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States
1831	Samuel Francis Smith's patriotic hymn America is sung for the first time on July 4 in Boston Go to “America in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Performing arts Music Literature American literature Poetry North America United States Oliver Wendell Holmes' poem The Last Leaf is inspired by an aged survivor of the Boston Tea Party Go to Last Leaf, The in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States
1832	English author Frances Trollope ruffles transatlantic feathers with her Domestic Manners of the Americans, based on a 3-year stay Go to Trollope, Frances (1780–1863) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Britain 1750-1900 Literature American literature English literature Social and domestic Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Society Britain North America United States
1834	American novelist William Gilmore Simms publishes Guy Rivers, the first of his series known as the Border Romances Go to Simms, William Gilmore (1806–70) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States
1835	Alexis de Tocqueville publishes in French the first two volumes of his extremely influential study Democracy in America Go to Tocqueville, Alexis, Comte de (1805–59) in A Dictionary of World History (2 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature French literature Politics Democracy and dissent Europe France North America United States The Partisan, set in South Carolina, launches the series of novels by William Gilmore Simms known as the Revolutionary Romances Go to Simms, William Gilmore (1806–70) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States
1836	24-year-old Charles Dickens begins monthly publication of his first work of fiction, Pickwick Papers (published in book form in 1837) Go to Pickwick Papers in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain In his essay, Nature, Ralph Waldo Emerson sets out the fundamentals of the philosophy of Transcendentalism Go to Emerson, Ralph Waldo (1803–82) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Philosophy North America United States
1837	In The American Scholar Ralph Waldo Emerson urges his student audience to heed their own intellectuals rather than those of Europe Go to Emerson, Ralph Waldo (1803–82) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature North America United States Charles Dickens' first novel, Oliver Twist, begins monthly publication (in book form, 1838) Go to Dickens, Charles John Huffam (1812–70) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1838	In his Divinity School Address, delivered at Harvard, Ralph Waldo Emerson criticizes formal religion and gives priority to personal spiritual experience Go to Divinity School Address in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Religion Christianity North America United States US author Nathaniel Hawthorne publishes Fanshawe, his first novel, at his own expense Go to Hawthorne, Nathaniel (1804–64) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States
1839	Edgar Allan Poe publishes a characteristically gothic tale, The Fall of the House of Usher Go to Poe, Edgar Allan (1809–49) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States
1840	The first issue of the quarterly magazine The Dial is issued by the Transcendentalists meeting at Ralph Waldo Emerson's home Go to Dial, The (July 1840–April 1844) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Philosophy North America United States US lawyer Richard Henry Dana has immediate popular success with Two Years Before the Mast, his account of his time as a merchant seaman Go to Dana, Richard Henry, Jr. (1815–82) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature North America United States
1841	Herman Melville goes to sea on the whaler Acushnet and spends more than a year in the south Pacific Go to Melville, Herman (1819–91) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature North America United States August Dupin solves the case in Edgar Allan Poe's The Murders in the Rue Morgue, considered to be the first example of a detective story Go to Poe, Edgar Allan (1809–49) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's Ballads and Other Poems includes 'The Village Blacksmith' and 'The Wreck of the Hesperus' Go to Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth (1807–82) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States US social reformer Catherine Beecher publishes an influential book to empower women, Treatise on Domestic Economy Go to Beecher, Catherine (6 Sept 1800) in The Grove Encyclopedia of American Art (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Politics North America United States
1842	English poet Robert Browning publishes a vivid narrative poem about the terrible revenge of The Pied Piper of Hamelin Go to Browning, Robert in Oxford Dictionary of English (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain English author Thomas Babington Macaulay publishes a collection of stirring ballads, Lays of Ancient Rome Go to Macaulay, Thomas Babington (1800–59) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1843	Edgar Allan Poe publishes The Pit and the Pendulum, a cliff-hanging tale of terror at the hands of the Spanish Inquisition Go to Poe, Edgar Allan (1809–49) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States William Hickling Prescott brings the Conquistadors dramatically to life in his 3-volume History of the Conquest of Mexico Go to Prescott, William Hickling (1796–1859) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Latin America Mexico North America United States Ebenezer Scrooge mends his ways just in time in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol Go to Scrooge, Ebenezer in The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (2 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1844	In his novel Coningsby Benjamin Disraeli develops the theme of Conservatism uniting 'two nations', the rich and the poor Go to Disraeli, Benjamin, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield (1804–81) in A Dictionary of World History (2 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Fiction Social and domestic Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles British prime ministers - from 1830 Europe Society Rulers and politicians Britain
1845	Edgar Allan Poe publishes The Raven and Other Poems Go to Poe, Edgar Allan (1809–49) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States Henry David Thoreau moves into a hut that he has built for himself in the woods at Walden Pond near Concord, Massachusetts Go to Thoreau, Henry David (1817–62) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature North America United States Escaped slave Frederick Douglass publishes the first of three volumes of autobiography Go to Douglass, Frederick (1817–95) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Slavery Society North America United States US author Margaret Fuller publishes Woman in the Nineteenth Century, an early and thoughtful feminist study of women's place in society Go to Hollinghurst, Alan (1954– ) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Politics North America United States Friedrich Engels, after running a textile factory in Manchester, publishes The Condition of the Working Class in England Go to Engels, Friedrich (1820–95) in A Dictionary of British History (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Communism Commerce and industry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Society Britain
1846	Francis Parkman travels west into dangerous territory in Wyoming, an adventure he later describes in The Oregon Trail Go to Parkman, Francis in New Oxford American Dictionary (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature North America United States Edward Lear publishes his Book of Nonsense, consisting of limericks illustrated with his own cartoons Go to Lear, Edward (1812–88) in A Dictionary of British History (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Arts Painting British painting Literature English literature Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain After marrying secretly, the English poets Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett go abroad to live in Florence Go to Browning, Elizabeth Barrett (1806–61) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Florence Europe Britain The three Brontë sisters jointly publish a volume of their poems and sell just two copies Go to Brontë family in A Dictionary of British History (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1847	English author William Makepeace Thackeray begins publication of his novel Vanity Fair in monthly parts (book form 1848) Go to Thackeray, William Makepeace (1811–63) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Charlotte becomes the first of the Brontë sisters to have a novel published — Jane Eyre Go to Brontë family in A Dictionary of British History (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Ralph Waldo Emerson publishes his first collection of poems, many of which have appeared first in The Dial Go to Emerson, Ralph Waldo (1803–82) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States William Hickling Prescott follows his great work on Mexico with a 2-volume History of the Conquest of Peru Go to Prescott, William Hickling (1796–1859) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Latin America Mexico Peru North America United States Emily Brontë's novel Wuthering Heights follows just two months after her sister Charlotte's Jane Eyre Go to Brontë family in A Dictionary of British History (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1848	Branwell, Emily and Anne Brontë die within a period of eight months Go to Brontë family in A Dictionary of British History (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1849	Charles Dickens begins the publication in monthly numbers of David Copperfield, his own favourite among his novels Go to Dickens, Charles John Huffam (1812–70) in A Dictionary of British History (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Francis Parkman's The Oregon Trail, already serialized in 1847, is published in book form Go to Parkman, Francis in New Oxford American Dictionary (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature North America United States
1850	Alfred Tennyson's elegy for a friend, In Memoriam, captures perfectly the Victorian mood of heightened sensibility Go to Tennyson, Alfred, 1st Baron (1809–92) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Nathaniel Hawthorne publishes his novel The Scarlet Letter, in which Hester Prynne is forced to wear the letter A for Adultress Go to Prynne, Hester [Lit.] in The Oxford Dictionary of Reference and Allusion (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States
1851	US author Nathaniel Hawthorne bases his novel The House of the Seven Gables on a curse invoked against his own family Go to House of the Seven Gables, The in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States Herman Melville publishes Moby Dick; or, The Whale, a novel based on his own 18-month experience on a whaler in 1841-2 Go to Melville, Herman (1819–91) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States
1852	Harriet Beecher Stowe publishes a massively successful antislavery novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin, that sells 300,000 copies in its first year Go to Stowe, Harriet Beecher in Oxford Dictionary of English (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Fiction Slavery Society North America United States London physician Peter Mark Roget publishes his dictionary of synonyms, the Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases Go to Roget's Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1854	Thoreau publishes an account of his two years of self-sufficient transcendentalism in his hut at Walden Pond Go to Thoreau, Henry David (1817–62) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature North America United States Within six weeks of the Charge of the Light Brigade in the Crimea, Tennyson publishes a poem finding heroism in the disaster Go to Charge of the Light Brigade (1854) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1855	The first edition of Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass is published anonymously, at his own expense, and contains just 12 poems Go to Whitman, Walt (1819–92) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States Longfellow publishes his American Indian epic, The Song of Hiawatha, in an irresistibly catchy metre Go to Hiawatha, The Song of in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Poetry American Indians North America United States Tennyson publishes a long narrative poem, Maud, a section of which ('Come into the garden, Maud') becomes famous as a song Go to Tennyson, Alfred, 1st Baron (1809–92) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain English author Anthony Trollope publishes The Warden, the first in his series of six Barsetshire novels Go to Trollope, Anthony (1815–82) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1857	In Tom Brown's Schooldays Thomas Hughes depicts the often brutal aspects of an English public school Go to Hughes, Thomas (1822–96) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1858	Oliver Wendell Holmes' book The Autocrat of the Breakfast Table is the first in a breakfast-table series Go to Holmes, Oliver Wendell (1809–94) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States Longfellow uses a romantic story of early New England for his narrative poem The Courtship of Miles Standish Go to Courtship of Miles Standish, The in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States
1859	Charles Darwin puts forward the theory of evolution in On the Origin of Species, the result of 20 years' research Go to Darwin, Charles (1809–82) in A Dictionary of British History (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Science Life sciences Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain In On Liberty John Stuart Mill makes the classic liberal case for the priority of the freedom of the individual Go to Mill, John Stuart (1806–73) in A Dictionary of British History (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Philosophy Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Samuel Smiles provides an inspiring ideal of Victorian enterprise in Self-Help, a manual for ambitious young men Go to Smiles, Samuel (1812–1904) in A Dictionary of British History (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Social and domestic Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Society Britain Tennyson publishes the first part of Idylls of the King, a series of linked poems about Britain's mythical king Arthur Go to Tennyson, Alfred, 1st Baron Tennyson (1809–92) in A Dictionary of British History (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Charles Dickens publishes his French Revolution novel, A Tale of Two Cities Go to Dickens, Charles John Huffam (1812–70) in A Dictionary of British History (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Edward FitzGerald publishes The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám, romantic translations of the work of the Persian poet Go to Fitzgerald, Edward (1809–83) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1859 February	English author George Eliot wins fame with her first full-length novel, Adam Bede Go to Eliot, George in Oxford Dictionary of English (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1860	Charles Dickens begins serial publication of his novel "Great Expectations" (in book form 1861) Go to Dickens, Charles John Huffam (1812–70) in A Dictionary of British History (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain George Eliot publishes The Mill on the Floss, her novel about the childhood of Maggie and Tom Tulliver Go to Eliot, George in Oxford Dictionary of English (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1861	Longfellow's narrative poem Paul Revere's Ride dramatizes a turning point at the start of the American Revolution Go to Paul Revere's Ride in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States Mrs Henry Wood publishes her first novel, East Lynne, which becomes the basis of the most popular of all Victorian melodramas Go to East Lynne in The Oxford Companion to English Literature (7 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1862	Julia Ward Howe publishes The Battle Hymn of the Republic, inspired by a visit to Union troops in the American Civil War Go to “Battle Hymn of the Republic, The in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Poetry War American civil war Wars and Revolutions North America United States Oxford mathematician Lewis Carroll tells 10-year-old Alice Liddell, on a boat trip, a story about her own adventures in Wonderland Go to Amaryllis in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Unpublished American poet Emily Dickinson writes more than 300 poems within the year Go to Dickinson, Emily Elizabeth (1830–86) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Philosophy North America United States
