A chronology of key events in Kate Chopin's life.

1850

Kate Chopin (Katherine O'Flaherty) born on February 8 to Thomas O'Flaherty, an Irish immigrant, and Eliza Faris, a Creole.

1855

Kate's father dies in a rail accident. Kate begins school at Academy of the Sacred Heart in St. Louis.

1863

Kate's great-grandmother, Victoire Verdon Charleville, dies. Kate's half-brother, George O'Flaherty, a Confederate soldier, dies of typhoid fever.

1868

Kate graduates from the Academy of the Sacred Heart.

1869

Kate visits New Orleans in the spring.

1870

Kate marries Oscar Chopin on June 9 in St. Louis. Their honeymoon in Europe is cut short by the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War. The couple moves to New Orleans in October.

1871

Jean Chopin, the first of Kate's six children, is born on May 22.

1873

Oscar Chopin Jr. born.

1874

The Chopins move to the Garden District of New Orleans, and visit Grand Isle in the summer.

1879

Oscar's cotton business fails, and the Chopins move to Cloutierville, Louisiana. Lelia Chopin born.

1882

Kate's husband dies of malaria.

1884

Kate moves back to St. Louis.

1885

Eliza O'Flaherty, Kate's mother, dies in June.

1888

Kate writes her first poem, 'If It Might Be,' and begins the story 'Euphraisie.'

1889

"If It Might Be" is published in the literary and political journal America. Two stories, "Wiser than a God" and "A Point at Issue" published in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

1890

Kate's first novel, At Fault, is published privately.

1891

Kate unsuccessfully submits the novel Young Dr. Gosse to several publishers. She later destroys the manuscript.

1893

"Désirée's Baby" published in Vogue.

1894

Bayou Folk published. Kate writes "Story of an Hour."

1895

"Athénaise" written.

1896

"Athénaise" published.

1897

A Night in Acadie published. Kate begins work on The Awakening in June.

1898

Kate completes The Awakening in January.

1899

The Awakening is published, to scathing reviews.

1900

Kate writes "The Gentleman from New Orleans", and is listed in the first edition of Who's Who in USA.

1904

Kate visits the Louisiana Purchase Exposition on August 18, where she suffers a stroke. She dies two days later.