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Timeline: Literature

Years: c. 2500 BCE - 2000	Subject: Literature
Publisher: HistoryWorld	Online Publication Date: 2012
Current online version: 2012	eISBN: 9780191737046

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BCE CE

Year	Event
c. 2500 BCE	Enuma Elish, the Babylonian creation story, spreads in oral form Go to Enuma Elish in A Dictionary of Creation Myths (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: Neolithic 3100-1000 BCE Religion Mesopotamia Asia West Asia Iraq
c. 1500 BCE	Sacrificial hymns of the Aryans, gathered in the Rigveda, become the earliest Sanskrit literature Go to Veda in The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy (2 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 3100-1000 BCE Poetry Religion Asia South Asia India (the subcontinent) India (republic)
c. 750 BCE	The Homeric texts, the Iliad and the Odyssey, are written down - probably in Ionia Go to Homer in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1000-600 BCE Greek literature Poetry Europe Greece
c. 650 BCE	The Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh is known in its complete form from texts in the library of Ashurbanipal at Nineveh Go to Gilgamesh, The Epic of in The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology (2 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1000-600 BCE Mesopotamia Asia West Asia Iraq
c. 600 BCE	The poems of the Shi Jing, China's earliest work of literature, are gathered together Go to Chinese Mythology in A Dictionary of Asian Mythology (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1000-600 BCE 6th century BCE Poetry Asia East Asia China
c. 550 BCE	K'ung-fu-tzu, or Confucius, teaches a practical philosophy which will profoundly influence Chinese history Go to Confucianism in A Dictionary of World History (2 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 6th century BCE Philosophy Politics Asia East Asia China
c. 500 BCE	Parmenides is the first pure philosopher, using logic as a philosophical tool in his poem Nature See this event in other timelines: 6th century BCE 5th century BCE Greek literature Philosophy Europe Greece The Chinese philosophy of alternating opposites is expressed as yin and yang Go to Taoism in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 6th century BCE 5th century BCE Philosophy Asia East Asia China
484 BCE	Aeschylus wins the prize for tragedy at the City Dionysia in Athens Go to Aeschylus (525?–456 bc) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 5th century BCE Greek literature Ancient Athens Performing arts Theatre Drama Poetry Europe Greece
468 BCE	Sophocles wins the prize for tragedy in Athens, defeating Aeschylus in the competition Go to Sophocles in The Oxford Companion to World Mythology (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 5th century BCE Greek literature Ancient Athens Performing arts Theatre Drama Poetry Europe Greece
c. 460 BCE	Herodotus, the 'father of history', writes his account of the Greco-Persian Wars from a vantage point in Asia Minor Go to Herodotus (c. 490–c. 425 bc) in A Dictionary of World History (2 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 5th century BCE Greek literature Greco-Persian Wars War Asia West Asia Turkey Europe Greece Wars and Revolutions
454 BCE	Euripides enters the drama contest at the City Dionysia in Athens for the first time Go to Euripides (c.480–c.450 bc) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 5th century BCE Greek literature Ancient Athens Performing arts Theatre Drama Poetry Europe Greece
c. 450 BCE	The Sophists, professional philosophers, travel round Greece educating the sons of the rich Go to sophists in A Dictionary of World History (2 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 5th century BCE Greek literature Philosophy Europe Greece
423 BCE	Socrates is now sufficiently prominent to be satirized in Clouds, a comedy by Aristophanes Go to Aristophanes (c.448–c.380 bc) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 5th century BCE Greek literature Ancient Athens Performing arts Theatre Drama Philosophy Poetry Europe Greece
431 BCE	The renewal of the Peloponnesian War prompts Thucydides to begin a great work of contemporary history Go to Thucydides (c.460/455–c.400 bc) in The Oxford Companion to English Literature (7 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 5th century BCE Greek literature Peloponnesian Wars War Europe Greece Wars and Revolutions
c. 425 BCE	Aristophanes wins first prize in Athens for his comedy The Acharnians Go to Aristophanes (c.448–c.380 bc) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 5th century BCE Greek literature Ancient Athens Performing arts Theatre Drama Poetry Europe Greece
401 BCE	Greek mercenaries, on the losing side at Cunaxa, begin a long journey home - described by Xenophon in the Anabasis Go to Ana'băsis (‘Cyrus' expedition inland’) in The Oxford Companion to Classical Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 5th century BCE Greek literature War Europe Greece
c. 400 BCE	Daodejing ('The Way and the Power') is the book of Daoism Go to Daoism in A Dictionary of Asian Mythology (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 5th century BCE 4th century BCE Philosophy Religion Asia East Asia China
399 BCE	Socrates, convicted in Athens of impiety, is sentenced to death and drinks the hemlock Go to Socrates (469–399 bc) in A Dictionary of World History (2 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 4th century BCE Greek literature Ancient Athens Philosophy Social and domestic Europe Greece Society
387 BCE	Plato establishes a school in Akademeia, a suburb of Athens Go to Academy in A Dictionary of World History (2 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 4th century BCE Greek literature Ancient Athens Philosophy Europe Greece
c. 380 BCE	Central to Plato's philosophy is the theory that there are higher Forms of reality, of which our senses perceive only a transient shadow Go to Plato (c. 429–c. 347 bc) in A Dictionary of World History (2 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 4th century BCE Greek literature Philosophy Europe Greece
367 BCE	Aristotle, at the age of seventeen, comes to Athens to join Plato's academy Go to Aristotle (384–322 bc) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 4th century BCE Greek literature Ancient Athens Philosophy Europe Greece
c. 350 BCE	The Mahabharata, India's great national epic, begins to take shape Go to Mahabharata in The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (2 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 4th century BCE Religion Asia South Asia India (the subcontinent)
c. 330 BCE	Aristotle tackles wide-ranging subjects on a systematic basis, leaving to his successors an encyclopedia of contemporary thought Go to Aristotle (384–322 bc) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 4th century BCE Greek literature Greek science Philosophy Science Europe Greece
c. 300 BCE	The Indian epic of romance and adventure, the Ramayana, is probably the work of a single author at about this time Go to Ramayana in The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (2 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 4th century BCE 3rd century BCE Asia South Asia India (the subcontinent)
c. 185 BCE	Plautus and Terence, in the second and third century BC, create a Roman drama based on Greek originals Go to Plautus, Titus Maccius (c.250–184 bc) in The Oxford Companion to English Literature (7 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 2nd century BCE Greek literature Latin literature Performing arts Theatre Drama Europe Greece Italy
c. 160 BCE	The Roman statesman Cato the Elder writes Origines ('Origins'), a history of Rome which survives only in fragments See this event in other timelines: 2nd century BCE Latin literature Rome Europe Italy
c. 120 BCE	Sima Qian undertakes (and carries through against unusual odds) a major survey of Chinese history Go to Sima Qian (c. 145–85 bc) in A Dictionary of World History (2 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 2nd century BCE Asia East Asia China
81 BCE	Cicero, whose speeches become models of oratory, makes his first appearance in a Roman court Go to Cicero, Marcus Tullius in The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology (2 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1st century BCE Latin literature Europe Greece Italy
52 BCE	In his winter quarters Julius Caesar writes The Gallic War, an account of his own achievements in suppressing the Gauls Go to Gaul in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1st century BCE Politics Conquest and colonization Europe France Greece
37 BCE	Virgil's reputation is established by his ten Eclogues, influenced by the Italian countryside in the region of his birth near Mantua Go to Virgil (70–19 bc) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1st century BCE Latin literature Poetry Europe Greece Italy
c. 34 BCE	Maecenas buys a farm for Horace, in the Sabine hills near Tivoli - the most fruitful of his many acts of patronage Go to Maecenas (d. 8 bc) in The Oxford Companion to English Literature (7 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1st century BCE Latin literature Europe Greece Italy
27 BCE	Livy begins writing and publishing his History of Rome, a task which will occupy him for forty years Go to Livy (59 bc–17ad) in A Dictionary of World History (2 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1st century BCE Latin literature Roman empire Europe Greece Italy Empires