1863	Samuel Clemens uses the pseudonym Mark Twain for the first time on an article in Virginia City's Territorial Enterprise Go to Mark Twain in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature North America United States English author Charles Kingsley publishes an improving fantasy for young children, The Water-Babies Go to Water‐Babies, The: A Fairy Tale for a Land‐Baby in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1865	Samuel Clemens, writing under the pseudonym Mark Twain, has immediate success with The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County Go to Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, The in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States Lewis Carroll publishes Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, a development of the story he had told Alice Liddell three years earlier Go to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1866	Walt Whitman laments the assassinated President Lincoln in his poem 'O Captain! My Captain!', published in Sequel to Drum-Taps Go to O Captain! My Captain! in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Poetry US presidents Rulers and politicians North America United States Algernon Swinburne scandalizes Victorian Britain with his first collection, Poems and Ballads Go to Swinburne, Algernon Charles (1837–1909) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1867	The first volume of Das Kapital is completed by Marx in London and is published in Hamburg Go to Kapital, Das in The Oxford Companion to the Book (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature German literature Politics Communism Protest and rebellion Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Germany Britain The first collection of 'Negro Spirituals' is published in book form in the US as Slave Songs of the United States Go to spiritual in The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music (5 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Performing arts Music Literature American literature Poetry North America United States
1868	US author Louisa May Alcott begins serial publication of her book for children, Little Women (in book form 1869) Go to Alcott, Louisa May (1832–88) in The Oxford Companion to English Literature (7 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States
1869	English author Matthew Arnold publishes Culture and Anarchy, an influential collection of essays about contemporary society Go to Culture and Anarchy in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Social and domestic Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Society Britain
1870	Bret Harte's comic ballad Plain Language from Truthful James acquires a popular alternative title, The Heathen Chinee Go to Plain Language from Truthful James in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States
1871	George Eliot publishes Middlemarch, in which Dorothea makes a disastrous marriage to the pedantic Edward Casaubon Go to Eliot, George in Brewer's Dictionary of London Phrase & Fable (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1872	Pragmatism emerges as a philosophical approach in meetings of the Metaphysical Club in Cambridge, Massachusetts Go to pragmatism in A Dictionary of Sociology (3 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Philosophy North America United States Lewis Carroll publishes Through the Looking Glass, a second story of Alice's adventures Go to Carroll, Lewis in A Dictionary of British History (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1873	The Gilded Age, by Charles Dudley Warner and Mark Twain, provides the familiar name for life in the US towards the end of the nineteenth century Go to Gilded Age, The: A Tale of To-day in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States
1874	English author Thomas Hardy has his first success with his novel Far from the Madding Crowd Go to Far from the Madding Crowd in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1875	After spending much time in Europe in recent years, Henry James moves there permanently and settles first in Paris Go to James, Henry (1843–1916) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Henry James's early novel Roderick Hudson is serialized in the Atlantic Monthly and is published in book form in 1876 Go to Roderick Hudson in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1876	William Gladstone's pamphlet Bulgarian Horrors, protesting at massacre by the Turks, sells 200,000 copies within a month Go to Gladstone, William Ewart (1809–98) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Persecution and repression Turks Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles British prime ministers - from 1830 Europe Rulers and politicians Britain Henry James moves to London, which remains his home for the next 22 years Go to James, Henry (1843–1916) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain In 21 years Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass has grown from 12 poems to the two volumes of the sixth edition, published in the USA's centenary year Go to Korea, national library of, North Korea in The Oxford Companion to the Book (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States English poet Gerard Manley Hopkins develops a new verse form that he calls 'sprung rhythm' Go to sprung rhythm in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Mark Twain publishes The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, in which Tom and his friends find excitement in a small town on the Mississippi Go to Tom Sawyer, The Adventures of in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States Lewis Carroll publishes The Hunting of the Snark, a poem about a voyage in search of an elusive mythical creature Go to Carroll, Lewis in A Dictionary of British History (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1878	21-year-old Joseph Conrad, a Polish subject, goes to sea with the British merchant navy Go to Conrad, Joseph (1857–1924) in A Dictionary of British History (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1879	US author Joel Chandler Harris introduces Uncle Remus in a story in the Constitution Go to Harris, Joel Chandler (1848–1908) in The Oxford Companion to Fairy Tales (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States Henry James's story Daisy Miller, about an American girl abroad, brings him a new readership Go to Daisy Miller: A Study in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1880	US author Lew Wallace publishes a historical novel, Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ Go to Wallace, Lew[is] (1827–1905) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States
1881	In Washington Square Henry James tells the sad story of heiress Catherine Sloper Go to Washington Square in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States Joel Chandler Harris publishes Uncle Remus: His Songs and His Sayings, the first of many Uncle Remus volumes Go to Uncle Remus: His Songs and His Sayings in The Oxford Companion to American Literature (6 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States Henry James's novel The Portrait of a Lady studies an American girl, Isabel Archer, in the unfamiliar context of Europe Go to Portrait of a Lady, The in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States The Aesthetic Movement and 'art for art's sake', attitudes personified above all by Whistler and Wilde, are widely mocked and satirized in Britain Go to Aesthetic movement in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Arts Literature English literature Social and domestic Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Society Britain
1883	Mark Twain's autobiographical book Life on the Mississippi details his own personal involvement with the great river Go to Life on the Mississippi in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature North America United States Robert Louis Stevenson's adventure story, Treasure Island, features Long John Silver and Ben Gunn Go to Treasure Island in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1884	Huck Finn and his friend Tom Sawyer continue their exploits on the Mississippi in Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Go to Huckleberry Finn, The Adventures of in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States Oxford University Press publishes the A volume of its New English Dictionary, which will take 37 years to reach Z Go to Oxford English Dictionary, The in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1885	In his novel The Rise of Silas Lapham US author William Dean Howells follows the fortunes of a self-made man in Boston Go to Rise of Silas Lapham, The in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States Explorer and orientalist Richard Burton begins publication of his multi-volume translation from the Arabic of The Arabian Nights Go to Arabian Nights Entertainments, or The Thousand and One Nights in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1886	US author Frances Hodgson Burnett publishes Little Lord Fauntleroy, featuring an aristocratic child in a velvet suit Go to Little Lord Fauntleroy in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States Robert Louis Stevenson introduces a dual personality in his novel The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Go to Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, The Strange Case of in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Thomas Hardy publishes his novel The Mayor of Casterbridge, which begins with the future mayor, Michael Henchard selling his wife and child at a fair Go to Mayor of Casterbridge, The, a Story of Character in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Joseph Conrad becomes naturalized as a British subject and continues his career at sea in the far East Go to Conrad, Joseph (1857–1924) in A Dictionary of British History (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1887	Sherlock Holmes features in Conan Doyle's first novel, A Study in Scarlet Go to Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan (1859–1930) in A Dictionary of British History (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1889	The Fabian Society publishes Essays in Socialisman influential volume of essays edited by Bernard Shaw Go to Fabian Society in A Dictionary of Contemporary World History (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Politics Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1890	Poems is the first of six collections of Emily Dickinson's poetry, found among her papers on her death and published posthumously Go to Dickinson, Emily (1830–86) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States Scottish anthropologist James Frazer publishes The Golden Bough, a massive compilation of contemporary knowledge about ritual and religious custom Go to Frazer, Sir James George (1854–1941) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Religion Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 Scotland British Isles Europe Britain 9-year-old Daisy Ashford imagines an adult romance and high society in The Young Visiters Go to Ashford, Daisy (1881–1972) in The Oxford Companion to Twentieth-Century Literature in English (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1891	Herman Melville dies in obscurity in New York, with an unpublished manuscript of Billy Budd (not printed till 1924) Go to Billy Budd in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States Oscar Wilde publishes his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray in which the ever-youthful hero's portrait grows old and ugly Go to Wilde, Oscar (1854–1900) in A Dictionary of British History (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Thomas Hardy publishes his novel Tess of the Durbervilles, with a dramatic finale at Stonehenge Go to Tess of the D'Urbervilles; A Pure Woman in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1892	Oscar Wilde's comedy Lady Windermere's Fan is a great success with audiences in London's St. James Theatre Go to Lady Windermere's Fan in The Oxford Dictionary of Plays (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Performing arts Theatre Literature English literature Drama Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain W.B. Yeats founds the National Literary Society in Dublin, with Douglas Hyde as its first president Go to literary revival in The Oxford Companion to Irish History (2 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Ireland Britain Bernard Shaw's first play, Widowers' Houses, deals with the serious social problem of slum landlords Go to Widowers' Houses in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Performing arts Theatre Literature English literature Drama Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Leaves of Grass, still growing, is published in its ninth edition in the year of Walt Whitman's death Go to Leaves of Grass in The Oxford Companion to the Book (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States Mr Pooter is the suburban anti-hero of the The Diary of a Nobody, by George and Weedon Grossmith Go to Diary of a Nobody, The in The Oxford Companion to English Literature (7 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1893	US author Stephen Crane cannot find a publisher for his first novel, Maggie: A Girl of the Streets, so issues it privately Go to Maggie: A Girl of the Streets in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States
1894	French-born artist and author George du Maurier publishes his novel Trilby Go to Trilby in The Oxford Companion to English Literature (7 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book surrounds the child Mowgli with a collection of vivid animal guardians Go to Jungle Book, The (1894) in The Oxford Companion to English Literature (7 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1895	Oscar Wilde's most brilliant comedy, The Importance of Being Earnest is performed in London's St. James Theatre Go to Importance of Being Earnest, The: A Trivial Comedy for Serious People in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Performing arts Theatre Literature English literature Drama Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Stephen Crane succeeds handsomely with his second novel, The Red Badge of Courage, set in the American Civil War Go to Red Badge of Courage, The: An Episode of the American Civil War in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States Oscar Wilde loses a libel case that he has brought against the marquess of Queensberry for describing him as a sodomite Go to Queensberry, John Sholto Douglas, 9th marquis of (1844–1900) in The Oxford Companion to British History (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Oscar Wilde is sent to Reading Gaol to serve a two-year sentence with hard labour after being convicted of homosexuality Go to Wilde, Oscar (1854–1900) in A Dictionary of British History (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain H.G. Wells publishes The Time Machine, a story about a Time Traveller whose first stop on his journey is the year 802701 Go to Wells, H. G. (1866–1946) in A Dictionary of British History (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1896	The prolific US poet Edwin Arlington Robinson publishes The Torrent and the Night Before, his first poems about the fictional Tilbury Town Go to Robinson, E. A. (1869–1935) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States English poet A.E. Housman publishes his first collection, A Shropshire Lad Go to Housman, A. E. (1859–1936) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1897	Henry James views the feckless adults in Maisie's life through the eyes of the child herself in What Maisie Knew Go to What Maisie Knew in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States Somerset Maugham publishes his first novel, Liza of Lambeth, based on the London life he has observed as a medical student Go to Maugham, W. Somerset (1874–1965) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain English author Bram Stoker publishes Dracula, his gothic tale of vampirism in Transylvania Go to Dracula in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1898	Charlotte Perkins Gilman publishes Women and Economics, developing the feminist theme in US cultural and political life Go to Gilman, Charlotte Perkins (1860–1935) in The Oxford Companion to Twentieth-Century Literature in English (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Politics North America United States Henry James moves from London to Lamb House in Rye, Sussex, which remains his home for the rest of his life Go to James, Henry (1843–1916) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain H.G. Wells publishes his science-fiction novel The War of the Worlds, in which Martians arrive in a rocket to invade earth Go to War of the Worlds, The in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Henry James publishes The Turn of the Screw in a collection of short stories Go to Turn of the Screw, The in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1899	