1824 10th December, George MacDonald Born in Huntley, Aberdeenshire.
1832 MacDonald's mother, Helen dies.
1839 MacDonald's father marries Margaret McColl.
1840 MacDonald wins bursary to King's College, Aberdeen.
1842 Spends some time cataloguing a library. Teaches Arithmetic.
1845 Received M.A. Goes to London to tutor.
1846 Publishes first poem anonymously in the Scottish Congregational Magazine.
1848 Goes to Highbury Theological College. Becomes engaged to Louisa Powell.
1850 Called to Arundel. Severe haemorrhage in November.
1851 Marries Louisa Powell on 8th March. Gives translation of Twelve of the Spiritual Songs of Novalis to friends on Christmas Day.
1852 4th January, Lilia born. June, MacDonald's salary cut on account of his "heresy."
1853 May, resigns pulpit. 23rd July, Mary Josephine born. Moves to Manchester.
1854 16th September, Caroline Grace born.
1855 His collection of poems Within and Without published.
1856 20th January, Greville born. Lady Byron becomes MacDonald's patron. Winter in Algiers.
1857 31st August, Irene born. MacDonalds settle in Hastings.
1858 MacDonald's brother John dies in June. His father dies in August. Phantastes published. Winifrid Louisa born, 6th November.
1859 Moves to London. MacDonald accepts professorship of English Literature at Bedford College in October.
1860 Lady Byron dies. 27th October, Ronald born.
1862 Robert Falconer born.
1863 MacDonald family read Lewis Carroll's "Alice" story. David Elginbrod published. Meets John Ruskin.
1864 Maurice born in February.
1865 MacDonald tries unsuccessfully for professorship of Rhetoric and Belles Lettres (literature) at Edinburgh. Alec Forbes of Howglen published. Bernard Powell born.
1867 MacDonalds move to The Retreat, Hammersmith. George MacKay born.
1868 Robert Falconer published. Awarded LLD by Aberdeen University.
1869 Accepts editorship of Good Words for the Young. Lecture tour of Scotland.
1871 At the Back of the North Wind published.
1872 Lecture tour of America. Climax of the Ruskin/ La Touche affair. Wilfrid Cumbermede inspired by Ruskin/ La Touche affair published. The Princess and the Goblin published.
1875 The MacDonalds leave The Retreat.
1876 Exotics published.
1877 First trip to Italy. First performance of Pilgrims Progress. MacDonald awarded a Civil List pension.
1878 Mary Josephine dies.
1879 Maurice dies.
1880 The Family arrive in Bordighera.
1882 The Princess and Curdie published.
1884 Grace dies.
1890 First draft of Lilith completed.
1891 Lilia Dies.
1895 Lilith published.
1897 Salted with Fire, his last novel, published. MacDonald's health deteriorates.
1898 MacDonald has a stroke and lapses into silence.
1901 The MacDonald's Golden Wedding.
1902 13th January, Louisa dies at Bordighera.
1905 18th September, MacDonald dies at Ashtead in Surrey. He is cremated and his ashes buried at Bordighera beside those of his wife.