23 BCE	The first three books of Horace's Odes are published, written on his Sabine farm Go to Horace (c.65℃08 bc) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1st century BCE Latin literature Roman empire Poetry Europe Greece Italy Empires
c. 20 BCE	The excellence of the arts, particularly literature, during the reign of Augustus Caesar causes it to be remembered as a golden age of culture Go to Augustus (63 bc–ad 14) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1st century BCE Latin literature Roman empire Europe Greece Italy Empires A collection of witty love poems, entitled Amores, brings Ovid an early success Go to Ovid (43 bc–ad 18) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1st century BCE Latin literature Roman empire Poetry Europe Greece Italy Empires
19 BCE	Virgil dies just after completing the Aeneid, and imperial command from Augustus Caesar prevents his executor from destroying the epic Go to Aeneid in The Oxford Companion to World Mythology (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1st century BCE Latin literature Roman empire Europe Greece Italy Empires
66	Josephus is in Jerusalem at the start of the rebellion against the Romans, and will later describe its suppression in his Jewish War Go to Josephus in The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1st century CE Roman empire Judaism War Jerusalem Asia West Asia Palestine and Israel Empires
98	Tacitus begins his career with two specialized but influential works of history, one on Britain and the other on Germany Go to Tacitus, Cornelius (c.ad 55–after 115) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1st century CE Latin literature Roman empire Europe Greece Italy Empires
c. 125	Suetonius, librarian to Trajan and personal secretary to Hadrian, is well placed to research his racy Lives of the Caesars Go to Suetonius (adc.70–c.140) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 2nd century Latin literature Roman empire Europe Greece Italy Empires
c. 170	Marcus Aurelius is rare among emperors in writing twelve books of philosophical Meditations Go to Aurelius, Marcus in A Dictionary of World History (2 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 2nd century Latin literature Roman empire Philosophy Europe Italy Empires
c. 244	Plotinus, moving from Alexandria to Rome, teaches the influential philosophy later known as Neo-Platonism Go to Plotinus (205–270) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 3rd century Latin literature Philosophy Alexandria Africa North Africa Egypt Europe Italy
c. 380	Kalidasa, the most distinguished of India's authors in classical Sanskrit, is at the Gupta court in Patna Go to Kalidasa in The Oxford Companion to Theatre and Performance (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 4th century Drama Poetry Asia South Asia India (the subcontinent) India (republic)
c. 413	Prompted by the fall of Rome to the Visigoths, St Augustine undertakes a great work of Christian philosophy, the City of God Go to City of God in The Oxford Dictionary of the Middle Ages (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 5th century Roman empire Philosophy Religion Christianity Rome Africa North Africa Empires
525	Dionysius Exiguus, commissioned by the pope to improve chronology, makes an error of at least four years in his selected event for AD 1 Go to Dionysius Exiguus (500) in The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 6th century Religion Christianity Papacy Europe Italy Boethius, in prison in Pavia and awaiting execution, writes the Consolation of Philosophy Go to Boethius (c. 480–524) in The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (2 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 6th century Latin literature Philosophy Europe Italy
529	Justinian closes down the schools of Athens, famous for their tradition of pagan philosophy Go to pericope in The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (2 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 6th century Greek literature Byzantine empire Ancient Athens Philosophy Persecution and repression Europe Greece Empires
591	Gregory, bishop of Tours, brings his 'History of the Franks' up to this year Go to Gregory of Tours (c. 540–94) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 6th century Europe France
c. 600	The classic form of Arabic poetry, predating Islam, evolves as the qasidah Go to Arabic in The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Linguistics (2 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 6th century 7th century Poetry Asia West Asia
c. 730	Three of China's most famous poets - Wang Wei, Li Po and Tu Fu - are contemporaries during the T'ang dynasty Go to Li Po (701–62) in The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 8th century Poetry Asia East Asia China
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 English literature Literature in English British Isles Europe Britain
c. 750	The professional bards of the Germanic tribes give lasting life to Norse legend Go to bard in The Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 8th century German literature Germany
778	An attack on Charlemagne's army, traditionally at the pass of Roncesvalles in the Pyrenees, is later the basis for the Chanson de Roland Go to Chanson de Roland in The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology (2 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 8th century Poetry Europe Spain
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 English literature Literature in English British Isles Europe Germany Britain
c. 930	Saadiah Gaon writes a seminal work of Jewish philosophy in his Book of Beliefs and Opinions Go to Saadiah Gaon in A Concise Companion to the Jewish Religion (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 10th century Philosophy Religion Judaism Asia West Asia Palestine and Israel
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 English literature Literature in English Poetry British Isles Europe France Norway Britain
1001	Japanese author Murasaki Shibubi produces, in The Tale of Genji, a book which can be considered the world's first novel Go to Murasaki, Shikibu (978–1014) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 11th century Fiction Asia East Asia Japan Europe
c. 1010	Firdausi completes his great chronicle of Persian history, the Shah-nama, which becomes established as Iran's national epic Go to Firdausi, Abul Kasim Mansur (c. 950–1020) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 11th century Asia Central Asia Iran (Persia)
c. 1020	The Persian scholar Avicenna, author of encyclopedic works on philosophy and medicine, spends the last part of his life in Isfahan Go to Avicenna (980–1037) in The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy (2 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 11th century Philosophy Asia Central Asia Iran (Persia)
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 in English Philosophy Religion Christianity Europe France
c. 1080	Omar Khayyám, mathematician and astronomer, writes four-line verses, or quatrains, in his spare time Go to quatrain in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 11th century Poetry Asia Central Asia Iran (Persia)
c. 1102	The chansons de geste, performed by professional minstrels in castles and manors, celebrate the exploits of Charlemagne and his paladins Go to chansons de geste in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 12th century French literature Poetry Europe France
c. 1120	The troubadours of Provence develop a new form of love poetry in French, introducing courtly love Go to courtly love in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 12th century French literature Poetry Europe France
c. 1130	A popular French poem, the Chanson de Roland, turns a minor disaster in one of Charlemagne's campaigns into a tale of epic heroism Go to Roland in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 12th century French literature Poetry Europe France
c. 1160	Chrétien de Troyes and other French authors turn the stories of Arthur and his knights into a romance of courtly love Go to ‘Allegro, L’ in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 12th century French literature Poetry Europe France
c. 1180	The shared memories and legends of Nordic peoples are brought together in a great German epic, the Nibelungenlied Go to Nibelungenlied in The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (2 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 12th century German literature Germany In Cordoba the Muslim philosopher Averroës writes commentaries on Aristotle that are influential throughout medieval Europe Go to Averroës in A Dictionary of World History (2 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 12th century Philosophy Europe Spain In Cairo the Jewish philosopher Moses Maimonides writes, in Arabic, a much translated text with the endearing title Guide to the Perplexed Go to Maimonides, Moses (1135–1204) in The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (2 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 12th century Philosophy Judaism Africa North Africa Egypt
c. 1205	The story of Parsifal and the Holy Grail becomes the subject of a courtly epic by Wolfram von Eschenbach Go to Wolfram von Eschenbach (1200–20) in The Oxford Dictionary of the Middle Ages (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 13th century German literature Germany
c. 1250	Tannhäuser is one of the Minnesinger, the German equivalents of the French troubadours Go to Minnesinger in The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music (5 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 13th century Performing arts Theatre German literature Drama Germany