US social scientist Thorstein Veblen publishes The Theory of the Leisure Class, an attack on capitalist exploitation and 'consumerism' Go to Veblen, Thorstein (1857–1929) in The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy (2 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Literature American literature Commerce and industry Society North America United States E. Nesbit publishes The Story of the Treasure Seekers, introducing the Bastable family who feature in several of her books for children Go to Nesbit, E. (1858–1924) in The Oxford Companion to English Literature (7 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1900	Frank Baum introduces children to Oz, in his book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Go to Wizard of Oz, The Wonderful (1900) in The Oxford Companion to English Literature (7 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century 1900s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States After a prodigiously productive career as novelist and journalist, Stephen Crane dies of tuberculosis at the age of 28 Go to Crane, Stephen (1871–1900) in The Oxford Companion to English Literature (7 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century 1900s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States Joshua Slocum publishes Sailing Alone Around the World, an account of his famous 1895-8 circumnavigation Go to Slocum, Joshua (1844–c.1910) in The Oxford Companion to American Literature (6 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century 1900s 20th century Literature American literature Travel and transport Society North America United States Jack London's first collection of stories, The Son of the Wolf, brings him a wide readership Go to London, Jack Griffith (1876–1916) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century 1900s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States Theodore Dreiser's first novel, Sister Carrie, receives no publicity because his publisher, Frank Doubleday, considers it immoral Go to Sister Carrie in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century 1900s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States The Voice of the People is the first of Ellen Glasgow's novels set in her native state, Virginia Go to Glasgow, Ellen (1874–1945) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century 1900s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States Joseph Conrad publishes his novel Lord Jim about a life of failure and redemption in the far East Go to Lord Jim in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 1900s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1901	Beatrix Potter publishes at her own expense The Tale of Peter Rabbit Go to Tale of Peter Rabbit, The (1902) in The Oxford Companion to Edwardian Fiction (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: Edwardian era 1900s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction War Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Rudyard Kipling's experiences of India are put to good use in his novel Kim Go to Kim in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: Edwardian era 1900s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction War Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Frank Norris publishes The Octopus, the first of a projected trilogy of novels set in Southern California Go to Octopus, The: A Story of California in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1900s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States
1902	Edith Wharton's publishes her first full-length novel, The Valley of Decision Go to Valley of Decision, The in The Oxford Companion to American Literature (6 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1900s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States Rudyard Kipling publishes his Just So Stories for Little Children Go to Just So Stories for Little Children (1902) in The Oxford Companion to Edwardian Fiction (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: Edwardian era 1900s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction War Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain US philosopher William James publishes his influential book The Varieties of Religious Experience Go to James, William (1842–1910) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1900s 20th century Literature American literature Philosophy North America United States Helen Keller's The Story of My Life begins publication in serial form Go to Keller, Helen Adams (1880–1968) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1900s 20th century Literature American literature North America United States The Tale of Peter Rabbit is published commercially, a year after being first printed by Beatrix Potter at her own expense Go to Tale of Peter Rabbit, The (1902) in The Oxford Companion to Edwardian Fiction (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: Edwardian era 1900s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction War Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain John Masefield's poem 'Sea Fever' is published in Salt-Water Ballads Go to Masefield, John (1878–1967) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: Edwardian era 1900s 20th century Literature English literature Poetry War Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Conan Doyle's The Hound of the Baskervilles begins publication in serial form Go to Hound of the Baskervilles, The: Another Adventure of Sherlock Holmes (1902) in The Oxford Companion to Edwardian Fiction (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: Edwardian era 1900s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction War Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Henry James publishes the first of his three last novels, The Wings of the Dove Go to Wings of the Dove, The in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: Edwardian era 1900s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction War Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Joseph Conrad publishes a collection of stories including Heart of Darkness, a sinister tale based partly on his own journey up the Congo Go to ‘Heart of Darkness’ in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: Edwardian era 1900s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction War Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1903	US author Jack London publishes a novel, The Call of the Wild, in which a huge pet dog has alarming adventures Go to Call of the Wild, The in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1900s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States Gertrude Stein leaves the USA to share with her brother an apartment in Paris that soon becomes a literary and artistic salon Go to Stein, Gertrude (3 Feb. 1874) in The Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists (4 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1900s 20th century Literature American literature French literature Europe France North America United States Erskine Childers has a best-seller in The Riddle of the Sands, a thriller about a planned German invasion of Britain Go to Childers, Erskine (1870–1922) in The Oxford Companion to Twentieth-Century Literature in English (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: Edwardian era 1900s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction War Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Ireland Britain Henry James publishes The Ambassadors, the second of his three last novels written in rapid succession Go to Ambassadors, The in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: Edwardian era 1900s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction War Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain British philosopher G.E. Moore publishes Principia Ethica, an attempt to apply logic to ethics Go to Moore, G. E. (1873–1958) in The Oxford Companion to Twentieth-Century Literature in English (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: Edwardian era 1900s 20th century Literature English literature Philosophy War Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain US author W.E.B. Du Bois publishes his first collection of essays, The Souls of Black Folk Go to Du Bois, W. E. B. (1868–1963) in A Dictionary of Critical Theory (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1900s 20th century Literature American literature North America United States The Pit, the second volume of an uncompleted trilogy by US novelist Frank Norris, is published posthumously Go to Pit, The: A Story of Chicago in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1900s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States
1904	Joseph Conrad publishes his novel Nostromo, about a revolution in South America and a fatal horde of silver Go to Nostromo in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: Edwardian era 1900s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction War Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Latin America South America Helen Keller overcomes deafness and blindness to graduate cum laude at Radcliffe College in the USA Go to Keller, Helen Adams (1880–1968) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1900s 20th century Literature American literature North America United States Henry James publishes his last completed novel, The Golden Bowl Go to Golden Bowl, The in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: Edwardian era 1900s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction War Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain J.M Barrie's play for children Peter Pan, or the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up has its premiere in London Go to Peter Pan in The Oxford Dictionary of Plays (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: Edwardian era 1900s 20th century Performing arts Theatre Literature English literature Drama War Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Under the pseudonym Saki, H.H. Munro publishes Reginald, his first volume of short stories Go to Reginald (1904) in The Oxford Companion to Edwardian Fiction (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: Edwardian era 1900s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction War Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
c. 1905	The Bloomsbury Group gathers for informal evenings at the family home of Virginia and Vanessa Stephens (later Virginia Woolf and Vanessa Bell) Go to Bloomsbury Group in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: Edwardian era 1900s 20th century Arts Literature English literature War Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Oscar Wilde's De Profundis, a letter of recrimination written in Reading Gaol to Lord Alfred Douglas, is published posthumously Go to de profundis in The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (2 ed.) See this event in other timelines: Edwardian era 1900s 20th century Literature English literature War Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Edith Wharton publishes the novel that brings her fame and fortune, The House of Mirth Go to House of Mirth, The in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1900s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States H.G. Wells publishes Kipps: the story of a simple soul, a comic novel about a bumbling draper's assistant Go to Kipps in The Oxford Companion to Twentieth-Century Literature in English (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: Edwardian era 1900s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction War Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain US philosopher George Santayana publishes the first of the five volumes of his Life of Reason Go to Santayana, George (1863–1952) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1900s 20th century Literature American literature Philosophy North America United States Thomas Dixon's popular novel The Clansman presents the Ku Klux Klan in heroic terms Go to Clansman, The in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1900s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States Bernard Shaw has two new plays opening in London in the same year, Major Barbara and Man and Superman Go to Shaw, George Bernard (1856–1950) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: Edwardian era 1900s 20th century Performing arts Theatre Literature English literature Drama War Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Sir Percy Blakeney rescues aristocrats from the guillotine in Baroness Orczy's The Scarlet Pimpernel Go to Scarlet Pimpernel, The (1905) in The Oxford Companion to Edwardian Fiction (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: Edwardian era 1900s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction War Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1906	Upton Sinclair publishes The Jungle, a hard-hitting novel about the Chicago meat-packing industry Go to Jungle, The in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1900s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States The first volume of the inexpensive Everyman's Library is issued by Joseph Dent, a London publisher Go to Everyman’s Library in The Oxford Companion to the Book (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: Edwardian era 1900s 20th century Literature English literature War Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain E. Nesbit publishes The Railway Children, the most successful of her books featuring the Bastable family Go to Railway Children, The (1906) in The Oxford Companion to Edwardian Fiction (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: Edwardian era 1900s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction War Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain John Galsworthy publishes The Man of Property, the first of his novels chronicling the family of Soames Forsyte Go to Man of Property, The (1906) in The Oxford Companion to Edwardian Fiction (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: Edwardian era 1900s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction War Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1907	Edmund Gosse publishes Father and Son, an account of his difficult relationship with his fundamentalist father, Philip Gosse Go to Gosse, Sir Edmund (1849–1928) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: Edwardian era 1900s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction War Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain US philosopher William James publishes Pragmatism: a New Name for Old Ways of Thinking Go to Pragmatism: A New Name for Some Old Ways of Thinking in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1900s 20th century Literature American literature Philosophy North America United States
1908	Jack London's novel Iron Heel foresees a future repressive capitalist regime in the USA Go to Iron Heel, The in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1900s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States Rat, Mole and Toad, in Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows, appeal to a wide readership Go to Wind in the Willows, The (1908) in The Oxford Companion to Edwardian Fiction (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: Edwardian era 1900s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction War Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Ezra Pound's first book of poems, A Lume Spento, is published in Italy Go to Pound, Ezra (1885–1972) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1900s 20th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States Lucy Maud Montgomery's first novel, Anne of Green Gables, brings her instant fame and fortune Go to Anne of Green Gables (1908) in The Oxford Companion to Canadian History (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1900s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States The Welsh poet W.H. Davies has a success with The Autobiography of a Super-Tramp, his account of life on the road and in dosshouses Go to Davies, W. H. (1871–1940) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: Edwardian era 1900s 20th century Literature English literature War Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 Wales British Isles Europe Britain
