American Literature Web Resources: T. S. Eliot

1888 Born in St. Louis, Missouri.
1906 Enters Harvard.
1910 Graduates from Harvard. Spends year in Paris.
1911 Returns to Harvard to study philosophy.
1914 Wins travelling prize to Germany, reads symbolist poets.Goes to England to study at Merton College, Oxford.
1915 "Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" published in "Poetry" magazine, Chicago.
1916 Marries and settles in England. Completes thesis on philosophy of Bradley, but abandons doctorate.
1917 Prufrock and Other Observations published. Unable to support himself, joins Lloyd's Bank. Publishes essay on Ezra Pound's work.
1920 Collection of Poems published. Publishes collection The Sacred Wood which includes the essay "Tradition and the Individual Talent".
1922 The Waste Land published.
1923 Begins his own periodical The Criterion.First issue of The Criterion publishes "The Waste Land". Joins the publishing company Faber and Faber.
1924 Essays on Dryden, Marvell and Metaphysical poets published.
1925 The Hollow Men published.
1927 Takes up naturalization in England. "A classicist in lit., a royalist in politics, Anglo-Catholic in religion."
1928 Eliot is Professor of Poetry at Harvard College. Lectures on "The Use of Poetry" and "The Use of Criticism."
1933 Lectures at Virginia, produces essays After Strange Gods.
1934 First of Four Quartets, "Burnt Norton" published.
1935 Eliot's life-time interest in poetic drama comes to fruition. Poetic drama Murder in the Cathedral produced.
1939 The poetic drama The Family Reunion produced.
1947 His wife dies.
1948 Awarded Nobel Prize and British Order of Merit.
1953 The poetic drama The Confidential Clerk is produced.
1956 On Poetry and Poets essays published.
1957 Remarries at age 68. Says it's the first time he's been happy since childhood.
1958 The Elder Statesman, drama, published.
1962 Eliot not very well. Works on his Harvard graduate thesis for publication.
1963 Goes to New York to visit old friend Igor Stravinsky.
1964 Health worsens. Confined to bed at home.
1965 January 4, Eliot dies.