1257	The Persian poet Sa'di publishes his Bustan ('Orchard'), a collection of moral tales in verse Go to Classical Persian in The Oxford Guide to Literature in English Translation (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 13th century Poetry Asia Central Asia Iran (Persia)
c. 1260	A new form of poetry is written in northern Italy, described later by Dante as a sweet new style - the dolce stil nuovo Go to dolce stil novo in The Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 13th century Italian literature Poetry Europe Italy
c. 1266	Thomas Aquinas begins the outstanding work of medieval scholasticism, his Summa Theologiae Go to Summa Theologiae in The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (2 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 13th century Philosophy Europe Italy
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 English literature Literature in English Philosophy British Isles Europe Britain
c. 1307	Dante, in exile from Florence, begins work on The Divine Comedy - completing it just before his death, 14 years later Go to Dante Alighieri (1265–1321) in The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (2 ed.) See this event in other timelines: Renaissance 14th century Italian Renaissance Italian literature Poetry Florence Europe Italy
1327	Petrarch glimpses Laura in a church in Avignon and falls helplessly in love with her - or so he tells us Go to Petrarch (1304–74) in The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy (2 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: Renaissance 14th century Italian Renaissance Italian literature Poetry Europe Italy
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 English literature Literature in English Philosophy British Isles Europe Britain
1341	A laurel wreath is placed on the brow of Petrarch in Rome, in a renewal of interest in the classical world Go to Petrarch (1304–74) in The Oxford Companion to Western Art (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: Renaissance 14th century Italian Renaissance Italian literature Poetry Europe Italy
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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English Poetry British Isles Europe Britain
c. 1370	The Persian poet Hafiz perfects a form of short poem, the ghazal, dwelling on the pleasures of life with an undercurrent of Sufi mysticism Go to ghazal in The Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 14th century Poetry Asia Central Asia Iran (Persia)
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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English Poetry British Isles Europe Britain
1461	Francois Villon, recently released from prison, writes his Ballad of the Ladies of Times Past Go to Villon, François (1430–63?) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 15th century French literature Poetry Europe France
1462	In keeping with his personal interest in Plato, Cosimo de' Medici founds a Platonic Academy in Florence Go to Plato (c. 429–c. 347 bc) in A Dictionary of World History (2 ed.) See this event in other timelines: Renaissance 15th century Italian Renaissance Italian literature Philosophy Florence Europe Italy
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 English literature Literature in English British Isles Europe Britain
1487	Boiardo publishes a romantic epic, Orlando Innamorato, about Roland's love for a bewitching princess Go to Orlando Innamorato in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: Renaissance 15th century Italian Renaissance Italian literature Poetry Europe Italy
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 English literature Literature in English British Isles Europe Belgium Netherlands Britain
1516	Ariosto, in Orlando Furioso, tells of Roland's madness when he is abandoned by the pagan princess Angelica Go to Orlando Furioso in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: Renaissance 16th century Italian Renaissance Italian literature Poetry Europe Italy
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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English Religion Christianity British Isles Europe Britain
1550	Pierre de Ronsard publishes the first four books of his Odes Go to Ronsard, Pierre de (1524–85) in The Oxford Companion to Shakespeare (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 16th century French literature Poetry Europe France
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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English Religion Christianity Wales British Isles Europe Britain
1572	Luis de Camoëns publishes The Lusiads, the poem which becomes Portugal's national epic Go to Camões, Luis de (1524–80) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 16th century Poetry Europe Portugal
1581	Tasso, in Gerusalemme Liberata ('Jerusalem Liberated'), turns the first crusade into a romantic epic Go to Tasso, Torquato (1544–95) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: Renaissance 16th century Italian Renaissance Italian literature Poetry Jerusalem Europe Italy
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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English Drama British Isles Europe Britain
c. 1595	The writings of Matteo Ricci introduce Kung Fu Tzu to Europe under a Latin version of his name - Confucius Go to Confucius in Oxford Dictionary of English (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 16th century Philosophy Asia East Asia China
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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English Religion Christianity British Isles Europe Britain William Shakespeare's name appears among the actors in a list of the King's Men Go to Shakespeare, William (1564–1616) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 17th century Britain 1500-1750 Theatre English literature Drama 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 English literature Literature in English Drama British Isles Europe Britain Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes publishes the first part of his satirically romantic novel Don Quixote Go to Quixote, Don in The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (2 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 17th century Fiction Europe Spain
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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature English literature Literature in English 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 William Shakespeare dies at New Place, his home in Stratford-upon-Avon, and is buried in Holy Trinity Church Go to Shakespeare, William (1564–1616) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 17th century Britain 1500-1750 Theatre English literature Drama British Isles Europe Britain
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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English Poetry British Isles Europe Britain
1637	Pierre Corneille's play Le Cid, popular with Paris audiences, hinges on the conflict between duty and love Go to Corneille, Pierre in Oxford Dictionary of English (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 17th century Performing arts Theatre French literature Drama Europe France 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 English literature Literature in English Poetry British Isles Europe Britain
1644	In his Principles of Philosophy Descartes gives priority to reason, summed up in his famous phrase cogito ergo sum Go to Descartes, René (1596–1650) in The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (2 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 17th century French literature Philosophy Europe France
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 American literature English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English British Isles Europe Britain
1667	French dramatist Jean Racine's first great success, Andromaque, finds tragic drama in a quadrangle of love Go to Racine, Jean in Oxford Dictionary of English (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 17th century Performing arts Theatre French literature Drama Europe France 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English British Isles Europe Britain
1673	Molière falls fatally ill when acting in his own play Le Malade Imaginaire Go to Molière (1622–73) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 17th century Performing arts Theatre French literature Drama Europe France
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 American literature Literature in English Politics Conquest and colonization Social and domestic Society North America United States
c. 1677	Baruch Spinoza's Ethics, dealing with God, the mind and the emotions, is published shortly after his death Go to Spinoza, Benedictus de (1632–77) in The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (2 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 17th century Philosophy Europe Netherlands
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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English Poetry Papacy Great Britain - from 1707 British Isles Europe Britain
1714	In his Monadology Leibniz describes a universe consisting of forceful interactive parts that he calls 'monads' Go to Leibniz, Gottfried Wilhelm in Oxford Dictionary of English (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century German literature Philosophy Germany
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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English Philosophy Great Britain - from 1707 British Isles Europe Britain