1909	Jack London publishes his most autobiographical novel, Martin Eden Go to London, Jack (1876–1916) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1900s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States The heroine of H.G. Wells' novel Ann Veronica is a determined example of the New Woman Go to Ann Veronica in The Oxford Companion to Twentieth-Century Literature in English (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: Edwardian era 1900s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction War Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1910	In his poem Cargoes John Masefield compares a 'dirty British coaster' with two romantic boats from the past Go to Masefield, John (1878–1967) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: Edwardian era 1910s 20th century Literature English literature Poetry War Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain John Buchan publishes Prester John, the first of his adventure stories Go to Buchan, John, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir (1875–1940) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain H.G. Wells publishes The History of Mr Polly, a novel about an escape from drab everyday existence Go to Wells, H. G. (1866–1946) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Rudyard Kipling publishes If, which rapidly becomes his most popular poem among the British Go to Kipling, Rudyard (1865–1936) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Literature English literature Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain E.M. Forster publishes Howard's End, his novel about the Schlegel sisters and the Wilcox family Go to Howards End in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1911	D.H. Lawrence's career as a writer is launched with the publication of his first novel, The White Peacock Go to Lawrence, D. H. (1885–1930) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Rupert Brooke publishes Poems, the only collection to appear before his early death in World War I Go to Brooke, Rupert Chawner (1887–1915) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Literature English literature Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain G.K. Chesterton's clerical detective makes his first appearance in The Innocence of Father Brown Go to Chesterton, G. K. (1874–1936) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain In a German Pension is New Zealand author Katherine Mansfield's first collection of stories Go to Mansfield, Katherine (1888–1923) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Australia and Oceania New Zealand Frances Hodgson Burnett publishes The Secret Garden, which becomes a classic of children's literature Go to Children of the Chapel of Paul's in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States Max Beerbohm publishes his novel Zuleika Dobson, in which the beauty of his heroine causes havoc among the students at Oxford Go to Beerbohm, Max (1872–1956) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1912	Ludwig Wittgenstein moves to Cambridge to study philosophy under Bertrand Russell Go to Wittgenstein, Ludwig (1889–1951) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Literature English literature Philosophy Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Renascence is the title poem in college student Edna St Vincent Millay's first published collection Go to Millay, Edna St. Vincent (1892–1950) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States Walter De la Mare establishes his reputation with the title poem of his collection The Listeners Go to de la Mare, Walter (1873–1956) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Literature English literature Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1913	In O Pioneers Willa Cather finds her major theme, life on the frontier Go to Cather, Willa (1873–1947) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States In Pollyanna Eleanor Porter introduces an immensely successful character, the irrepressibly optimistic orphan Pollyanna Whittier Go to Porter, Eleanor Hodgman (1868–1920) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States The first issue of the New Statesman is published by Beatrice and Sidney Webb Go to New Statesman in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Literature English literature Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Compton Mackenzie publishes the first volume of his autobiographical novel Sinister Street Go to Mackenzie, Sir Compton (1883–1972) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain US poet Robert Frost publishes his first book of poems, A Boy's Will Go to Frost, Robert (1874–1963) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States Alfred North Whitehead and Bertrand Russell complete a work of mathematical logic, Principia Mathematica Go to Newton, Sir Isaac (1642–1727) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Literature English literature Philosophy Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Edith Wharton's novel The Custom of the Country begins publication in serial form Go to Wharton, Edith (1862–1937) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States D.H. Lawrence publishes a semi-autobiographical novel about the Morel family, Sons and Lovers Go to Lawrence, D. H. (1885–1930) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1914	Tarzan makes his first appearance in Edgar Rice Burroughs' novel Tarzan of the Apes Go to Burroughs, Edgar Rice (1875–1950) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States James Joyce's novel Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man begins serial publication in a London journal, The Egoist Go to Joyce, James (1882–1941) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain The first issue of the weekly journal The New Republic is published in the USA Go to New Republic, The (1914–) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Literature American literature North America United States American-born poet Thomas Stearns Eliot crosses the Atlantic to England, making it his home for the rest of his life Go to Eliot, T. S. (1888–1965) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Literature American literature English literature Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain North America United States The poem 'Mending Wall' features in Robert Frost's collection North of Boston Go to Frost, Robert (1874–1963) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States Margaret Anderson publishes in Chicago the first issue of The Little Review, a monthly literary magazine Go to Little Review, The (1914–29) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Literature American literature North America United States The Times Literary Supplement is published in London as an independent paper, separate from The Times Go to Times Literary Supplement (1902– ) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Literature English literature Social and domestic Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Society Britain The American writer Amy Lowell publishes an Imagist collection of poems, Sword Blades and Poppy Seed Go to Lowell, Amy (1874–1925) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States The Swedish-American poet Carl Sandburg makes his name with 'Chicago', published in the magazine Poetry Go to Sandburg, Carl (1878–1967) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States
1915	Somerset Maugham publishes his semi-autobiographical novel Of Human Bondage Go to Maugham, W. Somerset (1874–1965) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Australian author C.J. Dennis creates the Sentimental Bloke, featuring first in a book of poems and four years later in a film Go to Dennis, (Clarence Michael James) C. J. (1876–1938) in The Oxford Companion to Australian History (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Literature American literature Poetry Australia and Oceania Australia US novelist Ernest Poole publishes The Harbor, set on the Brooklyn waterfront Go to Poole, Ernest (1880–1950) in The Oxford Companion to American Literature (6 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States The English writer Virginia Woolf publishes her first novel, The Voyage Out Go to Woolf, Virginia (1882–1941) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain D.H. Lawrence's novel about the Brangwen family, The Rainbow, is seized by the police as an obscene work Go to Lawrence, D(avid) H(erbert) (1885–1930) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Edgar Lee Masters makes his name as a poet with the publication of Spoon River Anthology Go to Masters, Edgar Lee (1868?–1950) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States Secret agent Richard Hannay makes his first appearance in John Buchan's Thirty-Nine Steps Go to Buchan, John, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir (1875–1940) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Rupert Brooke's 1914 and Other Poems is published a few months after his death in Greece Go to Brooke, Rupert Chawner (1887–1915) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Literature English literature Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1916	Earth's the right place for love' in Robert Frost's 'Birches', included in his collection Mountain Interval Go to Frost, Robert (1874–1963) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States Robert Graves publishes his first book of poems, Over the Brazier Go to Graves, Robert Ranke (1895–1985) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Literature English literature Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain The Imagist poet H.D. (Hilda Doolittle) publishes her first collection, Sea Garden Go to Doolittle, Hilda (1886–1961) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States The author H.H. Munro ('Saki') is killed by a sniper's bullet on a battlefield in France Go to Saki (1870–1916) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Literature French literature English literature Fiction War Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe France Britain
1917	Jeeves and Bertie Wooster make their first appearance in P.G. Wodehouse's The Man with Two Left Feet Go to Wodehouse, Sir P. G. (1881–1975) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain The first annual prizes are awarded, under the terms of Joseph Pulitzer's will, for the best new US novel, play, history and biography Go to Pulitzer Prizes in Journalism and Letters in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Literature American literature North America United States Australia Felix is the first in Henry Handel Richardson's trilogy of novels about her father Go to Richardson, Henry Handel (1870–1946) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Literature Fiction Australia and Oceania Australia
1918	Lytton Strachey fails to show conventional respect to four famous Victorians in his influential volume of short biographies entitled Eminent Victorians Go to Strachey, (Giles) Lytton (1880–1932) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Literature English literature Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Rebecca West publishes her first novel, The Return of the Soldier Go to West, Dame Rebecca (1892–1983) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain In My Antonia Willa Cather's heroine survives setbacks on the Nebraska frontier Go to Cather, Willa (1873–1947) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States
1919	Quia Pauper Amavi contains the first three of Ezra Pound's eventually more than 100 cantos Go to Pound, Ezra (1885–1972) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States H.L. Mencken's The American Language traces the gradual evolution of American from English Go to Mencken, H[enry] L[ouis] (1880–1956) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Literature American literature North America United States In The Economic Consequences of the Peace Maynard Keynes publishes a strong attack on the reparations demanded from Germany Go to Keynes, John Maynard, 1st Baron (1883–1946) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Literature English literature Commerce and industry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Society Britain Sherwood Anderson establishes a reputation with a collection of short stories, Winesburg, Ohio Go to Anderson, Sherwood (1876–1941) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States
1920	Ezra Pound publishes Hugh Selwyn Mauberley, a poem that reflects on the practice of poetry itself Go to Pound, Ezra (1885–1972) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 20th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States Edith Wharton publishes her best-known novel, The Age of Innocence Go to Wharton, Edith (1862–1937) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States Sapper's patriotic hero makes his first appearance, taking on the villainous Carl Peterson in Bull-dog Drummond Go to Sapper (1888–1937) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain The publication of Scott FitzGerald's first novel, This Side of Paradise, brings him instant success Go to Fitzgerald, F[rancis] Scott (1896–1940) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States D.H. Lawrence's Women in Love, a continuation of the family story in The Rainbow, is published first in the USA Go to Lawrence, D(avid) H(erbert) (1885–1930) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 20th century Literature American literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain North America United States The Belgian detective Hercule Poirot features in Agatha Christie's first book, The Mysterious Affair at Styles Go to Christie, Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa (1891–1976) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain The American novelist Sinclair Lewis has his first major success with Main Street, an unflattering portrayal of American village life Go to Lewis, [Harry] Sinclair (1885–1951) in The Oxford Companion to American Literature (6 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States
1921	Somerset Maugham's short story 'Rain' (in his collection The Trembling of a Leaf) introduces the lively American prostitute Sadie Thompson Go to Maugham, W. Somerset (1874–1965) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Marianne Moore calls her first published collection simply Poems Go to Moore, Marianne (1887–1972) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 20th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States Ludwig Wittgenstein publishes his influential study of the philosophy of logic, Tractatus Logico Philosophicus Go to Wittgenstein, Ludwig (1889–1951) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 20th century Literature English literature Philosophy Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Eugene O'Neill's play Anna Christie is performed in New York Go to O'Neill, Eugene (1888–1953) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 20th century Performing arts Theatre Literature American literature Drama North America United States
1922	The US architectural critic Lewis Mumford publishes The Story of Utopias, the first of his many influential works Go to Mumford, Lewis (1895–) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Literature American literature North America United States D.H. Lawrence takes a house in Sydney, where he writes the bulk of his novel Kangaroo Go to Lawrence, D. H. (1885–1930) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Literature Fiction Australia and Oceania Australia Sinclair Lewis creates an archetypal character in George Folanshee Babbitt, a real-estate broker in the Midwestern town of Zenith Go to Babbitt in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States John Galsworthy publishes his novels about the Forsyte family as a joint collection under the title The Forsyte Saga Go to Galsworthy, John (1867–1933) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Literature English literature Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain American-born poet T.S. Eliot publishes The Waste Land, an extremely influential poem in five fragmented sections Go to Eliot, T. S. (1888–1965) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Literature English literature Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1923	Wallace Stevens' first collection, Harmonium, sells 100 copies Go to Stevens, Wallace (1879–1955) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States Robert Frost publishes a new collection of poems, New Hampshire Go to Frost, Robert (1874–1963) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States The US poet e.e. cummings publishes his first collection, Tulips and Chimneys Go to Cummings, E[dward] E[stlin] (1894–1962) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States US poet Edna St Vincent Millay publishes The Harp-Weaver and Other Poems Go to Millay, Edna St. Vincent (1892–1950) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States The gentleman detective Lord Peter Wimsey makes his first appearance in Dorothy Sayers' Whose Body? Go to Sayers, Dorothy L(eigh) (1893–1957) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain US dramatist Elmer Rice establishes his reputation with The Adding Machine, an expressionistic drama about the machine age Go to Rice, Elmer (1892–1967) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Performing arts Theatre Literature American literature Drama North America United States Bernard Shaw's play Saint Joan has its world premiere in New York Go to Shaw, Bernard (1856–1950) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Performing arts Theatre Literature American literature English literature Drama Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain North America United States
