The Life of Samuel Johnson

Chronologies

SAMUEL JOHNSON

1709 Born on 18 September in Lichfield; son of Michael and Sarah Johnson.

1712 Touched for the king’s evil, or scrofula, by Queen Anne.

1717–25 Attends Lichfield Grammar School.

1728 Enters Pembroke College, Oxford, in October.

1729 Leaves Oxford in December.

1731 Death of his father, Michael Johnson.

1732 Works as an usher, or assistant teacher, at Market Bosworth school.

1733 Translates Jerome Lobo’s A Voyage to Abyssinia; contributes essays to the Birmingham Journal.

1735 Marries Elizabeth Porter; opens school at Edial.

1737 Leaves for London in March, accompanied by one of his pupils, David Garrick; begins working for the publisher Edward Cave, and contributes to the Gentleman’s Magazine.

1738 Publication of London: A Poem.

1739 Publication of A Compleat Vindication of the Licensers of the Stage.

1744 Publication of The Life of Mr. Richard Savage and The Harleian Miscellany.

1746 A Dictionary of the English Language undertaken.

1747 Publication of the ‘Plan’ of the Dictionary.

1749 Publication of The Vanity of Human Wishes; Garrick produces Irene.

1750 Begins The Rambler.

1752 Death of Elizabeth Johnson; The Rambler concludes.

1753 Begins contributing to The Adventurer in March.

1754 Ceases to contribute to The Adventurer in March; publishes biography of Cave.

1755 MA, Oxford; publication of the Dictionary.

1758 Begins The Idler, published in the Universal Chronicle.

1759 Death of his mother, Sarah Johnson; publication of Rasselas.

1760 The Idler concludes.

1762 Receives pension of £300 per annum from George III.

1763 Meets James Boswell.

1764 Founding of ‘The Club’.

1765 LLD, Dublin; publication of The Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare. Meets the Thrales.

1770 Publication of The False Alarm.

1771 Publication of Thoughts on the Late Transactions Respecting Falkland’s Islands.

1773 Tour of the highlands of Scotland and the Hebrides.

1774 Publication of The Patriot; tour of Wales with the Thrales.

1775 DCL, Oxford; visits Paris with the Thrales; publication of A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland and Taxation No Tyranny.

1777 Begins work on the The Lives of the English Poets.

1779 Publication of first instalment of The Lives of the English Poets.

1781 Publication of second instalment of The Lives of the English Poets.

1783 Founding of the Essex Head Club.

1784 Dies on 13 December.

JAMES BOSWELL

1740 Born on 29 October in Edinburgh.

1753 Admitted to University of Edinburgh.

1759 Admitted to University of Glasgow.

1762 Passes examination in Civil Law.

Leaves Edinburgh for London on 15 November.

1763 Publishes Letters between the Honourable Andrew Erskine and James Boswell, Esq.

Meets Samuel Johnson on 16 May.

August: goes to Utrecht to study law.

1764 Tour of Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Corsica and France.

1766 Returns to London on 12 February.

26 July: begins legal career as member of Faculty of Advocates in Edinburgh.

1768 Publishes An Account of Corsica on 18 February.

1769 Marries Margaret Montgomerie on 25 November.

1777 Begins publishing essays in the London Magazine as ‘The Hypochondriack’.

1782 Death of his father, Lord Auchinleck, on 30 August makes Boswell laird of the family estate.

1785 Publishes The Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides on 1 October.

1786 Called to the English bar on 13 February.

1789 Death of his wife on 4 June.

1791 Publishes The Life of Samuel Johnson on 16 May.

1795 Dies in London on 19 May.

Buried in family vault at Auchinleck on 8 June.