1770 When was Beethoven born? December 16th uncertain in Bonn, Germany

December 17th: Baptized at Bonn



Certificate of Baptism of Ludwig van Beethoven...

1774 April 8th: Baptism of his brother Caspar Anton Carl

Ludwig learns music with his father

1776 October 2nd: Baptism of his brother Nikolaus Johann

Museum of Bonn - the house where Beethoven lived as a child

1778 March 26th: Ludwig's first known public performance, at Cologne

1779 February 23rd: Baptism of his sister Anna Maria Franziska (died four days later)

October: Neefe pursues Ludwig's musical training

1781 January 17th: Baptism of his brother Franz Georg (died two years later)

1782 Publication of first work in Beethoven life known as the Dressler Variations

1783 October 14th: Publication of three sonatas and other works

1784 June: Ludwig is appointed organist to the Choir of Maximilian Franz. He is 14 year old. Museum of Bonn - The piano...

1786 May 5th: Baptism of his sister Maria Margaretha (died one year later)

1787 Visited Vienna, studied with Mozart

July 17th: death of his mother

Beethoven's mother's tombstone at Bonn...

1789-1792 Played for four seasons as violinist at the Opera of Bonn

Numerous Beethoven compositions

1791 December 5th: Death of Mozart

1792 November 2nd: Left for Vienna

November 10th: Arrived at Vienna

Musical studies with Haydn

December 18th: Death of his father

1794 May: His brother Carl arrives at Vienna

January 19th: Haydn returns to London. Ludwig studies with Albrechtsberger

Composition of his first major work: Trios for Piano (opus 1)

1795 March 29th: First public appearance at Vienna; he played his own works

July: Finished his studies with Albrechtsberger

August: Trios for Piano (opus 1) published

September: Haydn returns to Vienna and meets Ludwig

December 26th: His brother Johann arrives in Vienna

Proposes to Magdalena Willmann, but she refuses him

1796 Numerous Beethoven compositions and a concert given at Prague

July: Returns to Vienna after Prague, Dresden, Leipzig, and Berlin before leaving for a concert in Budapest

1797 Probably the year of a serious illness, which triggered his deafness

1797-1799 Composition and publication of works

Signature of Ludwig van Beethoven

1799 Instruction by Salieri

Began composing the first symphony

1800 Concert at Vienna, playing of his first symphony

End of the year: Composition of his second symphony



The score of Ludwig van Beethoven's first symphony...

1802 February: Finished his second symphony

April: left for Heiligenstadt in the hope that his hearing would improve.

Returned to Vienna in October

Heiligenstadt,where Beethoven wrote his will...

1803 January: Ludwig became the composer of the Theatre of Vienna, where he lived with his brother Carl

June-October: Composed the Eroica symphony

August 6th: The piano maker Sébastien Erard sent him a new piano, as a present. This allowed for bigger intervals - like the pianos we have today.

1804 April: His contract with the theatre finishes

1805 April 7th: First public performance of the Eroica symphony

Numerous workings on Leonore, with a premiere on November 20

The score of the Third Symphony,the Eroica, by Ludwig van Beethoven...

1806 May 25th: Marriage of his brother Caspar Carl

Journey with the Prince Lichnowsky, and composition of the fourth symphony

1807 Composition of the Coriolan Overture

March: First performance of the fourth symphony

Autumn: Composition of the fifth symphony

1808 Spring-Summer: Composition of the sixth symphony - The Pastoral

December: Playing of the sixth symphony

1809 April 9th: War is declared against France

May 10th: French army surrounds Vienna

May 11th-12th: France takes possession of Vienna

Beethoven teaches music to Archduke Rudolphe

1810 April 27th: Beethoven presents 'The Letter for Elise' to Thérèse Malfatti

1811 October: Beethoven begins writing the seventh symphony

1812 March 2nd: Presentation of 'To the Beloved' to Antonie Brentano

May: Writing of the seventh symphony

Writing of the letter to "The Immortal Beloved"...

Teplitz, place of residence at the time of writing the famous letter...

1813 December 8th: First public presentation of the eighth symphony

1814 February 27th: Playing of the eighth symphony

May 23rd: First presentation of Fidelio

1815 November 15th: Ludwig's brother, Carl, dies. After several court cases, Ludwig is given guardianship of his nephew.

1816 October: Beethoven becomes ill

1817 Beginning of the year: Beethoven is still ill

September 10th: Writing of the first bars of the ninth symphony

1818 February 14th: Beethoven and Salieri recommend the metronome in the Viennese press.

February: Beethoven's deafness is such that he has to use a notebook and pencil to converse with visitors.

December 3rd: Karl runs away to his mother's home, but Beethoven demands that the police bring him back.

1819 January 11th: The guardianship of Karl is taken away from Beethoven on grounds of his deafness.

November: Composition of 'Missa Solemnis'

1820 April 8th: Beethoven becomes Karl's tutor again, with Karl Peters.

1821 January and the following months: Beethoven becomes regularly ill

1822 October: Pursues the composition of the ninth symphony and the beginnings of the tenth

1823 March 6th: Beethoven names Karl as his heir

Works on the ninth symphony

1824 Works on the tenth symphony (only the first movement was written in detail)

February: Finished writing the ninth symphony

May 7th: Public playing of the ninth symphony

1825 May 7th-October 15th: Beethoven installs himself at Baden

1826 August 6th: Karl attempts suicide by shooting himself in the head. He's only injured.

December: Beethoven's health starts to decline. He undergoes an operation.