1924	US poet Robinson Jeffers publishes his first successful collection, Tamar and Other Poems Go to Jeffers, Robinson (1887–1962) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States US poet E.A. Robinson publishes a narrative poem, The Man Who Died Twice, about the dissipation of artistic talent Go to Robinson, Edwin Arlington (1869–1935) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States E.M. Forster's novel A Passage to India builds on cultural misconceptions between the British and Indian communities Go to Forster, E. M. (1879–1970) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Christopher Robin features for the first time in A.A. Milne's When We Were Very Young Go to Milne, A(lan) A(lexander) (1882–1956) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Literature English literature Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1925	Harold Ross founds The New Yorker as a humorous weekly, and remains in charge of it until his death in 1951 Go to New Yorker, The (1925–) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Literature American literature North America United States Scott FitzGerald publishes his novel The Great Gatsby, set in a contemporary world of lavish indulgence underpinned by crime Go to Fitzgerald, F[rancis] Scott (1896–1940) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States DuBose Heyward publishes his first novel, Porgy, set in Charleston's Catfish Row Go to Heyward, Dubose (1885–1940) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States English writer Ivy Compton-Burnett finds her characteristic voice in her second novel, Pastors and Masters Go to Compton‐Burnett, Dame Ivy (1884–1969) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Virginia Woolf publishes her novel Mrs Dalloway, in which the action is limited to a single day Go to Woolf, Virginia (1882–1941) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain A round table at the Algonquin Hotel in New York becomes famous for its collection of wits Go to Algonquin Round Table in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Literature American literature North America United States
1926	Soldiers Pay is the first published novel of the Mississippi author William Faulkner Go to Faulkner William (1897–1962) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States Patrick Abercrombie publishes The Preservation of Rural England, calling for rural planning to prevent the encroachment of towns Go to Abercrombie, Sir (Leslie) Patrick (1879–1957) in A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (2 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Literature English literature Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain T.E. Lawrence publishes privately his autobiographical Seven Pillars of Wisdom, describing his part in the Arab uprising Go to Lawrence, T(homas) E(dward) (1888–1935) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Literature English literature Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore and the others make their first appearance in A.A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh Go to Milne, A. A. (1882–1956) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Literature English literature Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Hugh MacDiarmid writes his long poem A Drunk Man Looks at the Thistle in a revived version of the Lallans dialect of the Scottish borders Go to MacDiarmid, Hugh (1892–1978) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Literature English literature Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 Scotland British Isles Europe Britain Dorothy Parker has a best-seller with her first collection of verse, Enough Rope Go to Parker, Dorothy Rothschild (1893–1967) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States US author Ernest Hemingway succeeds with his second novel, The Sun also Rises (also known as Fiesta) Go to Sun Also Rises, The in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States
1927	US author Thornton Wilder achieves world-wide success with his second novel, The Bridge of San Luis Rey Go to Bridge of San Luis Rey, The in The Oxford Companion to Twentieth-Century Literature in English (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States Henry Williamson wins a wide readership with Tarka the Otter, a realistic story of the life and death of an otter in Devon Go to Williamson, Henry in The Oxford Encyclopedia of Children's Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Literature English literature Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain DuBose Heyward's novel Porgy, dramatized with a new title by himself and his wife Dorothy, has a great success on Broadway and in London Go to Porgy (1927) in The Oxford Companion to American Theatre (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Performing arts Theatre Literature American literature Drama North America United States Anglo-Irish author Elizabeth Bowen publishes her first novel, The Hotel Go to Bowen, Elizabeth (1899–1973) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Ireland Britain Virginia Woolf uses a Hebridean holiday as the setting for her narrative in To The Lighthouse Go to To the Lighthouse in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Irish author Frank Harris publishes the fourth and final volume of My Life and Loves Go to Harris, Frank (1856–1931) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Literature American literature North America United States Don Marquis publishes archy and mehitabel, the first collection of his sketches about archy the cockroach and mehitabel the alley cat Go to archy and mehitabel in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Literature American literature North America United States
1928	Caribbean-born author Jean Rhys publishes her first novel, Postures, based on her affair with the writer Ford Madox Ford Go to Rhys, Jean (?1890–1979) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Caribbean Siegfried Sassoon publishes Memoirs of a Fox-Hunting Man, the first volume of a semi-autobiographical trilogy Go to Sassoon, Siegfried Lorraine (1886–1967) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Literature English literature Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Stephen V. Benét publishes a verse narrative of the Civil War under the title John Brown's Body Go to Benét, Stephen Vincent (1898–1943) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States The Front Page, by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, has its premiere on Broadway Go to Front Page, The in The Oxford Dictionary of Plays (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Performing arts Theatre Literature American literature Drama North America United States US anthropologist Margaret Mead makes much of trouble-free sex among natives, in Coming of Age in Samoa, but her findings are subsequently disputed Go to Mead, Margaret (1901–1978) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Literature American literature Science Australia and Oceania Pacific Islands North America United States Set in a World War I trench, the play Journey's End reflects the wartime experiences of its British author, R.C. Sherriff Go to Journey's End in The Oxford Dictionary of Plays (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Performing arts Theatre Literature English literature Drama Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain D.H. Lawrence's new novel, in which Lady Chatterley is in love with her husband's gamekeeper, is privately printed in Florence Go to Lady Chatterley's Lover in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Literature English literature Italian literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Italy Britain Evelyn Waugh succeeds with a comic first novel, Decline and Fall Go to Decline and Fall in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Radclyffe Hall's novel The Well of Loneliness is the first to deal openly with a lesbian subject Go to Hall, Radclyffe (1883–1943) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1929	Sartoris is the first of 14 novels by William Faulkner set in his fictional Yoknapatawpha County Go to Sartoris family in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States Richard Hughes publishes his first novel, A High Wind in Jamaica Go to Hughes, Richard (1900–76) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Ernest Hemingway publishes A Farewell to Arms, closely reflecting his own wartime experiences Go to Farewell to Arms, A in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States Blind Fireworks is Ulster writer Louis MacNeice's first collection of poems Go to MacNeice, Louis (1907–63) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Literature English literature Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain US author Thomas Wolfe publishes an autobiographical first novel, Look Homeward, Angel Go to Look Homeward, Angel: A Story of the Buried Life in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States English author J.B. Priestley has an immediate success with his first novel, The Good Companions Go to Priestley, J. B. (1894–1984) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain English poet Robert Graves puts behind him an England he dislikes in his autobiography, Goodbye to All That Go to Goodbye to All That in The Oxford Companion to Twentieth-Century Literature in English (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Literature English literature Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1930	US author Marc Connelly's play Green Pastures has its premiere on Broadway Go to Green Pastures, The in The Oxford Dictionary of Plays (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Performing arts Theatre Literature American literature Drama North America United States English author W.H. Auden's first collection of poetry is published with the simple title Poems Go to Auden, W(ystan) H(ugh) (1907–1973) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Literature English literature Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Swallows and Amazons is the first of Arthur Ransome's adventure stories for children Go to Ransome, Arthur (1884–1967) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Literature English literature Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain US crime-writer Dashiell Hammett publishes The Maltese Falcon, the novel in which he introduces his sardonic private eye, Sam Spade Go to Spade, Sam in The Oxford Companion to Crime and Mystery Writing (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States Noel Coward and Gertrude Lawrence star in the West End in Private Lives, Coward's comedy of marital complications Go to Private Lives in The Oxford Dictionary of Plays (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Performing arts Theatre Literature English literature Drama Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Agatha Christie's Miss Marple makes her first appearance, in Murder at the Vicarage Go to Miss Marple in The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (2 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain In his novel As I Lay Dying William Faulkner follows the journey of a coffin in a mule-drawn wagon Go to As I Lay Dying in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States US author John Dos Passos publishes the first novel of his trilogy The 42nd Parallel Go to 42nd Parallel, The in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States A spoof history text book, 1066 and all that, is justifiably described by its authors, Walter Sellar and Robert Yeatman, as a Memorable History of England Go to Sellar, W. C. (1898–1951) in The Oxford Companion to English Literature (7 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Literature English literature Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1931	US critic Edmund Wilson publishes Axel's Castle, a collection of essays about writers in the symbolist tradition Go to Axel's Castle in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Literature American literature North America United States The US poet Ogden Nash has an immediate success with his first volume of poems, Hard Lines Go to Nash, Ogden (1902–71) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States Virginia Woolf publishes the most fluid of her novels, The Waves, in which she tells the story through six interior monologues Go to Waves, The in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain The trilogy Mourning becomes Electra, Eugene O'Neill's transposition to New England of the Oresteia story, is performed in New York Go to Mourning Becomes Electra in The Oxford Dictionary of Plays (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Performing arts Theatre Literature American literature Drama North America United States
1932	British author C.S. Lewis publishes a moral parable, The Screwtape Letters, about the problems confronting a trainee devil Go to Lewis, C. S. (1898–1963) in A Dictionary of British History (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Literature English literature Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Ernest Hemingway, an aficionado of the sport, publishes Death in the Afternoon, a non-fiction account of bullfighting in Spain Go to Death in the Afternoon in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Literature American literature North America United States British author Aldous Huxley gives a bleak view of a science-based future in his novel Brave New World Go to Brave New World in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain US novelist Erskine Caldwell publishes Tobacco Road, about white sharecroppers coping with poverty and desperation in Georgia Go to Tobacco Road in The Oxford Companion to American Literature (6 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States John Cowper Powys's novel A Glastonbury Romance is published first in New York Go to Glastonbury Romance, A in The Oxford Companion to Twentieth-Century Literature in English (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Young Lonigan: a Boyhood in Chicago Streets is the first novel in James T. Farrell's Studs Lonigan trilogy Go to Young Lonigan: A Boyhood in Chicago Streets in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States US author Damon Runyon publishes his first collection of stories about low-life New York, under the title Guys and Dolls Go to Runyon (884–1946) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States
1933	In My Life and Hard Times James Thurber's publishes an affectionate account of his family, including the night the bed fell on his father Go to Thurber, James Grover (1894–1961) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States H.G. Wells publishes The Shape of Things to Come, a novel in which he accurately predicts a renewal of world war Go to Wells, H. G. (1866–1946) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Gertrude Stein publishes a best-selling account of her own life under the title The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas Go to Toklas, Alice B[abette] (1877–1967) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Literature American literature French literature Europe France North America United States The Pylon group of British poets get their name from Stephen Spender's poem 'The Pylons' Go to Pylon School in The Oxford Companion to English Literature (7 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Literature English literature Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain English author Antonia White publishes an autobiographical first novel, Frost in May Go to White, Antonia (1899–1979) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Erskine Caldwell publishes a novel, God's Little Acre, about a farmer obsessed with finding gold on his farm Go to God's Little Acre in The Oxford Companion to American Literature (6 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States In Down and Out in Paris and London English author George Orwell writes a sympathetic account of the people he meets on hard times Go to Down and Out in Paris and London in The Oxford Companion to Twentieth-Century Literature in English (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Literature English literature Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1934	US author Scott Fitzgerald publishes his novel Tender Is the Night Go to Tender Is the Night in The Oxford Companion to Twentieth-Century Literature in English (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States US author Henry Miller publishes in Paris a largely sexual autobiography, Tropic of Cancer, about his life as an expatriate Go to Tropic of Cancer in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Literature American literature French literature Fiction Europe France North America United States Australian author Christina Stead publishes a first novel based on her own family, Seven Poor Men of Sydney Go to Seven Poor Men of Sydney in The Oxford Companion to Australian Literature (2 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Literature Fiction