c. 1740	Italian dramatist Carlo Goldoni makes a success of plays in the ancient commedia dell'arte tradition Go to Goldoni, Carlo (1707–93) in The Oxford Companion to English Literature (7 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century Performing arts Theatre Italian literature Drama Europe Italy
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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English Great Britain - from 1707 British Isles Europe Britain
1759	Voltaire publishes Candide, a satire on optimism prompted by the Lisbon earthquake of 1755 Go to Voltaire (1694–1778) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century French literature Fiction Europe France 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 English literature Literature in English Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 British Isles Europe Britain
1762	Two books in this year, émile and Du Contrat Social, prompt orders for the arrest of Jean-Jacques Rousseau Go to Rousseau, Jean‐Jacques (1712–78) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century French literature Fiction Philosophy Europe France 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 British Isles Gothic Europe Britain
1766	Irish novelist Oliver Goldsmith publishes The Vicar of Wakefield, with a hero who has much to complain about but keeps calm Go to Goldsmith, Oliver (1728–74) in A Dictionary of British History (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century Fiction British Isles Europe Ireland 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English Great Britain - from 1707 Scotland British Isles Europe Britain
1774	Goethe's romantic novel, The Sorrows of Young Werther, brings him an immediate European reputation Go to Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von (1749–1832) in The Oxford Companion to the Mind (2 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century German literature Fiction Europe Germany Goethe's play Götz von Berlichingen, a definitive work of Sturm und Drang (Storm and Stress), has its premiere in Berlin Go to Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von (1749–1832) in The Oxford Companion to the Mind (2 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century Performing arts Theatre German literature Drama Germany 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 American literature English literature Literature in English Great Britain - from 1707 British Isles British colonial America Europe Britain North America United States
1775	Figaro makes his first appearance on stage in Beaumarchais' The Barber of Seville Go to Beaumarchais, Pierre Augustin Caron de (1732–99) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century Performing arts Theatre French literature Drama Europe France
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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English Poetry War Wars and Revolutions North America United States German philosopher Immanuel Kant publishes the first of his three 'critiques', The Critique of Pure Reason Go to Kant, Immanuel (1724–1804) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century German literature Philosophy Germany
1782	Friedrich von Schiller's youthful and anarchic play The Robbers causes a sensation when performed in Mannheim Go to Schiller, Friedrich von in Oxford Dictionary of English (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century Performing arts Theatre German literature Drama Germany
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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 French literature English literature Literature in English Politics Protest and rebellion Great Britain - from 1707 British Isles Europe Ireland Wars and Revolutions Britain
1791	Scottish poet Robert Burns publishes Tam o' Shanter, in which a drunken farmer has an alarming encounter with witches Go to ‘Tam o' Shanter’ in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century Britain 1750-1900 English literature Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 Scotland British Isles Europe Britain 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 French literature English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 French literature English literature Literature in English Politics Protest and rebellion Great Britain - from 1707 British Isles Europe France Wars and Revolutions Britain
1794	Goethe and Schiller become friends, and together create the movement known as Weimar classicism Go to Weimar classicism in The Oxford Encyclopedia of Theatre and Performance (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 18th century Performing arts Theatre German literature Drama Fiction Poetry Europe Germany In his Science of Knowledge Johann Gottlieb Fichte contrasts the I, or Ego, and its opposing non-I, or non-Ego See this event in other timelines: 18th century German literature Philosophy Germany 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1807	In Phenomenology of Spirit Friedrich Hegel interprets history as the advance of the human mind, often through thesis, antithesis and synthesis Go to Hegel, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich (1770–1831) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century German literature Philosophy Germany
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 American literature Literature in English North America United States
1810	Walter Scott's poem Lady of the Lake brings tourists in unprecedented numbers to Scotland's Loch Katrine Go to Lady of the Lake, The in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Britain 1750-1900 English literature Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 Scotland British Isles Europe Britain
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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain In The World as Will and Idea Schopenhauer develops the bleakest possible view of the effects of the human will Go to Schopenhauer, Arthur in Oxford Dictionary of English (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century German literature Philosophy Germany 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English Poetry North America United States Russian poet Alexander Pushkin publishes his first long poem, Ruslan and Ludmilla Go to Pushkin, Alexander (1799–1837) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Poetry Europe Russia
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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1825	Italian author Alessandro Manzoni begins publication (completed 1827) of his novel I Promessi Sposi ('The Betrothed') Go to Manzoni, Alessandro (1785–1873) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Italian literature Fiction Europe Italy
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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English Poetry North America United States
1830	Victor Hugo's romantic drama Hernani provokes a riot in the Paris audience on the first night Go to Hugo, Victor Marie (1802–85) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Performing arts Theatre French literature Drama Europe France 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 American literature Literature in English Poetry North America United States French author Stendhal publishes his novel Le Rouge et Le Noir ('The Red and the Black') Go to Stendhal (1783–1842) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century French literature Fiction Europe France
1831	Victor Hugo publishes his novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame, in which the hunchback, Quasimodo, is obsessed with Esmeralda Go to Hugo, Victor in Oxford Dictionary of English (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century French literature Fiction Europe France 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English Poetry North America United States Russian poet Alexander Pushkin publishes a grand historical drama, Boris Godunov Go to Pushkin, Alexander (1799–1837) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Drama Europe Russia
1832	The full text of Goethe's Faust, Parts 1 and 2, is published a few months after the poet's death Go to Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von in Oxford Dictionary of English (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century German literature Poetry Germany 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 American literature English literature Literature in English Social and domestic Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Society Britain North America United States
1833	Alexander Pushkin publishes a novel in verse, Eugene Onegin Go to Pushkin, Alexander (1799–1837) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Fiction Poetry Europe Russia
1834	Alexander Pushkin publishes his best-known short story, The Queen of Spades Go to Pushkin, Alexander (1799–1837) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Fiction Europe Russia 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 American literature Literature in English Fiction North America United States
