Chronology of C. S. Lewis's Life
1898 - On November 29, Clive Staples Lewis was born in Dundela Villas, Belfast and became the second child of Albert Lewis, an attorney and poet, and
Florence Augusta Hamilton Lewis.
1903 - At the age of 5, Lewis began to write down stories that he and his brother Warren would make up.
1905 - The family moved into Little Lea, a house built for them outside of the city.
1908 - On August 23, Lewis’s mother died of cancer, and his grandfather who had lived with the family died a month later of a stroke. These events caused his father to become very distant, but brought together Lewis and his brother Warren closer together.
- The brothers began to frequent their mother’s cousin Hope Ewart’s mansion, Glenmacken, and she became a mother figure for them.
- After being sent to various boarding schools by his father, Lewis went to Wynyard House (where Warren attended). This prison-like school was a terrible experience for Lewis.
1910 – Lewis sees Peter Pan performed in London.
- Wynyard House was closed due to parent complaints.
- Lewis enrolled in Campbell College.
- In November, Lewis was sent home due to illness and kept busy by constantly reading fairy tales.
1911 – In January, Lewis began to attend Cherbourg, a small school, where he published two essays and a poem in the school magazine. He also lost his faith in Christianity after learning about Germanic mythology at the school.
1913 – in June, Lewis applied to Malvern and was accepted with a junior scholarship.
1914 – Lewis wrote Loki Bound, a play that utilized Norse mythology and Greek tragedy.
-Lewis’s love of Norte mythology led him to become close friends with Arthur Greeves who shared this love.
-Lewis left school to be tutored by William Kirkpatric, who supported and furthered Lewis’s disbelief in Christianity
- On December 6, Lewis was confirmed to please his father.
1916- Lewis reads Phantastes by Christian writer George MacDonald, which he later credits his Christian conversion to.
- On December 4, Lewis fails the Oxford scholarship examination in math and continues to be tutored by Kirkpatrick.
1917 – On March 20, Lewis entered Oxford as a prospective World War 1 soldier, despite his Irish heritage, which exempted him from military service.
- On June 10, Lewis was drafted into the Officer’s Training Corps.
- On November 17, he was sent to France with the Third Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry.
1918 - On April 15 Lewis was wounded by a shell during the Battle of Arras and recovered in a London hospital.
- In October he was assigned to Ludgershall where he learned that his friend Paddy Moore had been killed. He now had the responsibility of caring for Moore’s mother, Janie and sister, Maureen.
1919 – Lewis returns to Oxford.
- In March, Lewis published his first book, Spirits in Bondage: A Cycle of Lyrics, a collection of poetry, under the pseudonym Clive Hamilton.
1920 – Janie and Maureen Moore move to Oxford and rent a house with Lewis’s help.
1921- On May 24 Lewis won the Chancellor's English Essay Prize.
1922- Lewis receives a B.A. from Oxford.
1923- Lewis received his second B.A. form Oxford.
1924- Lewis becomes a temporary philosophy tutor at University College.
1925 – On May 20, he was elected to a fellowship at Magdalen College as an English tutor. Here he tutored John Betjeman who later became poet laureate.
1926 – Lewis publishes "Dymer", a narrative poem.
- Lewis meets J.J.R. Tolkien who soon becomes a very influential friend.
1929 – Lewis accepts theism after being influenced by several literary works.
- On September 24, Lewis’s father Albert dies of advanced cancer.
1930 – Lewis and his brother Warren buy Kilns, a house near Oxford, and move in with Janie and Maureen Moore.
1930 – Lewis and Tolkien join the literary club the Inklings, which gave Lewis a close relationship with many influential authors.
1931 – On September 8, Lewis fully accepts Christianity.
1935 – In September, Lewis completes The Allegory of Love: A Study in Medieval Tradition.
1936 – Lewis wins the Hawthornden Prize for The Allegory of Love: A Study in Medieval Tradition.
1937 – Lewis wins the Israel Gollancz Memorial Prize for literature for The Allegory of Love: A Study in Medieval Tradition.