Australia and Oceania Australia In Lillian Hellman's play The Children's Hour two teachers are maliciously accused of lesbianism by one of their pupils Go to Children's Hour, The in The Oxford Dictionary of Plays (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Performing arts Theatre Literature American literature Drama North America United States In I, Claudius the autobiography of the Roman emperor is ghost-written by Robert Graves Go to I, Claudius in The Oxford Companion to Twentieth-Century Literature in English (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain In A Handful of Dust Evelyn Waugh sends his hero Tony Last to a disastrous fate, far away in the Amazon rain forest Go to Handful of Dust, A in The Oxford Companion to Twentieth-Century Literature in English (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1935	Tortilla Flat brings success for the US novelist John Steinbeck Go to Tortilla Flat in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States T.S. Eliot's play Murder in the Cathedral has its first performance in Canterbury cathedral Go to Murder in the Cathedral in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Performing arts Theatre Literature English literature Drama Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain R.K. Narayan's novel Swami and Friends is the first set in his fictional town of Malgudi Go to Narayan, R. K. (1906–2001) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Literature Fiction Asia South Asia India (the subcontinent) India (republic) Europe British publisher Allen Lane launches a paperback series to which he gives the name Penguin Books Go to Penguin Books in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Literature English literature Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1936	US author Margaret Mitchell publishes her one book, which becomes probably the best-selling novel of all time – Gone with the Wind Go to Gone with the Wind in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States William Faulkner's novel Absalom, Absalom! chronicles the violently destructive rise and fall of a poor Southern white, Thomas Sutpen Go to Absalom, Absalom! in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States John Maynard Keynes defines his economics in The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money Go to Keynes, John Maynard (1883–1946) in A Dictionary of British History (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Literature English literature Commerce and industry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Society Britain In Language, Truth and Logic 26-year-old A.J. Ayer produces a classic exposition of Logical Positivism Go to logical positivism in A Dictionary of Critical Theory (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Literature English literature Philosophy Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Terence Rattigan's first play, French without Tears, is performed in London Go to Rattigan, Sir Terence (1911–77) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Performing arts Theatre Literature English literature Drama Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain French-born US author Anaïs Nin publishes her first novel, The House of Incest Go to Nin, Anaïs (1903–77) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States
1937	John Steinbeck publishes Of Mice and Men, a novel about two itinerant farm labourers in California Go to Of Mice and Men in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States C.S. Forester's central character, Horatio Hornblower, features for the first time – in The Happy Return Go to Forester, Cecil Scott (1899–1966) in The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea (2 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain George Orwell reveals the harsh realities of contemporary British life in The Road to Wigan Pier Go to Road to Wigan Pier, The in The Oxford Companion to Twentieth-Century Literature in English (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Literature English literature Social and domestic Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Society Britain
1938	Thornton Wilder's play Our Town opens on Broadway Go to Our Town in The Oxford Dictionary of Plays (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Performing arts Theatre Literature American literature Drama North America United States British author Evelyn Waugh publishes a classic Fleet Street novel, Scoop, introducing Lord Copper, proprietor of The Beast Go to Scoop in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Delmore Schwartz publishes his first book of poems, In Dreams Begin Responsibilities Go to Schwartz, Delmore (1913–68) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States In Homage to Catalonia George Orwell describes his experiences fighting for the International Brigade in the Spanish Civil War Go to Homage to Catalonia (1938) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Literature English literature War Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain British author Graham Greene publishes Brighton Rock, a novel following 17-year-old Pinkie in the criminal underworld of the seaside town Go to Brighton Rock in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Maxim de Winter's house, Manderley, holds dark secrets in Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca Go to Rebecca in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1939	W.H. Auden and Christopher Isherwood emigrate together to the USA, later becoming US citizens Go to Isherwood, Christopher (1904–86) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Literature American literature English literature Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain North America United States US author Henry Miller publishes in Paris Tropic of Capricorn, about his adolescence in New York Go to Miller, Henry (1891–1980) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Literature American literature French literature Fiction Europe France North America United States James Thurber publishes his short story The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Go to Secret Life of Walter Mitty, The in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States John Steinbeck's novel The Grapes of Wrath follows the Joad family, sharecroppers who are forced to move west to escape the horrors of the Dust Bowl Go to Grapes of Wrath, The in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States Irish author Flann O'Brien publishes his first novel, At Swim-Two-Birds Go to At Swim-Two-Birds in The Oxford Companion to Twentieth-Century Literature in English (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Ireland Britain Australian author Patrick White publishes his first novel, Happy Valley Go to White, Patrick (1912–90) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Literature Fiction Australia and Oceania Australia British author Christopher Isherwood publishes his novel Goodbye to Berlin, based on his own experiences in the city Go to Goodbye to Berlin in The Oxford Companion to Twentieth-Century Literature in English (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain US crime-writer Raymond Chandler publishes his first novel, The Big Sleep, introducing the hard-boiled detective Philip Marlowe Go to Chandler, Raymond (1888–1959) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States T.S. Eliot gives cats a poetic character in Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats Go to Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Literature English literature Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1940	German novelist Thomas Mann takes US citizenship and in 1941 moves to California Go to Mann, Thomas (1875–1955) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1940s 20th century Literature American literature North America United States US author Richard Wright publishes Native Son, his semi-autobiographical novel about racial equality Go to Native Son in The Concise Oxford Companion to African American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1940s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States Ernest Hemingway publishes the novel For Whom the Bell Tolls, set in the Spanish Civil War Go to For Whom the Bell Tolls in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1940s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States Flann O'Brien's The Third Policeman is rejected by numerous publishers before becoming, decades later, his best-known novel Go to Third Policeman, The in The Oxford Companion to Twentieth-Century Literature in English (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1940s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Ireland Britain US author Carson McCullers publishes her first novel, The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter Go to Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, The in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1940s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States In To the Finland Station Edmund Wilson discusses the development of socialism and revolution, culminating in Lenin and Trotsky Go to To the Finland Station in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1940s 20th century Literature American literature Communism Finland North America United States
1941	Scott Fitzgerald's final and incomplete novel, The Last Tycoon, is published posthumously Go to Last Tycoon, The in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1940s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States Agee and Evans give a warm personal view of America in Let Us Now Praise Famous Men Go to Let Us Now Praise Famous Men in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1940s 20th century Literature American literature Social and domestic Society North America United States British author Rebecca West publishes an account of Yugoslavia, Black Lamb and Grey Falcon Go to West, Dame Rebecca in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1940s 20th century Literature English literature Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain US author Eudora Welty publishes her first collection of stories, A Curtain of Green Go to Welty, Eudora (1909–2001) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1940s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States
c. 1942	US poet Ezra Pound, in Italy during the war, broadcasts Fascist propaganda aimed at the United States Go to Pound, Ezra (1885–1972) in A Dictionary of Modern and Contemporary Art (2 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1940s 20th century Literature American literature Italian literature Poetry Europe Italy North America United States US poet Randall Jarrell publishes his first collection, Blood for a Stranger Go to Jarrell, Randall (1914–65) in The Oxford Companion to Twentieth-Century Literature in English (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1940s 20th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States English children's author Enid Blyton introduces the Famous Five in Five on a Treasure Island Go to Blyton, Enid Mary (1897–1968) in A Dictionary of British History (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1940s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Thornton Wilder's play The Skin of our Teeth has a mixed reception at its New Haven premiere Go to Skin of Our Teeth, The in The Oxford Dictionary of Plays (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1940s 20th century Performing arts Theatre Literature American literature Drama North America United States
1944	Saul Bellow publishes his first novel, Dangling Man, a study of an intellectual adrift as he waits to be drafted into the army Go to Dangling Man in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1940s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States Boston writer Robert Lowell publishes his first book of poems, Land of Unlikeness Go to Lowell, Robert (1917–77) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1940s 20th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States The separate poems forming T.S. Eliot's Four Quartets are brought together for the first time as a single volume, published in New York Go to Eliot, T. S. (1888–1965) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1940s 20th century Literature American literature English literature Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain North America United States
1945	English author Nancy Mitford has her first success with the novel The Pursuit of Love Go to Mitford, Nancy (1904–73) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1940s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain US dramatist Tennessee Williams has his first success with The Glass Menagerie Go to Glass Menagerie, The in The Oxford Dictionary of Plays (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1940s 20th century Performing arts Theatre Literature American literature Drama North America United States Russian-born novelist Vladimir Nabokov becomes a US citizen Go to Nabokov, Vladimir (1899–1977) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1940s 20th century Literature American literature North America United States Evelyn Waugh publishes Brideshead Revisited, a novel about a rich Catholic family in England between the wars Go to Brideshead Revisited in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1940s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain In George Orwell's fable Animal Farm a ruthless pig, Napoleon, controls the farmyard using the techniques of Stalin Go to Animal Farm in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1940s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Richard Wright publishes Black Boy, an account of his early life in Mississippi and then Chicago Go to Black Boy in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1940s 20th century Literature American literature North America United States
1946	Eudora Welty sets her novel Delta Wedding in a contemporary southern plantation Go to Welty, Eudora (1909–2001) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1940s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh, set in a down-and-out bar of the kind he had known in his youth, is performed in New York Go to Iceman Cometh, The in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1940s 20th century Performing arts Theatre Literature American literature Drama North America United States Robert Lowell's second collection, Lord Weary's Castle, contains 'The Quaker Graveyard in Nantucket' and 'Mr Edwards and the Spider' Go to Lord Weary's Castle in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1940s 20th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States Ezra Pound, charged with treason for his wartime broadcasts, begins twelve years in a US hospital for the criminally insane Go to Pound, Ezra Weston Loomis (1885–1972) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1940s 20th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States US poet Elizabeth Bishop publishes her first collection of poems, North and South Go to Bishop, Elizabeth (1911–1979) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1940s 20th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States Titus Groan begins British author Mervyn Peake's trilogy of gothic novels Go to Peake, Mervyn (1911–68) in The Oxford Companion to Twentieth-Century Literature in English (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1940s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1947	English author and alcoholic Malcolm Lowry publishes an autobiographical novel, Under the Volcano Go to Under the Volcano in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1940s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Bertolt Brecht's play The Life of Galileo has its premiere in Los Angeles with Charles Laughton in the lead Go to Life of Galileo in The Oxford Dictionary of Plays (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1940s 20th century Performing arts Theatre Literature American literature German literature Drama Germany North America United States Marlon Brando stars on Broadway in Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar named Desire Go to Streetcar Named Desire, A in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1940s 20th century Performing arts Theatre Literature American literature Drama North America United States J.B. Priestley challenges audiences with An Inspector Calls, a play in which moral guilt spreads like an infection Go to Inspector Calls, An in The Oxford Dictionary of Plays (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1940s 20th century Performing arts Theatre Literature English literature Drama Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1948	Norman Mailer has immediate success with his first novel, The Naked and the Dead, based on his military service in the Pacific Go to Naked and the Dead, The in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1940s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States US poet