1828 Enters Concord Academy

1833 Enters Harvard College

1837 Graduates from Harvard. Teaches in the Concord School, resigns.
Meets Emerson.
Begins writing his Journal.

1838 Starts private school with brother, John.
First public lecture at the Concord Lyceum.

1839 Canoe trip on Concord and Merrimack with John.
Courts Ellen Sewall.

1840 Published in The Dial
Proposes marriage and is rejected (Ellen Sewall).

1841 School closes due to John’s ill health.
Takes up residence as tutor and handyman at Emerson’s home.

1842 John Thoreau dies of lockjaw.
Henry suffers psychosomatic symptoms.
Meets Nathaniel Hawthorne.

1843 Tutors at William Emerson’s home on Staten Island.

1844 Returns home to work at family pencil-making business.
Accidentally sets fire to Concord Woods.

1845 Begins building on banks of Walden Pond, moves in.

1846 First camping trip to Maine woods.
Begins work on Walden.
Arrested and jailed overnight for refusing to pay poll tax.

1847 Leaves Walden Pond and moves in with Emersons again while Ralph Waldo lectures in Europe.

1848 First essay on Maine woods, “Ktaadn” published.
Studies surveying.

1849 Moves back to father’s house.
Death of sister, Helen.
A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers and “Civil Disobedience” published.
First visit to Cape Cod.

1850 Voyage to Cape Cod and Canada.
Works as surveyor.

1853 Second trip to Maine.
First parts of “A Yankee in Canada” published.

1854 Publishes Walden; or, Life in the Woods. Delivers “Slavery in Massachusetts” lecture.

1855 Third visit to Cape Cod.

1856 Meets Walt Whitman in Brooklyn, New York with Alcott.

1857 Fourth visit to Cape Cod.
Third trip to Maine.
Meets John Brown in Concord, expresses support.

1859 Father dies, leaving Henry to take over pencil factory.
Delivers “A Plea for Captain John Brown.”

1860 Last camping excursion to Monadnock.
Final illness begins in fall.

1861 Goes to Minnesota because of failing health.

1862 Dies of tuberculosis on May 6, 9 AM.