1809

February 12: Abraham Lincoln is born in Nolin Creek in Kentucky. His humble home was a one room log cabin

1811

The Lincoln family move to a 230 acre farm near Sinking Spring.

1816

December: The Lincoln family move to Indiana.

1817

February: Legend states that Abraham shot a wild turkey but hated the experience and never hunted again.

1818

October 5:  The death of his mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln

1819

December 2:  Thomas Lincoln marries a widow, Sarah Bush Johnston who becomes stepmother to Abraham Lincoln

1830

March: The Lincoln family move to Illinois
First political speech of Abe in favor of improving navigation on the Sangamon River.

1831

Abe settles in New Salem, Illinois working as a clerk in the village store

1832

March: Abe becomes a candidate for Illinois General Assembly
April: The Black Hawk War and Abe enlists
August 6: Abe loses election
Abe and William Berry become partners and purchase a village store in New Salem.

1833

The store fails and leaves the partners in debt
Abe is appointed Postmaster of New Salem
October: Abe is appointed Deputy County Surveyor.

1834

August 4: Lincoln is elected to the Illinois General Assembly
Abe starts to study law
Abe meets Ann Rutledge

1835

January: The death of William Berry and Abe's debt increases to $1000
August 25: Ann Rutledge dies from fever
Becomes leader of the Whig Party

1836

August 1: Re-elected to the Illinois General Assembly
September 9: Lincoln receives his law license
Starts to court Mary Owens

1837

April 15: Moves Springfield
Establishes as a law partner of John T. Stuart
His proposal to Mary Owens is declined

1838

August 6:  Re-elected to the Illinois General Assembly

1839

Practises as a lawyer on the 8th Judicial Circuit in Illinois
December 3: Admission to United States Circuit Court
Meets Mary Todd at a Christmas dance.

1840

June: Abe presents his first case before the Illinois Supreme Court
August 3: Re-elected to the Illinois General Assembly
Mary Todd accepts his proposal of marriage and the couple become engaged

1841

January 1: Abe breaks off his engagement to Mary Todd
Suffers from depression
March 1: Establishes new law partnership with Stephen T. Logan

1842

Abe resumes his courtship with Mary Todd
September: Challenged to a sword duel by James Shields over the publication of letters which taunted the Democrat Shields
September 22: Duel averted by an explanation of letters
November 4: Abe marries Mary Todd in Springfield

1843

Abe fails to get Whig nomination for U.S. Congress
August 1: Robert Todd Lincoln is born to Abe and Mary

1844

December: Abe sets up his own law practice and dissolves partnership with Logan

1846

March 10: Edward Baker Lincoln is born
May 1: Nominated as Whig candidate for U.S. Congress
August 3: Abe is elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.

1847

The Lincoln family moves to a boarding house in Washington, D.C.
December 22: Presents resolutions to President Polk about U.S. hostilities with Mexico.

1848

January 22: Gives a speech against war policy regarding Mexico

1849

March 31:  Abe leaves politics to practice law in Springfield

1850

February 1: The death of Edward Baker Lincoln
Lincoln resumes his role in the 8th Judicial Circuit gaining a reputation as an outstanding lawyer and earning the nickname of 'Honest Abe'
December 21: William Wallace Lincoln (Willie) is born.

1853

April 4: Thomas (Tad) Lincoln is born.

1854

Abe is elected to Illinois legislature but declines the seat in an attempt to become a U.S. Senator.

1855

Fails in his quest to become a U.S. Senator.

1856

May 29: Assists in the formation of the new Republican party of Illinois
Abe campaigns in Illinois for John C. Fremont the Republican presidential candidate

1857

June 26: Speech against the Dred Scott decision which ruled that Dred Scott must remain a slave

1858

June 16: Nominated as Republican senator from Illinois to oppose the Democrat Stephen A. Douglas.

1859

Illinois legislature choose Democrat Stephen A. Douglas for the U.S. Senate defeating Lincoln

1860

March 6:  Speech on slavery in New Haven, Connecticut
May 18: Nominated to be the Republican candidate for President of the United States
November 6: Abraham Lincoln is elected as 16th U.S. president
December 20: South Carolina secedes from the Union shortly followed by Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas.

1861

February 11: Leaves Springfield for Washington
March 4: President Lincoln delivers his First Inaugural Address
April 12 Attack on Fort Sumter - Confederates under General Pierre Beauregard open fire marking the start of the Civil War
For details of the career of President Lincoln and the progress of the American Civil War between 1861 and 1865 click Civil War Timeline

1865

March 17:  A kidnap plot by John Wilkes Booth fails when Lincoln fails to arrive as expected at the Soldiers Home
April 9: General Robert E. Lee surrenders his Confederate Army to General Ulysses S. Grant at the village of Appomattox Court House in Virginia
April 14: President Lincoln and his wife Mary go to Ford's Theater to see the play "Our American Cousin" . During the third act of the play John Wilkes Booth shoots the president in the head at approx 10:13 p.m.
April 15: President Abraham Lincoln dies at 7:22 in the morning. Vice President Andrew Johnson assumes the presidency
April 26: John Wilkes Booth is shot and killed in a tobacco barn in Virginia.
May 4: Abraham Lincoln is buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery, outside Springfield, Illinois.

Abraham Lincoln Timeline
 

Privacy Statement

Cookie Policy

© 2017 Siteseen Ltd