1938 – Lewis publishes his first novel: Out of the Silent Planet, volume 1 in the Space Trilogy.
1939 – Lewis gives the lecture "None Other Gods: Culture in War Time", just one of the many talks that he gave as an apologist during World War II.
- Lewis begins to write The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe at the time 3 young schoolgirls move into his home because of the war.
1940 – Lewis begins to write The Screwtape Letters, his first widely-popular work.
1941 – Beginning this year, Lewis gave frequent 15 minute radio broadcasts as a guest on BBC.
1943 – Lewis publishes Perelandra, the second volume in the Space Trilogy.
1944 – Lewis writes The Great Divorce: A Dream, originally published as serials in the Manchester Guardian.
1945 – Lewis publishes That Hideous Strength: A Modern Fairy-Tale for Grown-Ups , the third volume in the Space Trilogy.
1947 – Lewis began to care for the bedridden Janie Moore.
1948 – Lewis begins to write The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe again.
1950 - Joy Davidman, an American poet writes a letter to Lewis about his books.
- In April, Janie Moore is moved to a nursing home, where Lewis visited her every day until her death.
- The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is published. The other books in the series are released on a yearly basis.
1951 – On January 12, Janie Moore died.
1952 – Lewis and Davidman meet when she visits England in September.
- Lewis publishes Mere Christianity.
1954 – Davidman returns to England following her divorce, and her sons David and Douglas.
- In June, Lewis accepts the chair of Medieval and Renaissance English at Cambridge.
1955 – Lewis publishes Surprised by Joy, his first autobiography.
1956 – On April 23, Lewis marries Davidman in a civil ceremony.
1957 – Davidman is diagnosed with bone cancer.
- On March 21, Lewis marries Davidman in a religious ceremony.
- Davidman’s cancer is in remission.
1959 – In October, Davidman’s cancer returns.
1960 – In March, The Four Loves was published.
- On July 13, Davidman dies.
1961 – Lewis’s health begins to deteriorate.
1962 – Lewis wins the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award for The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.
1963 – Lewis dies on November 22.
Florence Augusta Hamilton Lewis.
1903 - At the age of 5, Lewis began to write down stories that he and his brother Warren would make up.
1905 - The family moved into Little Lea, a house built for them outside of the city.
1908 - On August 23, Lewis’s mother died of cancer, and his grandfather who had lived with the family died a month later of a stroke. These events caused his father to become very distant, but brought together Lewis and his brother Warren closer together.
- The brothers began to frequent their mother’s cousin Hope Ewart’s mansion, Glenmacken, and she became a mother figure for them.
- After being sent to various boarding schools by his father, Lewis went to Wynyard House (where Warren attended). This prison-like school was a terrible experience for Lewis.
1910 – Lewis sees Peter Pan performed in London.
- Wynyard House was closed due to parent complaints.
- Lewis enrolled in Campbell College.
- In November, Lewis was sent home due to illness and kept busy by constantly reading fairy tales.
1911 – In January, Lewis began to attend Cherbourg, a small school, where he published two essays and a poem in the school magazine. He also lost his faith in Christianity after learning about Germanic mythology at the school.
1913 – in June, Lewis applied to Malvern and was accepted with a junior scholarship.
1914 – Lewis wrote Loki Bound, a play that utilized Norse mythology and Greek tragedy.
-Lewis’s love of Norte mythology led him to become close friends with Arthur Greeves who shared this love.
-Lewis left school to be tutored by William Kirkpatric, who supported and furthered Lewis’s disbelief in Christianity
- On December 6, Lewis was confirmed to please his father.
1916- Lewis reads Phantastes by Christian writer George MacDonald, which he later credits his Christian conversion to.
- On December 4, Lewis fails the Oxford scholarship examination in math and continues to be tutored by Kirkpatrick.
1917 – On March 20, Lewis entered Oxford as a prospective World War 1 soldier, despite his Irish heritage, which exempted him from military service.