Theodore Roethke publishes The Lost Son, his second collection Go to Roethke, Theodore (1908–63) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1940s 20th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States US novelist and poet Jack Kerouac coins a term for his contemporaries, the Beat Generation Go to Beat and Beat Generation in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1940s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction Poetry Social and domestic Society North America United States Christopher Fry's verse drama The Lady's Not For Burning engages in high-spirited poetic word play Go to Lady's Not for Burning, The in The Oxford Dictionary of Plays (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1940s 20th century Performing arts Theatre Literature English literature Drama Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1949	Annie Allen, by US author Gwendolyn Brooks, describes in narrative verse the life of a black girl in contemporary USA Go to Annie Allen in The Concise Oxford Companion to African American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1940s 20th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States Death of a Salesman, by US playwright Arthur Miller, has its first performance in New York Go to Death of a Salesman in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1940s 20th century Performing arts Theatre Literature American literature Drama North America United States Enid Blyton introduces her most successful character, Noddy, a small boy who can't avoid nodding when he speaks Go to Blyton, Enid in The Oxford Encyclopedia of Children's Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1940s 20th century Literature English literature Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain George Orwell publishes Nineteen Eighty-Four, a novel set in a terrifying totalitarian state of the future, watched over by Big Brother Go to Nineteen Eighty‐Four in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1940s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1950	The Family Moskat, about a Jewish family in Warsaw, is the first of Isaac Bashevis Singer's books to be published in English Go to Singer, Isaac Bashevis (1904–) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction Europe Poland North America United States C.S. Lewis gives the first glimpse of Narnia in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Go to Narnia in The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (2 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain British author Doris Lessing publishes her first novel, The Grass is Singing Go to Lessing, Doris (1919– ) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain US sociologist David Riesman analyzes the American character in The Lonely Crowd Go to Riesman, David (1909–2002) in Dictionary of the Social Sciences (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Literature American literature Social and domestic Society North America United States
1951	German-born US philosopher Hannah Arendt links Hitler's and Stalin's regimes in The Origins of Totalitarianism Go to Arendt, Hannah (1906–1975) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Literature American literature North America United States Catcher in the Rye is US author J.D. Salinger's immensely successful first novel Go to Catcher in the Rye, The in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States British author John Wyndham creates a dark fantasy in his novel The Day of the Triffids Go to Wyndham, John in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain A Question of Upbringing begins Anthony Powell's 'A Dance to the Music of Time' Go to Powell, Anthony (1905–2000) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain US novelist Carson McCullers publishes a collection of stories, The Ballad of the Sad Café Go to McCullers, Carson (1917–67) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States British art historian Nikolaus Pevsner undertakes a massive task, a county-by-county description of The Buildings of England Go to Pevsner, Sir Nikolaus (30 Jan. 1902) in The Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists (4 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Architecture British architecture Literature English literature Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1952	US author Ralph Ellison publishes his first novel, Invisible Man, a Kafkaesque account of a black immigrant's life in New York Go to Ellison, Ralph (1914–1994) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States Ernest Hemingway publishes The Old Man and the Sea, about an epic struggle between an aged Cuban fisherman and a gigantic marlin Go to Old Man and the Sea, The in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction Caribbean North America United States Evelyn Waugh publishes Men at Arms, the first novel in the Sword of Honour trilogy based on his wartime experiences Go to Waugh, Evelyn (Arthur St John) (1903–1966) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain In his novel East of Eden John Steinbeck develops the biblical theme of Cain and Abel in a family saga set in California Go to East of Eden in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States US clergyman Norman Vincent Peale has a best-seller in The Power of Positive Thinking Go to Peale, Norman Vincent (1898–1993) in The Oxford Companion to United States History (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Literature American literature North America United States
1953	Saul Bellow publishes The Adventures of Augie March, a novel about the experiences of a young Chicago Jew Go to Bellow, Saul (1915–2005) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States English author L.P. Hartley sets his novel The Go-Between in the summer of 1900 Go to Go-Between, The in The Oxford Companion to Twentieth-Century Literature in English (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain James Bond, agent 007, has a licence to kill in Ian Fleming's first novel, Casino Royale Go to Fleming, Ian Lancaster (1908–1964) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain US author James Baldwin publishes his first novel, Go Tell It on the Mountain, set in Harlem Go to Baldwin, James (1924–1987) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States South African author Nadine Gordimer publishes her first novel, The Lying Days Go to Gordimer, Nadine (1923– ) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Literature Fiction Africa South Africa South Africa (republic) Arthur Miller's play The Crucible uses the Salem witch trials as a metaphor for the contemporary paranoia of McCarthyism Go to Crucible, The in The Oxford Companion to Twentieth-Century Literature in English (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Performing arts Theatre Literature American literature Drama North America United States
1954	Dylan Thomas's 'play for voices', Under Milk Wood, is broadcast on BBC radio, with Richard Burton as narrator Go to Under Milk Wood in The Oxford Dictionary of Plays (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Performing arts Literature English literature Drama Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Politician and author Winston Churchill completes his six-volume history The Second World War Go to Churchill, Sir Winston (1874–1965) in The Oxford Companion to English Literature (7 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Literature English literature Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles British prime ministers - from 1830 Europe Rulers and politicians Britain Anglo-Irish novelist Iris Murdoch publishes her first novel, Under the Net Go to Murdoch, Dame Iris (1919–99) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Ireland Britain English author Kingsley Amis's first novel, Lucky Jim, strikes an anti-establishment chord Go to Amis, Sir Kingsley (1922–95) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain William Golding gives a chilling account of schoolboy savagery in his first novel, Lord of the Flies Go to Lord of the Files, in The Oxford Companion to Twentieth-Century Literature in English (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
c. 1955	Kingsley Amis and other young writers in Britain become known as Angry Young Men Go to Angry Young Men in The Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Literature English literature Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Tennessee Williams' play Cat on a Hot Tin Roof opens on Broadway Go to Cat on a Hot Tin Roof in The Oxford Dictionary of Plays (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Performing arts Theatre Literature American literature Drama North America United States Graham Greene's novel The Quiet American is set in contemporary Vietnam and foresees troubles ahead Go to Quiet American, The in The Oxford Companion to Twentieth-Century Literature in English (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain English poet Philip Larkin finds his distinctive voice in his collection The Less Deceived Go to Larkin, Philip Arthur (1922–1985) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Literature English literature Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Arthur Miller's play A View from the Bridge is performed in New York Go to View from the Bridge, A in The Oxford Dictionary of Plays (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Performing arts Theatre Literature American literature Drama North America United States British philologist J.R.R. Tolkien publishes the third and final volume of his epic fantasy The Lord of the Rings Go to Lord of the Rings, The in The Oxford Companion to English Literature (7 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1956	English poet Ted Hughes marries US poet Sylia Plath Go to Hughes, Ted (1930–1998) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Literature American literature English literature Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain North America United States Eugene O'Neill's searing account of tensions within his own family, Long Day's Journey into Night, has its premiere in Stockholm Go to Long Day's Journey into Night in The Oxford Dictionary of Plays (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Performing arts Theatre Literature American literature Drama North America United States Lawrence Ferlinghetti is prosecuted and acquitted for publishing Allen Ginsberg's Howl Go to Ferlinghetti, Lawrence (1920– ) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States John Osborne's play Look Back in Anger features in the first season of London's new English Stage Company Go to Look Back in Anger in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Performing arts Theatre Literature English literature Drama Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1957	US novelist John Cheever publishes The Wapshot Chronicle, depicting a wealthy and eccentric family in Massachusetts Go to Cheever, John (1912–1982) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States US novelist Mary McCarthy describes the religious pressures she grew up with in Memories of a Catholic Girlhood Go to McCarthy, Mary (1912–) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Literature American literature Religion Christianity North America United States The Hawk in the Rain is English author Ted Hughes' first volume of poems Go to Hughes, Ted (1930–1998) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Literature English literature Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Jack Kerouac publishes a largely autobiographical novel, On the Road, describing his experiences travelling through the US and Mexico Go to McCarthy, Mary (1912–) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction Latin America Mexico North America United States In Voss Australian author Patrick White creates an epic novel about a disastrous attempt to cross the continent Go to Voss in The Oxford Companion to Twentieth-Century Literature in English (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Literature Fiction Australia and Oceania Australia The publication of the novel Justine launches Lawrence Durrell's Alexandria Quartet Go to Durrell, Lawrence (1912–90) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Alexandria Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain In Syntactic Structures Noam Chomsky proposes the revolutionary theory that humans inherit an innate universal grammar Go to Chomsky, Noam Avram (1928– ) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Literature American literature Science North America United States English author John Braine publishes his first novel, Room at the Top Go to Braine, John (1922–86) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain English author Stevie Smith publishes her collection of poems Not Waving but Drowning Go to Smith, Stevie (1903–1971) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Literature English literature Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Laurence Olivier brings the music-hall artist Archie Rice vibrantly to life in John Osborne's The Entertainer Go to Entertainer, The in The Oxford Dictionary of Plays (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Performing arts Theatre Literature English literature Drama Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1958	Irish dramatist Brendan Behan's play The Hostage is produced in Dublin Go to Behan, Brendan (1923–1964) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Performing arts Theatre Literature English literature Drama Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain In The Affluent Society US economist John Kenneth Galbraith criticizes wasteful modern consumerism Go to Galbraith, John Kenneth (1908–2006) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Literature American literature Commerce and industry Society North America United States Chicken Soup with Barley begins a trilogy by English playwright Arnold Wesker Go to Wesker, Arnold (1932) in The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre (2 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Performing arts Theatre Literature English literature Drama Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Vladimir Nabokov's novel Lolita is published in Paris Go to Lolita in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Literature American literature French literature Fiction Europe France North America United States Truman Capote publishes a short novel, Breakfast at Tiffany's, with a bewitching central character, Holly Golightly Go to Breakfast at Tiffany's in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States Nigerian dramatist Wole Soyinka's play The Swamp Dwellers is produced in London Go to Soyinka, Wole (1934– ) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Performing arts Theatre Literature American literature German literature Drama Africa West Africa Germany English author Alan Sillitoe publishes his first novel, Saturday Night and Sunday Morning Go to Saturday Night and Sunday Morning in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Harold Pinter's first play in London's West End, The Birthday Party, closes in less than a week Go to Birthday Party, The in The Oxford Dictionary of Plays (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Performing arts Theatre Literature English literature Drama Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1959	Saul Bellow publishes Henderson the Rain King, in which an American millionaire acquires a strange role in an African tribe Go to Henderson the Rain King in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States Keith Waterhouse has a wide success with his second novel, Billy Liar Go to Waterhouse, Keith (1929–2009) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain US author William Burroughs' Naked Lunch, an account of the horrors of a junkie's life, is published in Paris Go to Naked Lunch, The in The Oxford Companion to Twentieth-Century Literature in English (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States Harold Pinter's second play in London's West End, The Caretaker, immediately brings him an international reputation Go to Caretaker, The in The Oxford Dictionary of Plays (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Performing arts Theatre Literature English literature Drama Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Philip Roth publishes his first book, Goodbye, Columbus, a novella and five short stories Go to Roth, Philip (1933– ) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States British author Laurie Lee remembers a Cotswold boyhood in Cider with Rosie Go to Lee, Laurie (1914–97) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Literature English literature Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1960	The Colossus is US author Sylvia Plath's first collection of poems Go to Plath, Sylvia (1932–63) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States Flower, Fist and Bestial Wail is the first of many collections of poems by US poet Charles Bukowski Go to