1835	French author Honoré de Balzac publishes Le Père Goriot, one of the key novels that he later includes in La Comédie Humaine Go to Balzac, Honoré de (1799–1850) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century French literature Fiction Europe France 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 American literature French literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain The Inspector General, a farce by Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol satirising Russian offialdom, has tsar Nicholas I in the audience for the premiere Go to Gogol, Nikolai (1809–52) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Performing arts Theatre Drama Europe Russia 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain The publication of the first part of the satirical novel Dead Souls, by Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol, proves a sensation in Russia Go to Gogol, Nikolai (1809–52) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Fiction Europe Russia Honoré de Balzac begins publication of a collected edition of his fiction under the title La Comédie Humaine Go to Balzac, Honoré de (1799–1850) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century French literature Fiction Europe France 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English North America United States With his emphasis on the subjective experience of human Existenz, the Danish philosopher Kierkegaard plants the seed of existentialism Go to Kierkegaard, Søren Aabye (1813–55) in The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy (2 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Philosophy Europe Denmark 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1848	Honoré de Balzac completes publication of La Comédie Humaine, a 17-volume collected edition of his numerous novels and stories Go to Balzac, Honoré de (1799–1850) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century French literature Fiction Europe France 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1856	Gustave Flaubert publishes Madame Bovary, a novel of frustrated romanticism in a provincial French context Go to Flaubert, Gustave in Oxford Dictionary of English (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century French literature Fiction Europe France
1857	Charles Baudelaire publishes his first and extremely influential collection of poems, Les Fleurs du Mal Go to Baudelaire, Charles in Oxford Dictionary of English (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century French literature Poetry Europe France 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English Science Life sciences Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain French author Stendhal publishes his novel La Chartreuse de Parme ('The Charterhouse of Parma') Go to Stendhal (1783–1842) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century French literature Fiction Europe France 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English Poetry War American civil war Wars and Revolutions North America United States Victor Hugo publishes his novel Les Misérables, an immensely complex story about the adventures of ex-convict Jean Valjean Go to Misérables, Les in The New Oxford Companion to Literature in French (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century French literature Fiction Europe France 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 English literature Literature in English Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Dostoevsky publishes Notes from the House of the Dead, a semi-autobiographical novel about life in a Siberian labour camp Go to Dostoevsky, Fyodor Mikhailovich (1821–81) in The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Fiction Europe Russia 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1864	Dostoevsky publishes Notes from Underground, the bitter memories of a retired civil servant that is often described as the first existentialist novel Go to Dostoevsky, Fyodor Mikhailovich (1821–81) in The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Fiction Europe Russia
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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Leo Tolstoy publishes the first volume of his epic novel War and Peace, following the lives of several aristocratic families during the Napoleonic wars Go to Tolstoy, Leo Nikolaievich, Count (1828–1910) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Fiction Europe Russia
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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Dostoevsky publishes Crime and Punishment, a novel narrated by Raskolnikov, a St Petersburg student and murderer Go to Dostoyevsky, Fyodor Mikhaylovich in The Oxford Companion to Crime and Mystery Writing (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Fiction Europe Russia
1867	French author Paul Verlaine wins a reputation with his first published collection, Poémes saturniens ('Saturnine Poems') Go to Verlaine, Paul (1844–96) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century French literature Poetry Europe France 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English Fiction North America United States Dostoevsky publishes The Idiot, a novel about the simple-minded and truthful Prince Myshkin Go to Dostoevsky, Fyodor Mikhailovich (1821–81) in The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (1 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Fiction Europe Russia
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 English literature Literature in English Social and domestic Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Society Britain
1870	16-year-old Arthur Rimbaud sends some of his poems to Paul Verlaine, already an established poet Go to Rimbaud, Arthur (1854–91) in The Oxford Companion to English Literature (7 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century French literature Poetry Europe France 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 American literature Literature in English Poetry North America United States
1871	French author émile Zola publishes The Fortune of the Rougons, the first in a 20-novel series that he calls Les Rougon-Macquart Go to Zola, Émile (1840–1902) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century French literature Fiction Europe France 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1875	Henrik Ibsen's play Peer Gynt has its premiere in Oslo, with incidental music by Edvard Grieg Go to Peer Gynt in The Oxford Dictionary of Plays (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Performing arts Theatre Drama Europe Norway Leo Tolstoy publishes the first volume of his novel Anna Karenina, in which the heroine develops a fatal love for Count Vronsky Go to Tolstoy, Leo Nikolaievich, Count (1828–1910) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Fiction Europe Russia 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English Fiction North America United States Henrik Ibsen's play A Doll's House signals a new direction in drama in its frank treatment of tensions within a marriage Go to Ibsen, Henrik (1828–1906) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Performing arts Theatre Drama Europe Norway 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 English literature Literature in English Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1880	Gustave Flaubert dies, with his novel Bouvard et Pécuchet incomplete Go to Flaubert, Gustave (1821–80) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century French literature Fiction Europe France Dostoevsky publishes his novel The Brothers Karamazov, featuring the four sons of the depraved Feodor Pavlovich Karamazov Go to Dostoevsky, Fyodor Mikhailovich (1821–81) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Fiction Europe Russia 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English Social and domestic Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Society Britain
1883	In Thus Spake Zarathustra Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche envisages the übermensch ('superman') enhancing human existence Go to Nietzsche, Friedrich Wilhelm (1844–1900) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century German literature Philosophy Germany 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1884	Verlaine publishes Les Poètes maudits, short studies of various 'cursed poets' – including Rimbaud Go to Verlaine, Paul (1844–96) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century French literature Poetry Europe France German mathematician Gottlob Frege publishes Grundlagen der Arithmetik ('Foundations of Arithmetic'), linking mathematics and logic Go to Frege, (Friedrich Ludwig) Gottlob (1848–1925) in The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Mathematics (4 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century German literature Philosophy Science Germany 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1889	23-year-old Irish author William Butler Yeats publishes his first volume of poems, The Wanderings of Oisin Go to Wanderings of Oisin, The in The Concise Oxford Companion to Irish Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 English literature Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Ireland Britain 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English Poetry North America United States Henrik Ibsen publishes his play Hedda Gabler, with its powerfully manipulative central character, a year before it is first produced (in Germany) Go to Hedda Gabler in The Oxford Dictionary of Plays (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Performing arts Theatre Drama Europe Norway 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1891	A Gaelic pressure group, the Highland Association, is founded to preserve the indigenous poetry and music of Scotland Go to Mod, Royal National in The Oxford Companion to Scottish History (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Britain 1750-1900 Performing arts Music English literature Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 Scotland British Isles Europe Britain 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Ireland Britain W.B. Yeats publishes a short play The Countess Cathleen, his first contribution to Irish poetic drama Go to Countess Cathleen, The 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 English literature Drama 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English Poetry North America United States Belgian playwright Maurice Maeterlinck publishes his play Pelléas et Mélisande Go to Pelléas and Mélisande in The Oxford Dictionary of Plays (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Performing arts Theatre Drama Europe Belgium 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Anton Chekhov's play The Seagull has a disastrous premiere in St Petersburg (but is well received two years later in Moscow) Go to Seagull, The in The Oxford Dictionary of Plays (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Performing arts Theatre Drama Europe Russia
