1903
Evelyn Arthur St John Waugh born on 28th October at 11 Hillfield Road, Hampstead, London.

1910
Starts at Heath Mount preparatory school.

1917
Starts at Lancing College in Sussex.

1922
Starts in January at Hertford College, Oxford, reading History.

1924
Achieves a third-class degree but leaves Oxford without taking it.

1925
Teaches at Arnold House School in Wales. Attempts suicide by swimming out to sea but turns back after being stung by a shoal of jellyfish. After leaving Wales, takes up another schoolmaster's job at Aston Clinton in Buckinghamshire.

1927
Sacked from Aston Clinton. Meets Evelyn Gardner.

1928
Marries Evelyn Gardner. Decline and Fall published.

1929
Mediterranean cruise, recounted in travel book Labels (USA: A Bachelor Abroad).

1930
Divorces Evelyn Gardner. Vile Bodies published and acclaimed. Travels in Africa. Labels published. Conversion to Roman Catholicism.

1931
Remote People, a second travel book, published.

1932
Black Mischief published.

1933
Travels in South America.

1934
Ninety-Two Days and A Handful of Dust published.

1935
Biography of the Elizabethan Catholic martyr Edmund Campion published. Returns to Abyssinia reporting for Daily Mail.

1936
Travel book Waugh in Abyssinia and short story collection Mr Loveday's Little Outing published.

1937
Marries Laura Herbert. Moves to Piers Court, Stinchcombe, Gloucestershire.

1938
Daughter Teresa born. Scoop published.

1939
Travel book Robbery Under Law published. Son Auberon born. Work Suspended abandoned after two chapters following acceptance into armed forces.

1940
Birth and death of daughter Mary.

1942
Put Out More Flags and Work Suspended published.

1944
Daughter Harriet born. Serves in Yugoslavia with Randolph Churchill liaising with Tito's Partisans.

1945
Returns to London and civilian life. Brideshead Revisited published.

1946
When the Going Was Good, a selection from his travel writing, published. Son James born.

1947
Visits USA. Scott-King's Modern Europe published.

1948
The Loved One published. Lectures in USA.

1950
Son Septimus born. Helena published.

1952
Men at Arms, the first volume in the Sword of Honour trilogy, published.

1953
Love Among the Ruins published.

1954
Mental breakdown during sea voyage to Ceylon, events detailed in semi-autobiographical The Ordeal of Gilbert Pinfold.

1955
Officers and Gentlemen, second volume in the Sword of Honour trilogy, published. Visits Jamaica.

1956
Moves to Combe Florey, Somerset.

1957
The Ordeal of Gilbert Pinfold published.

1958
Further travels in Africa.

1959
Life of Ronald Knox published.

1960
Travel book A Tourist in Africa published.

1961
Unconditional Surrender (USA: The End of the Battle) concludes the Sword of Honour trilogy.

1963
Basil Seal Rides Again published.

1964
Autobiography A Little Learning published.

1966
Dies on 10th April at Combe Florey.