- On June 10, Lewis was drafted into the Officer’s Training Corps.
- On November 17, he was sent to France with the Third Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry.
1918 - On April 15 Lewis was wounded by a shell during the Battle of Arras and recovered in a London hospital.
- In October he was assigned to Ludgershall where he learned that his friend Paddy Moore had been killed. He now had the responsibility of caring for Moore’s mother, Janie and sister, Maureen.
1919 – Lewis returns to Oxford.
- In March, Lewis published his first book, Spirits in Bondage: A Cycle of Lyrics, a collection of poetry, under the pseudonym Clive Hamilton.
1920 – Janie and Maureen Moore move to Oxford and rent a house with Lewis’s help.
1921- On May 24 Lewis won the Chancellor's English Essay Prize.
1922- Lewis receives a B.A. from Oxford.
1923- Lewis received his second B.A. form Oxford.
1924- Lewis becomes a temporary philosophy tutor at University College.
1925 – On May 20, he was elected to a fellowship at Magdalen College as an English tutor. Here he tutored John Betjeman who later became poet laureate.
1926 – Lewis publishes "Dymer", a narrative poem.
- Lewis meets J.J.R. Tolkien who soon becomes a very influential friend.
1929 – Lewis accepts theism after being influenced by several literary works.
- On September 24, Lewis’s father Albert dies of advanced cancer.
1930 – Lewis and his brother Warren buy Kilns, a house near Oxford, and move in with Janie and Maureen Moore.
1930 – Lewis and Tolkien join the literary club the Inklings, which gave Lewis a close relationship with many influential authors.
1931 – On September 8, Lewis fully accepts Christianity.
1935 – In September, Lewis completes The Allegory of Love: A Study in Medieval Tradition.
1936 – Lewis wins the Hawthornden Prize for The Allegory of Love: A Study in Medieval Tradition.
1937 – Lewis wins the Israel Gollancz Memorial Prize for literature for The Allegory of Love: A Study in Medieval Tradition.
1938 – Lewis publishes his first novel: Out of the Silent Planet, volume 1 in the Space Trilogy.
1939 – Lewis gives the lecture "None Other Gods: Culture in War Time", just one of the many talks that he gave as an apologist during World War II.
- Lewis begins to write The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe at the time 3 young schoolgirls move into his home because of the war.
1940 – Lewis begins to write The Screwtape Letters, his first widely-popular work.
1941 – Beginning this year, Lewis gave frequent 15 minute radio broadcasts as a guest on BBC.
1943 – Lewis publishes Perelandra, the second volume in the Space Trilogy.
1944 – Lewis writes The Great Divorce: A Dream, originally published as serials in the Manchester Guardian.
1945 – Lewis publishes That Hideous Strength: A Modern Fairy-Tale for Grown-Ups , the third volume in the Space Trilogy.
1947 – Lewis began to care for the bedridden Janie Moore.
1948 – Lewis begins to write The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe again.
1950 - Joy Davidman, an American poet writes a letter to Lewis about his books.
- In April, Janie Moore is moved to a nursing home, where Lewis visited her every day until her death.
- The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is published. The other books in the series are released on a yearly basis.
1951 – On January 12, Janie Moore died.
1952 – Lewis and Davidman meet when she visits England in September.
- Lewis publishes Mere Christianity.
1954 – Davidman returns to England following her divorce, and her sons David and Douglas.
- In June, Lewis accepts the chair of Medieval and Renaissance English at Cambridge.
1955 – Lewis publishes Surprised by Joy, his first autobiography.
1956 – On April 23, Lewis marries Davidman in a civil ceremony.
1957 – Davidman is diagnosed with bone cancer.
- On March 21, Lewis marries Davidman in a religious ceremony.
- Davidman’s cancer is in remission.
1959 – In October, Davidman’s cancer returns.
1960 – In March, The Four Loves was published.
- On July 13, Davidman dies.
1961 – Lewis’s health begins to deteriorate.
1962 – Lewis wins the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award for The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.
1963 – Lewis dies on November 22.