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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Chekhov's The Seagull, directed by Konstantin Stanislavsky, succeeds at the Moscow Art Theatre Go to Seagull, The in The Oxford Dictionary of Plays (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Performing arts Theatre Drama Europe Russia 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English Fiction North America United States Anton Chekhov's play Uncle Vanya is directed by Stanislavsky at the Moscow Art Theatre Go to Uncle Vanya in The Oxford Dictionary of Plays (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century 1900s 20th century Performing arts Theatre Drama Europe Russia 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 English literature Literature in English Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1901	Thomas Mann's first novel, Buddenbrooks, brings him immediate success Go to Mann, Thomas (1875–1955) in The Oxford Companion to English Literature (7 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1900s 20th century German literature Fiction Europe Germany 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English North America United States The play Cathleen ni Houlihan, by W.B. Yeats and Lady Gregory, fosters Irish nationalism Go to Cathleen ni Houlihan in The Oxford Dictionary of Plays (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: Edwardian era 1900s 20th century Performing arts Theatre English literature Drama War Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Ireland Britain 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English Poetry War Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Maxim Gorky's play The Lower Depths is performed at the Moscow Art Theatre Go to Lower Depths, The in The Oxford Dictionary of Plays (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1900s 20th century Performing arts Theatre Drama Europe Russia 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature French literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English Fiction North America United States
1904	Anton Chekhov's last play, The Cherry Orchard, is staged by Stanislavsky just a few months before the author's death Go to Cherry Orchard, The in The Oxford Dictionary of Plays (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1900s 20th century Performing arts Theatre Drama Europe Russia J.M. Synge's play Riders to the Sea has its premiere at the Molesworth Hall in Dublin Go to Riders to the Sea in The Oxford Dictionary of Plays (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: Edwardian era 1900s 20th century Performing arts Theatre Drama War British Isles Europe Ireland Britain 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English Fiction War Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Constantine Cavafy prints fourteen of his poems in a pamphlet for private distribution Go to Cavafy, Constantine (1863–1933) in The Oxford Companion to English Literature (7 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1900s 20th century Poetry Europe Greece 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English Fiction War Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1907	J.M. Synge's Playboy of the Western World provokes violent reactions at its Dublin premiere Go to Playboy of the Western World, The in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: Edwardian era 1900s 20th century Performing arts Theatre English literature Drama War Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Ireland Britain Russian author Maxim Gorky completes his novel Mat ("The Mother"), written mainly during a visit to the USA Go to Gorky, Maxim (1868–1936) in The Oxford Companion to English Literature (7 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1900s 20th century Fiction Europe Russia 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English Philosophy North America United States James Joyce completes the 15 short stories eventually published in 1914 as Dubliners Go to Dubliners in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: Edwardian era 1900s 20th century English literature Fiction War Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Ireland Britain Swedish playwright August Strindberg publishes The Ghost Sonata, which has its first performance in Stockholm the following year Go to Ghost Sonata, The in The Oxford Dictionary of Plays (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1900s 20th century Performing arts Theatre Drama Europe Sweden
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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English Fiction War Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Anatole France casts a satirical eye on human society in his novel L'île des pingouins ("Penguin Island") Go to France, Anatole (1844–1924) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1900s 20th century French literature Fiction Europe France 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 American literature Literature in English Poetry North America United States Maurice Maeterlinck's The Blue Bird is performed at the Moscow Art Theatre in a production by Stanislavsky Go to Blue Bird, The in The Oxford Dictionary of Plays (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1900s 20th century Performing arts Theatre Drama Europe Russia 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English War Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 Wales British Isles Europe Britain
1909	André Gide publishes La Porte étroite ('Strait is the Gate') Go to Gide, André-Paul-Guillaume (1869–1951) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1900s 20th century French literature Fiction Europe France 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English Poetry War Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Constantine Cavafy prints a few more of his poems to add to the fourteen privately printed in 1904 Go to Cavafy, Constantine Peter (1863–1933) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Poetry Europe Greece J.M. Synge's last and unfinished play, Deirdre of the Sorrows, is performed in Dublin shortly after his death Go to Synge, [Edmund] J[ohn] M[illington] (1871–1909) in The Concise Oxford Companion to Irish Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Performing arts Theatre Drama British Isles Europe Ireland 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English Fiction North America United States Hugo von Hofmannsthal adapts the English medieval morality play Everyman ('Jedermann') for performance in Salzburg Go to Hofmannsthal, Hugo von (1874–1929) in The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre (2 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Performing arts Theatre German literature Drama Germany 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 English literature Literature in English Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1912	Rabindranath Tagore publishes a collection of his Bengali poems in Gitanjali Go to Tagore, Rabindranath (1861–1941) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Poetry Asia South Asia India (the subcontinent) The Russian poet Anna Akhmatova publishes Evening, her first collection of poems Go to Akhmatova, Anna (1889–1966) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Poetry Europe Russia 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion has its first performance – in a German version in Vienna Go to Shaw, Bernard (1856–1950) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Performing arts Theatre Drama Austria 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English Philosophy Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain German author Thomas Mann publishes the novella Death in Venice Go to Mann, Thomas (1875–1955) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century German literature Fiction Venice Europe Germany Alain-Fournier completes his semi-autobiographical novel Le Grand Meaulnes Go to Alain-Fournier (1886–1914) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century French literature Fiction Europe France The Russian poet Osip Mandelstam publishes his first collection, Stone Go to Mandelstam, Osip in Oxford Dictionary of English (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Poetry Europe Russia 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 American literature Literature in English Fiction North America United States Marcel Proust publishes at his own expense Swann's Way, the first volume of Remembrance of Things Past Go to Proust, Marcel (1871–1922) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century French literature Fiction Europe France 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 English literature Literature in English Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1914	The Chilean poet Gabriela Mistral makes her name with her first collection, Sonetos de la muerte Go to Mistral, Gabriela (1889–1957) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century American literature Poetry China Latin America Chile South America 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English North America United States After years of delay James Joyce's Dubliners, a collection of short stories, is published 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 English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Ireland Britain 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 American literature English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English Poetry North America United States Robert Tressell's Ragged Trousered Philanthropists is published posthumously in an abbreviated version Go to Tressell, Robert in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century English literature Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Ireland Britain
