A Timeline of Lewis's Life

1898, November 29 Born in Belfast
1899, January 2 Baptized into the Church of Ireland
1908, August 23 Death of his mother, Flora Lewis
1908-1930 Schools in Belfast
1911, January Decides that Christianity isn’t for him
1911-1917 Prep schools in England

1917, April 29 Enters University College, Oxford
1917, June 8 Joins other Oxford undergrads in military training
1917, September 25
Assigned to the Somerset Light Infantry
1917, November 17 Crosses to France
1918, April 15 Wounded in the battle of Arras
1918, December 23 Arrives home after stays at several hospitals
1919, January 13 Returns to university classes
1919, March 20 Publication of Spirits in Bondage, a collection of poems
1924, July 16 Graduates with honors from the university
1925, May 20 Elected Fellow of Magdalen College

1926, September 18 Publication of Dymer, a long narrative poem
1929, September 25 Death of his father, Albert Lewis.
1930, October 11 Buys "The Kilns" with his brother Warren and Jane Moore and moves in
1931, September 28 Ends his embargo of Christianity.
1933, May 25 Publication of The Pilgrim’s Regress
1936, May 21 Publication of The Allegory of Love: A Study in Medieval Tradition
1938, September 23 Publication of Out of the Silent Planet
1940, April 25 Hosts the first evening meeting of the Inklings
1940, October 18 Publication of The Problem of Pain
1941, June 8 Preached “The Weight of Glory” from the pulpit of St. Mary’s, Oxford

1941, August 6 First of the radio talks that would eventually result in the publication of Mere Christianity
1942, January 6 First meeting of the Socratic Club
1942, February 9 Publication of The Screwtape Letters
1942, July 13 Publication of Broadcast Talks, the first two series of talks given on the BBC
1943, January 6 Publication of The Abolition of Man
1943, April 19 Publication of Christian Behaviour, more radio talks
1943, April 20 Publication of Perelandra
1944, October 9 Publication of Beyond Personality, the final radio talks
1945, August 16 Publication of The Tortured Planet (That Hideous Strength)
1946, January 14 Publication of The Great Divorce
1947, May 12 Publication of Miracles: A Preliminary Study
1947, September 8 Appears as a caricature by Artzybasheff on the cover of Time magazine
1949, October 20 Last evening meeting of the Inklings

1950, October 16 Publication of The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
1951, January 12 Mrs. Moore dies
1951, October 15 Publication of Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia
1952, July 7 Publication of Mere Christianity
1952, September 15 Publication of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
1952, September 24 Meets Joy Davidman Gresham, an admiring American author, over lunch
1953, September 7 Publication of The Silver Chair
1953, November Joy returns to England with her two sons
1954, June 4 Accepts chair of Medieval and Renaissance English at Cambridge University
1954, September 6 Publication of The Horse and His Boy
1954, September 16 Publication of English Literature in the Sixteenth Century, Excluding Drama, a volume in the Oxford History of English Language
1955, January 7 Takes up residence at Cambridge University.
1955, May 2 Publication of The Magician’s Nephew
1955, September 19 Publication of Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life
1956, March 19 Publication of The Last Battle: A Story for Children

1956, April 23 Marries Joy in the Oxford Registry Office.
1956, September 26 Publication of Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold
1956, October 19 Joy hospitalized for cancer.
1957, March 21 Marries Joy, who is thought to be dying, in a Church of England ceremony in the hospital
1957, April Receives Joy and her two sons into "The Kilns" where she may die in peace
1958, June Joy has a remission of her cancer
1958, September 8 Publication of Reflections on the Psalms
1959, October Joy’s cancer returns
1960, March 28 Publication of The Four Loves
1960, July 13 Joy dies

1960, September 9 Publications of Studies in Words
1961, September 29 Publication of A Grief Observed
1961, November 18 Publication of An Experiment in Criticism
1963, November 22 Lewis dies; on this day Aldous Huxley and John F. Kennedy also die
1964, January 27 Publication of Letters to Malcolm, Chiefly on Prayer

—compiled by William Griffin