May 4. John James La Forest Audubon was born at Mandeville, Louisiana.

(Paucity of dates and conflicting statements make it impossible to insert dates to show when the family moved to St. Domingo, and thence to France.)

1797 (?)

Returned to America from France. Here followed life at Mill Grove Farm, near Philadelphia.

1805 or 6

Again in France for about two years. Studied under David, the artist. Then returned to America.

1808

April 8. Married Lucy Bakewell, and journeyed to Louisville, Kentucky, to engage in business with one Rozier.

1810

March. First met Wilson, the ornithologist.

1812

Dissolved partnership with Rozier.

1808-1819

Various business ventures in Louisville, Hendersonville, and St. GeneviÈve, Kentucky, again at Hendersonville, thence again to Louisville.

1819

Abandoned business career. Became taxidermist in Cincinnati.

1820

Left Cincinnati. Began to form definite plans for the publication of his drawings. Returned to New Orleans.

1822

Went to Natchez by steamer. Gunpowder ruined two hundred of his drawings on this trip. Obtained position of Drawing-master in the college at Washington, Mississippi. At the close of this year took his first lessons in oils.

1824

Went to Philadelphia to get his drawings published. Thwarted. There met Sully, and Prince Canino.

1826

Sailed for Europe to introduce his drawings.

1827

Issued prospectus of his "Birds."

1828

Went to Paris to canvass. Visited Cuvier.

1829

Returned to the United States, scoured the woods for more material for his biographies.

1830

Returned to London with his family.

1830-1839

Elephant folio, The Birds of North America, published.

1831-39

American Ornithological Biography published in Edinburgh.

1831

Again in America for nearly three years.

1832-33

In Florida, South Carolina, and the Northern States, Labrador, and Canada.

1834

Completion of second volume of "Birds," also second volume of American Ornithological Biography.

1835

In Edinburgh.

1836

To New York again—more exploring; found books, papers and drawings had been destroyed by fire, the previous year.

1837

Went to London.

1838

Published fourth volume of American Ornithological Biography.

1839

Published fifth volume of "Biography."

1840

Left England for the last time.

1842

Built house in New York on "Minnie's Land," now Audubon Park.

1843

Yellowstone River Expedition.

1840-44

Published the reduced edition of his "Bird Biographies."

1846

Published first volume of "Quadrupeds."

1848

Completed Quadrupeds and Biography of American Quadrupeds. (The last volume was not published till 1854, after his death.)

1851

January 27. John James Audubon died in New York.

JOHN JAMES AUDUBON.