| Born at Shadwell, Albemarle Co., Va. |
April 2 (O. S.), 13 (N. S.), 1743 |
| Death of his Father, Peter Jefferson |
August 17, 1757 |
| Entered William and Mary College |
March, 1760 |
| Graduation |
April 25, 1762 |
| Entered Law Office of George Wythe |
April, 1762 |
| Admitted to Bar |
1767 |
| Elected to Virginia House of Burgesses |
March, 1769 |
| Marriage to Martha Wayles Skelton |
January, 1772 |
| Birth of his First Daughter, Martha |
September 27, 1772 |
| Appointed Surveyor of Albemarle County |
October, 1773 |
| Birth of Second Daughter, Jane Randolph |
April 3, 1774 |
| Elected Deputy to Continental Congress |
March, 1775 |
| Attends Continental Congress |
June 21, 1775 |
| Death of his Mother |
March 31, 1776 |
| Appointed on Committee to prepare Declaration of Independence |
June 11, 1776 |
| Draft of Declaration Reported |
June 28, 1776 |
| Elected Commissioner to France |
September 26, 1776 |
| Attends Virginia Assembly |
October, 1776 |
| Appointed on Committee to Revise Virginia Laws |
November 6, 1776 |
| Birth of Son |
May 28, 1777 |
| Death of Son |
June 14, 1777 |
| Birth of Third Daughter, Mary |
August 1, 1778 |
| Elected Governor of Virginia |
June 1, 1779 |
| Reelected Governor of Virginia |
June 1, 1780 |
| Fourth Daughter Born |
November 3, 1780 |
| Resigns Governorship |
June 1, 1781 |
| Assembly Orders Investigation of his Administration |
June 5, 1781 |
| Appointed Peace Commissioner by Continental Congress |
June 14, 1781 |
| Appointment Declined |
June 30, 1781 |
| Attends Virginia Assembly |
November 5, 1781 |
| Committee Appointed to State Charges Against Him |
November 26, 1781 |
| Elected Delegate to Congress |
November 30, 1781 |
| Voted Thanks of Assembly |
December 12, 1781 |
| Daughter Lucy Elizabeth Born |
May 8, 1782 |
| Death of Mrs. Jefferson |
September 6, 1782 |
| Appointed Peace Commissioner to Europe |
November 12, 1782 |
| Appointment Withdrawn |
April 1, 1783 |
| Elected Delegate to Congress |
June 6, 1783 |
| Elected Chairman of Congress |
March 12, 1784 |
| Elected Minister to France |
May 7, 1784 |
| Arrived in Paris |
August 6, 1784 |
| Elected French Minister by Congress |
March 10, 1785 |
| Audience at French Court |
May 17, 1785 |
| Death of Youngest Daughter, Lucy |
November, 1785 |
| Presented to George III. at Windsor |
March 22, 1786 |
| Made an LL.D. by Yale |
October, 1786 |
| Made an LL.D. by Harvard |
June, 1788 |
| Prepares Charter for France |
June 3, 1789 |
| Nominated to be Secretary of State |
September 25, 1789 |
| Confirmed by Senate |
September 26, 1789 |
| Leaves France |
October, 1789 |
| At Monticello |
December 24, 1789 |
| Accepts Secretaryship of State |
February 14, 1790 |
| Marriage of Daughter Martha to Thomas Mann Randolph |
February 28, 1790 |
| Writes to Washington of Intention to Resign from Cabinet |
May 23, 1792 |
| Reconsiders Resignation |
January, 1793 |
| Offered French Mission |
February, 1793 |
| Resigns Secretaryship of State |
December 31, 1793 |
| Offered Foreign Mission |
September, 1794 |
| Elected Vice-President |
November 4, 1796 |
| Elected President of Philosophical Society |
January, 1797 |
| Takes Oath of Office as Vice-President |
March 4, 1797 |
| Marriage of Mary Jefferson to John Wayles Eppes |
October 13, 1797 |
| Writes Essay on Study of Anglo-Saxon |
October, 1798 |
| Drafts Kentucky Resolutions |
October, 1798 |
| Revises Madison's Virginia Resolutions |
November, 1798 |
| Plans University of Virginia |
January 18, 1800 |
| Prepares Parliamentary Manual |
February, 1800 |
| Republican Caucus Nominates Jefferson and Burr |
May, 1800 |
| Congress Begins to Ballot for President |
February 11, 1801 |
| Elected President |
February 17, 1801 |
| Farewell Address to Senate |
February 28, 1801 |
| Inauguration as President |
March 4, 1801 |
| Louisiana Treaty Signed at Paris |
May 2, 1803 |
| Louisiana Treaty Ratified |
October 20, 1803 |
| Message on Taking Possession of Louisiana |
January 18, 1804 |
| Reelected President of United States |
November, 1804 |
| Elected President of American Philosophical Society |
January, 1807 |
| Signs Bill to End Slave Trade |
March 2, 1807 |
| Proposes to Seize the Floridas |
September 1, 1807 |
| Embargo Act Signed |
December 22, 1807 |
| Repeal of Embargo Signed |
March 1, 1809 |
| Retires from Presidency |
March 4, 1809 |
| Arrives at Monticello |
March 17, 1809 |
| Resigns Presidency of American Philosophical Society |
November, 1814 |
| Congress Passes Bill to Buy Library |
January, 1815 |
| Drafts Virginia Protest |
December, 1825 |
| Executes Will |
March 16, 1826 |
| Declines Invitation to Fourth of July Celebration in Washington |
June 24, 1826 |
| Writes Last Letter |
June 25, 1826 |
| Death |
July 4, 1826 |