Dylan Thomas - Timeline

1914

October 27th: Dylan Marlais Thomas born.

1925

Dylan entered Swansea Grammar School.

1926

Dylan won first prize for running at school.

1931

Dylan left Swansea Grammar School to become a reporter on the South Wales Daily Post.

1932

Dylan joined Swansea Little Theatre Company and became friends with a group of talented Swansea men who met in the Kardomah café.

1933

August: Dylan went to London for the first time.

1934

February 23rd: Dylan's visited London again, staying with Pamela Hansford Johnson.

November: Dylan moved to London, living with friends Alfred Janes and Mervyn Levy.

December 18th: Dylan's first book of poems -18 Poems appeared.

1936

April: Dylan met Caitlin Macnamara, lover of artist Augustus John at the time.

July: Dylan and Caitlin met again in Laugharne. Dylan and Augustus John fought over Caitlin.

September 10: 'Twenty Five Poems' was published.

1937

April 21st: Dylan's first radio broadcast 'Life and the Modern Poet' was recorded in London.

July 11th: Dylan and Caitlin were married.

September: Dylan and Caitlin stayed with Dylan's parents in Bishopston, Gower.

1938

May: Dylan and Caitlin moved to a small cottage in Laugharne.

August: Dylan and Caitlin moved from Eros to Sea View, Laugharne.

November: Dylan and Caitlin stayed with Caitlin's mother while she was pregnant.

1939

January 30th: Dylan and Caitlin's first child - Llewelyn Edouard Thomas was born.

August 24th: Dylan's third poetry collection - The Map of Love was published.

December 20th: The World I Breathe - a collection of poems and short stories, was published in the US.

Dylan and Caitlin were still staying with Caitlin's family in Hampshire.

1940

March /April: Dylan, wife and little boy moved back to Sea View, Laugharne.

April 4th: Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog was published.

May: Dylan failed his Army medical.

Dylan and Caitlin had debts in Laugharne therefore moved his parents house in Bishopston.

In June/August: They stayed with John Davenport and his wife in Gloucestershire.

July: Dylan and Caitlin left Laugharne for London.

September: Dylan began working for Strand Films as a script writer.

December: They returned to stay with Dylan's parents in Bishopston.

1941

February 19th -21st: Swansea was bombed by the Luftwaffe.

May/July: Dylan and Caitlin stayed with Richard and Frances Hughes in Laugharne.

August: Dylan and Caitlin moved back to London.

1942

July: Dylan and Caitlin rented one-room studio in London.

1943

Dylan's continuous work as a broadcaster began.

February: New Poems was published in the US.

March 3rd: Aeronwy Bryn Thomas was born

1944

April /June: Dylan and Caitlin lived in West Sussex and then in Buckinghamshire.

July/August: They stayed with Dylan's parents, who had now moved to Blaencwm, Llangain, Carmarthenshire.

September: Dylan and family moved to Majoda, New Quay where Dylan started writing Under Milk Wood.

1945

August/September: Caitlin and Dylan stayed at Blaencwm.

December/March 1947: Dylan and Caitlin spent Christmas with the historian AJP Taylor and his wife.

Between 1945 and 1949 Dylan either wrote or participated in 100 BBC radio programmes.

1946

Deaths and Entrances was published.

August: Dylan and Caitlin spent four days in Ireland with Bill and Helen McAlpine.

November 8th: Selected Writings was published in the United States

1947

March 26th: The Society of Authors awarded Dylan a scholarship, recommending that he visit Italy.

April/August: Dylan and family went to Italy, where he wrote 'In Country Sleep'.

June 15th: BBC broadcasted 'Return Journey'.

June: Margaret Taylor bought the Manor House, Oxford for the Thomas family.

1948

March/April: Dylan went to Laugharne, hoping to find a place for the family to live.

April: Dylan's parents stayed with the family in Oxford.

Summer: Dylan began work on three film scripts for Gainsborough Films.

October: Margaret Taylor bought the Boathouse in Laugharne for Dylan and his family.

1949

March 4th: Dylan visited Prague.

May: Dylan and family moved to the Boathouse in Laugharne

Dylan's parents also moved to Laugharne.

July 24th: Colm Garan Hart Thomas was born.

1950

February 20th: Dylan flew to New York to begin his first tour of the US.

February 23rd: Dylan did his first reading, in the US.

June 1st: Dylan returned to Britain.

September: Caitlin discovered that Dylan had an American mistress.

1951

January/February: Dylan visited Persia to write a film script.

Caitlin wrote to him saying their marriage was over.

February: Dylan and Caitlin were reconciled.

July: John Malcolm Brinnin, Dylan's American agent, and photographer Rollie McKenna stayed with Dylan in Laugharne.

Summer / Autumn: Dylan wrote 'Lament', 'Poem on His Birthday', 'Do not go gentle into that good night', 'Prologue' and half of Under Milk Wood.

Margaret Taylor acquired a London home for Dylan and family.

1952

January 20th: Dylan and Caitlin left for the US.

November 10th: Collected Poems 1934-1952 was published.

December 16th: DJ Thomas, Dylan's father, died.

1953

April 16th: Dylan's sister Nancy, died of cancer.

April 21st: Dylan left for New York to begin his third US tour.

June 3rd: Dylan returned to London.

October 19th: Dylan embarked on his fourth and final US tour.

October 29th: Dylan attended his last public engagement.

November 5th: Dylan collapsed at the Chelsea Hotel, New York.

November 9th: Dylan died.

November 25th: Dylan's funeral was held in Laugharne.