1809 — Born at Somersby rectory, Lincolnshire, fourth son of the rector.
1815 — Attends Louth Grammar School.
1820 — Leaves Louth to be educated at home by his father.
1827 — Poems by Two Brothers with Charles and Edward.
— Enters Trinity College, Cambridge.
1829 — Friendship with Hallam.
— Member of the "Apostles," a group of young men, at Cambridge.
— Receives chancellor's Gold Medal for prize poem "Timbuctoo".
— Falls in love with Emily Tennyson.
1830 — Poems Chiefly Lyrical published.
1831 — Father dies.
— Hallam reviews of Poems Chiefly Lyrical.
1832 — Poems published.
— His brother Edward goes insane.
1833 — Hallam dies.
1834 — Falls in love with Rosa Baring
1837 — Family moves to High Beech, Epping.
1838 — Engaged to Emily Sellwood.
1840 — Engagement broken off.
— Family moves to Tunbridge Wells.
1842 — Poems revised; his fame established.
1843 — Entire fortune, 3500 pounds, lost on a project to make wood
carvings by steam, and his brothers and sisters lose an additional
8,000 pounds.
1844 — Has an emotional breakdown.
1845 — Receives Civil List pension of 200 pounds/year.
1847 — "The Princess" published.
1849 — Renews correspondence with Emily Sellwood.
1850 — In Memoriam published anonymously.
— Marries Emily Sellwood.
— Appointed Poet Laureate.
1852 — Son Hallam born.
1853 — Moves to Farringford, Isle of Wight.
1854 — Son Lionel born.
1855 — Maud; a Monodrama published.
1859 — Idylls of the King published.
1862 — New edition of Idylls dedicated to the memory of Prince Albert.
— Has first audience with Queen Victoria.
1864 — Garibaldi visits the Tennysons at Farringford.
— "Enoch Arden" published.
1869 — The Holy Grail and Other Poems published.
1872 — Verse novelettes Gareth and Lynette published.
1875 — Queen Mary, a play, published.
1880 — Ballads and Other Poems published.
1881 — The Cup produced, starring Henry Irving and Ellen Terry.
1883 — Accepts barony.
1885 — Tiresias and Other Poems published.
1886 — Locksley Hall Sixty Years After published.
— Son Lionel dies.
1892 — Dies.
Last modified 7 September 2003