Bukowski, Charles (1920–1994) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States English poet John Betjeman publishes his long autobiographical poem Summoned by Bells Go to Summoned by Bells in The Oxford Companion to Twentieth-Century Literature in English (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature English literature Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain US author Harper Lee publishes her first and only novel, To Kill a Mockingbird Go to Lee, Harper (1926– ) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States US novelist John Barth publishes The Sot-Weed Factor, a picaresque life of Edmund Cook set on a family tobacco plantation in Maryland Go to Sot-Weed Factor, The in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States Paul Scofield plays Thomas More in Robert Bolt's A Man for All Seasons Go to Man for All Seasons, A in The Oxford Dictionary of Plays (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Performing arts Theatre Literature English literature Drama Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain US author John Updike begins to chart the fictional progress of Harry Angstrom, known as Rabbit, in Rabbit, Run Go to Ballou, Adin (1803–90) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States Penguin Books are prosecuted for obscenity for publishing D.H. Lawrence's novel Lady Chatterley's Lover, and are acquitted Go to Lady Chatterley's Lover in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1961	Political activist Jane Jacobs publishes an influential polemic, The Death and Life of Great American Cities Go to Jacobs, Jane Butzner (1916–2006) in A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (2 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature American literature Politics North America United States J.D. Salinger publishes Franny and Zooey, the second of his collections of stories about the Glass family Go to Barefoot Boy, The in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States British author Roald Dahl publishes a novel for children, James and the Giant Peach Go to Dahl, Roald (1916–1990) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain US author Joseph Heller publishes his first novel, Catch-22, set in the last months of World War II Go to Catch-22 in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States The novelist Ernest Hemingway kills himself with a shotgun in his log cabin in Idaho Go to Hemingway, Ernest Miller (1898–1961) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature American literature North America United States British novelist Muriel Spark publishes The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, set in an Edinburgh school in the 1930s Go to Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, The in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1962	James Baldwin's third novel Another Country explores the conflicts in the life of a young unemployed black musician Go to Baldwin, James (1924–1987) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States John Ashbery's radical collection The Tennis Court Oath includes poems composed of sliced up fragments Go to Ashbery, John (1927–) in The Oxford Companion to Twentieth-Century Poetry in English (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States Benjamin Britten's War Requiem, setting poems by Wilfred Owen, is first performed in the rebuilt Coventry Cathedral Go to War Requiem in The Oxford Companion to Music (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Performing arts Music Literature English literature Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain The Reivers, the last of William Faulkner's Yoknapatawpha novels, is published just a month before his death Go to Reivers, The in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States British author Doris Lessing publishes an influential feminist novel, The Golden Notebook Go to Golden Notebook, The in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain British author P.D. James's first novel, Cover Her Face, introduces her poet detective Adam Dalgleish Go to James, P. D. (1920– ) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain US dramatist Edward Albee's play Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? opens on Broadway Go to Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf in The Oxford Dictionary of Plays (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Performing arts Theatre Literature American literature Drama North America United States In Pale Fire Vladimir Nabokov tells his story through an editor's annotations to a poem Go to Pale Fire in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States In The Gutenberg Galaxy Canadian author Marshall McLuhan develops the concept of the 'global village' Go to McLuhan, Marshall (1911–1980) in Dictionary of the Social Sciences (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature American literature Social and domestic Society North America Canada Anthony Burgess publishes A Clockwork Orange, a novel depicting a disturbing and violent near-future Go to Clockwork Orange, A in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1963	US poet Sylvia Plath publishes under a pseudonym her only novel, The Bell Jar Go to Bell Jar, The in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States US poet Sylvia Plath commits suicide in London Go to Plath, Sylvia (1932–1963) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature American literature English literature Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain North America United States English author John Le Carré publishes a Cold-War thriller The Spy Who Came in from the Cold Go to Le Carré, John (1931– ) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Mary McCarthy's novel The Group follows the subsequent adventures of eight fellow graduates from Vassar Go to McCarthy, Mary (1912–89) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States US environmentist Rachel Carson publishes Silent Spring, an impassioned warning of ecological disaster Go to Carson, Rachel (1907–1964) in The Oxford Companion to United States History (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature American literature Science Life sciences North America United States US author and illustrator Maurice Sendak publishes a fantasy for young children, Where the Wild Things Are Go to Where the Wild Things Are (1963) in The Oxford Companion to English Literature (7 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States English author Margaret Drabble publishes her first novel, A Summer Birdcage Go to Drabble, Dame Margaret (1939– ) in The Oxford Companion to English Literature (7 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain In The Feminine Mystique US feminist Betty Friedan challenges the stereotypical view of woman's role Go to Friedan, Betty (1921–2006) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature American literature Social and domestic Society North America United States Sexual intercourse begins in this year, according to Philip Larkin's 1974 poem Annus Mirabilis Go to Larkin, Philip (1922–85) in The Oxford Companion to English Literature (7 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature English literature Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1964	Roald Dahl publishes a fantasy treat for a starving child, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Go to Dahl, Roald (1916–1990) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain US poet John Berryman's 77 Dream Songs introduce Henry, his alter ego Go to Berryman, John (1914–72) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States Robert Lowell's For the Union Dead takes its title from the last poem, about modern disregard for a Civil War monument Go to For the Union Dead in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States English author A.S. Byatt publishes her first novel, Shadow of a Sun Go to Byatt, A. S. (1936– ) in The Oxford Companion to Twentieth-Century Literature in English (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain New Zealand poet Fleur Adcock publishes her first collection, The Eye of the Hurricane Go to Adcock, Fleur (1934–) in The Oxford Companion to Twentieth-Century Poetry in English (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature American literature Poetry Australia and Oceania New Zealand US author Joyce Carol Oates publishes her first novel, With Shuddering Fall Go to Oates, Joyce Carol (1938– ) in The Oxford Companion to English Literature (7 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States US author Saul Bellow publishes Herzog, a novel featuring a professor of history who is a compulsive sender of messages Go to Herzog in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States Canadian author Marshall McLuhan declares, in Understanding Media, that 'the medium is the message' Go to McLuhan, Marshall (1911–1980) in Dictionary of the Social Sciences (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature American literature North America Canada
1965	Neil Simon's play The Odd Couple is produced in New York Go to Odd Couple, The in The Oxford Dictionary of Plays (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Performing arts Theatre Literature American literature Drama North America United States US author Randall Jarrell's poem The Lost World provides the title for his last published book Go to Jarrell, Randall (1914–65) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States Based on interviews given to Alex Haley in 1964, a life of Malcolm X is published soon after his assassination Go to Haley, Alex (1921–) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature American literature North America United States
1966	English novelist Paul Scott publishes The Jewel in the Crown, the first volume in his 'Raj Quartet' Go to Raj Quartet, The in The Oxford Companion to Twentieth-Century Literature in English (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 Scotland British Isles Europe Britain Irish poet Seamus Heaney wins critical acclaim for Death of a Naturalist, his first volume containing more than a few poems Go to Heaney, Seamus Justin (1939– ) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature English literature Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 Northern Ireland British Isles Europe Ireland Britain After a long period of obscurity, Wide Sargasso Sea brings novelist Jean Rhys back into the literary limelight Go to Rhys, Jean (1894–1979) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, by Tom Stoppard, is produced at the Edinburgh Festival Go to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Performing arts Theatre Literature English literature Drama Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain US author Susan Sontag publishes her first collection of essays, Against Interpretation Go to Sontag, Susan (1933–2004) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature American literature North America United States
1967	US poet Anne Sexton publishes Live or Die, a collection containing a poem to her dead friend Sylvia Plath Go to Sexton, Anne (1928–74) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature American literature Poetry North America United States English author Angela Carter wins recognition with her quirky second novel, The Magic Toyshop Go to Carter, Angela (1940–92) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain English playwright Alan Ayckbourn has his first success with Relatively Speaking Go to Ayckbourn, Sir Alan (1939– ) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Performing arts Theatre Literature English literature Drama Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Three young Liverpool poets publish a shared anthology under the title The Mersey Sound Go to McGough, Roger (1937– ) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature English literature Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain A Day in the Death of Joe Egg, by English dramatist Peter Nichols, has its premiere in London Go to Day in the Death of Joe Egg, A in The Oxford Dictionary of Plays (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Performing arts Theatre Literature English literature Drama Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain US author William Styron's novel The Confessions of Nat Turner describes a historical slave revolt in 1831 Go to Confessions of Nat Turner, The in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States
1968	Ezra Pound publishes his last collection of cantos, Drafts and Fragments of Cantos CX - CXVII Go to Cantos, The in The Oxford Companion to Twentieth-Century Literature in English (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature American literature Italian literature Poetry Europe Italy North America United States Norman Mailer publishes The Armies of the Night, based on his experiences on an anti-Vietnam demonstration in Washington in October 1967 Go to Armies of the Night, The in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature American literature North America United States English biographer Michael Holroyd completes his two-volume life of Lytton Strachey Go to Holroyd, Michael (1935– ) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature English literature Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Gore Vidal publishes Myra Breckenridge, featuring a lively transsexual as the central character Go to Vidal, Gore (1925– ) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States
1969	English novelist John Fowles publishes The French Lieutenant's Woman, set in Lyme Regis in the 1860s Go to Fowles, John (1926–2005) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain US novelist Philip Roth publishes Portnoy's Complaint, a monologue in which the hero gives his psychoanalyst a frank description of his sexual frustrations Go to Portnoy's Complaint in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States Space-traveller Billy Pilgrim suffers horrors in Kurt Vonnegut's novel Slaughterhouse-Five Go to Slaughterhouse-Five; or The Children's Crusade. A Duty-Dance with Death in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States Canadian author Margaret Atwood publishes her first novel, The Edible Woman Go to Atwood, Margaret Eleanor (1939– ) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1960s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America Canada United States
1970	US author Maya Angelou publishes her autobiographical first novel, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Go to I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings in The Oxford Companion to Twentieth-Century Literature in English (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1970s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States Australian author David Malouf is first published as a poet, with his collection Bicycle and Other Poems Go to Malouf, David (1934– ) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1970s 20th century Literature American literature Poetry Australia and Oceania Australia Australian feminist Germaine Greer publishes The Female Eunuch as a wake-up call to women Go to Greer, Germaine (1939) in A Dictionary of Critical Theory (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1970s 20th century Literature Australia and Oceania Australia US feminist Kate Millett's Sexual Politics is her doctoral dissertation on the exploitation of women Go to Millett, Kate (1934) in A Dictionary of Critical Theory (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1970s 20th century Literature American literature North America United States
1972	English dramatist Caryl Churchill's first play, Owners, is produced in London Go to Churchill, Caryl (1938– ) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1970s 20th century Performing arts Theatre Literature English literature Drama Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain English poet James Fenton publishes his first collection, Terminal Moraine Go to Fenton, James (1949– ) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1970s 20th century Literature English literature Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1973	British economist Ernst Friedrich Schumacher publishes an influential economic tract, Small is Beautiful Go to Schumacher, Ernst Friedrich (1911–1977) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1970s 20th century Literature English literature Commerce and industry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Society Britain Thomas Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow conjures up weird events in wartime London Go to Pynchon, Thomas (1937–) in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1970s 20th century Literature American literature Fiction North America United States US author Stephen King publishes Carrie, the first of his many best-selling horror novels Go to King, Stephen (1947) in The Oxford Companion to American Literature (6 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1970s

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