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 English literature Literature in English Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Canadian army surgeon John McCrae writes 'In Flanders Fields' after a friend is killed in the trenches Go to McCrae, John (1872 – 1918) in The Oxford Companion to Canadian Literature (2 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Poetry Europe Belgium 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English Fiction North America United States Franz Kafka publishes Metamorphosis, the tale of a travelling salesman who wakes up to find himself transformed into an insect Go to Kafka, Franz (1883–1924) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Fiction Bohemia Czech Republic 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain The Russian poet and dramatist Vladimir Mayakovsky publishes his first major long poem, A Cloud in Trousers Go to Mayakovsky, Vladimir Vladimirovich (1893–1930) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Poetry Europe Russia 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 French literature English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Wounded at the front on the Somme, the poet Wilfred Owen is invalided home to Britain Go to Owen, Wilfred (1893–1918) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century French literature Poetry War Europe France 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 American literature Literature in English 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 in English Fiction Australia and Oceania Australia Paul Valéry wins praise for his long symbolic poem La Jeune Parque Go to Valéry, Paul (-Ambroise) (1871–1945) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century French literature Poetry Europe France
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 English literature Literature in English Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain In Alexander Blok's poem The Twelve, Christ leads his apostles in support of Russia's revolution Go to Blok, Alexander (28 Nov. 1880) in The Continuum Companion to Twentieth Century Theatre (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Poetry Europe Russia 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 English literature Literature in English Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Wilfred Owen, having returned to the front, is killed by machine-gun fire a week before the end of the war Go to Owen, Wilfred (1893–1918) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1910s 20th century Poetry War Europe France 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English Poetry North America United States After several less successful novels, the French writer Colette makes her reputation with Chéri Go to Colette (1873–1954) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 20th century French literature Fiction Europe France 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English Fiction North America United States
1921	Within a five-week period the Italian playwright Luigi Pirandello writes two masterpieces, Six Characters in Search of an Author immediately followed by Henry IV Go to Pirandello, Luigi (1867–1936) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 20th century Performing arts Theatre Italian literature Drama Europe Italy The Czech playwright Karel Capek gives the world the term 'robot', in the title of his play Rossum's Universal Robots Go to robot in A New Dictionary of Eponyms (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 20th century Performing arts Theatre Drama Bohemia Czech Republic 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English Drama North America United States
1922	James Joyce's novel Ulysses is published in Paris, by Sylvia Beach, because of censorship problems elsewhere Go to Joyce, James Augustine (1882–1941) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century French literature Poetry British Isles Europe France Ireland Britain 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 American literature Literature in English North America United States Marina Tsvetaeva completes an anti-Soviet cycle of poems, The Encampment of the Swans Go to Tsvetaeva, Marina Ivanovna (1892–1941) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Poetry Europe Russia 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 in English 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 American literature Literature in English Fiction North America United States Boris Pasternak makes his name with his third volume of poems, My Sister Life Go to Pasternak, Boris Leonidovich (1890–1960) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Poetry Europe Russia Thomas Mann publishes a fragment of his Confessions of Felix Krull, Confidence Man Go to Mann, Thomas (1875–1955) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century German literature Fiction Europe Germany 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Valéry's collection Charmes includes probably his best-known poem, 'Le Cimetière marin' Go to Valéry, Paul (-Ambroise) (1871–1945) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century French literature Poetry Europe France
1923	The Czech novelist Jaroslav Hasek dies with his masterpiece, The Good Soldier Schweik, incomplete Go to Hašek, Jaroslav (1883–1923) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Fiction Bohemia Czech Republic Argentinian author Jorge Luis Borges publishes his first collection of poems, Fervor de Buenos Aires ('Fervour of Buenos Aires') Go to Borges, Jorge Luis (1899–1986) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century American literature Poetry Latin America Argentina Brazil South America 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English Poetry North America United States The Italian novelist Italo Svevo has his first great success when The Confessions of Zeno is published in France Go to Svevo, Italo (1861–1928) in The Oxford Companion to English Literature (7 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Italian literature Fiction Europe Italy 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English Poetry North America United States Sean O'Casey's first play The Shadow of a Gunman is performed at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin Go to O'Casey, Sean (1880–1964) in The Concise Oxford Companion to Irish Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Performing arts Theatre Drama British Isles Europe Ireland Britain In I and Thou the Austrian theologian Martin Buber interprets religion in terms of the subjective experience of interpersonal relationships Go to Buber, Martin (1878–1965) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Philosophy Religion Christianity Austria 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature English literature Literature in English Drama Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain North America United States Rainer Maria Rilke publishes his Duino Elegies and his Sonnets to Orpheus Go to Rilke, Rainer Maria (1875–1926) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century German literature Poetry Germany
1924	Sean O'Casey's second play Juno and the Paycock is performed at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin Go to O'Casey, Sean (1880–1964) in The Concise Oxford Companion to Irish Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Performing arts Theatre Drama British Isles Europe Ireland Britain 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 American literature Literature in English Poetry North America United States German author Thomas Mann publishes his novel The Magic Mountain Go to Mann, Thomas (1875–1955) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century German literature Fiction Europe Germany 20-year-old Chilean poet Pablo Neruda publishes one of his best-known collections, Twenty Love Poems Go to Neruda, Pablo (1904–1973) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century American literature Poetry China Latin America Chile South America 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English Fiction North America United States Franz Kafka's novel The Trial is published posthumously Go to Kafka, Franz (1883–1924) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Fiction Bohemia Czech Republic 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 English literature Literature in English Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Irish novelist Liam O'Flaherty publishes The Informer Go to O'Flaherty, Liam (1896–1984) in The Concise Oxford Companion to Irish Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Fiction British Isles Europe Ireland 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 English literature Literature in English Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Italian poet Eugenio Montale publishes his first collection, Bones of the Cuttlefish Go to Montale, Eugenio (1896–1981) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Italian literature Poetry Europe Italy 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 American literature Literature in English North America United States
1926	Russian Jewish writer Isaac Babel publishes a collection of stories, Red Cavalry, based on his own experiences in the army Go to Babel, Isaac Emmanuelovich (1894–1941) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Fiction Europe Russia 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 American literature Literature in English Fiction North America United States French author André Gide publishes his only novel, The Counterfeiters Go to Gide, André-Paul-Guillaume (1869–1951) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century French literature Fiction Europe France 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 Scotland British Isles Europe Britain Franz Kafka's novel The Castle is published posthumously Go to Kafka, Franz (1883–1924) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Fiction Bohemia Czech Republic 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English Fiction North America United States
1927	French author François Mauriac publishes a novel of marital claustrophobia, Thérèse Desqueyroux Go to Thérèse Desqueyroux in The New Oxford Companion to Literature in French (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century French literature Fiction Europe France Mae West is sentenced to eight days in gaol when Sex, written, produced and starred in by herself on Broadway, is judged to be obscene Go to Mae West in A New Dictionary of Eponyms (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Performing arts American literature Drama Social and domestic Society North America United States 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English Drama North America United States Hermann Hesse publishes a mystical novel, Steppenwolf, based on the concept of a double personality Go to Steppenwolf, Der in The Oxford Companion to German Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century German literature Fiction Europe Germany In Being and Time German philosopher Martin Heidegger makes an existentialist case with Dasein ('Being There') as the central theme Go to Heidegger, Martin (1889–1976) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century German literature Philosophy Germany 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English North America United States Mysterious German author B. Traven writes a novel, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, about three Americans searching for a lost gold mine in Mexico Go to Traven, B. in The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century American literature Fiction Latin America Central America Mexico
1928	W.B. Yeats's new volume of poems, The Tower, includes 'Sailing to Byzantium' Go to Yeats, W. B. (1865–1939) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Poetry British Isles Europe Ireland Britain 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English Drama North America United States Russian author Mikhail Sholokhov publishes the first section of And Quiet Flows the Don Go to Sholokhov, Mikhail Aleksandrovich (1905–84) in The Oxford Companion to English Literature (7 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Fiction Europe Russia 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 American literature Literature in English Science Australia and Oceania Pacific Islands North America United States García Lorca wins fame with his book of poems Gypsy Ballads Go to García Lorca, Federico (1898–1936) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Poetry Europe Spain 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English Fiction North America United States French author Jean Cocteau publishes Les Enfants Terribles, a novel about a brother and sister in a suffocatingly claustrophobic relationship Go to Cocteau, Jean (1889–1963) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century French literature Fiction Europe France 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 English literature Literature in English Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Vladimir Mayakovsky's play The Bedbug is directed in Moscow by Meyerhold with incidental music by Shostakovich Go to Bedbug, The in The Oxford Dictionary of Plays (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Performing arts Theatre Drama Europe Russia 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 American literature Literature in English Fiction North America United States Italian writer Alberto Moravia wins success with his first novel, The Time of Indifference Go to Moravia, Alberto (1907–1990) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century Italian literature Fiction Europe Italy Erich Maria Remarque publishes All Quiet on the Western Front, a novel based on his wartime experiences in the German army Go to Remarque, Erich Maria (1898–1970) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1920s 20th century German literature Fiction Europe Germany 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain In Pietr-Le-Letton, the first novel published under his own name, the Belgian writer Georges Simenon introduces Inspector Maigret Go to Simenon, Georges (1903–89) in The Oxford Companion to English Literature (7 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Fiction Europe Belgium 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 American literature Literature in English Drama North America United States
1932	US poet Archibald MacLeish publishes a narrative epic, Conquistador, about the conquest of Mexico Go to MacLeish, Archibald (1892–1982) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century English literature Poetry Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 Europe Britain Latin America Mexico 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 English literature Literature in English Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain French playwright Jean Anouilh has his first play, L'Hermine, produced and published Go to Anouilh, Jean (1910–1987) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Performing arts Theatre French literature Drama Europe France 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English Fiction North America United States
1933	Pablo Neruda increases his international reputation with a collection of surrealist poems, Residencia en la tierra ('Residence on earth') Go to Neruda, Pablo (1904–1973) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century American literature Poetry China Latin America Chile South America 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature French literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English Fiction North America United States García Lorca writes his play Blood Wedding while he is director of a company touring in rural Spain Go to Blood Wedding in The Oxford Dictionary of Plays (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Performing arts Theatre Drama Europe Spain 19-year-old Mexican poet Octavio Paz publishes his first collection, Wild Moon Go to Paz, Octavio (1914–1998) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century American literature Poetry Latin America Central America Mexico 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature French literature Literature in English 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 in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English Drama Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain Elias Canetti publishes the novel later translated into English as Auto da Fé Go to Canetti, Elias (1905–1994) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Italian literature Fiction Europe Italy Argentinian author Jorge Luis Borges publishes A Universal History of Infamy, one of the first examples of magic realism Go to magic realism in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century American literature Fiction Latin America Argentina South America A collection of Constantine Cavafy's poems is published in Alexandria in an undated edition Go to Cavafy, Constantine Peter (1863–1933) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Poetry Africa North Africa Egypt Europe Greece 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 in English 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 English literature Literature in English Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain
1936	García Lorca writes his play The House of Bernarda Alba in the last year of his short life Go to García Lorca, Federico (1898–1936) in Who's Who in the Twentieth Century (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1930s 20th century Performing arts Theatre Drama Europe Spain 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 American literature Literature in English 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 American literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English 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 English literature Literature in English

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