CHRONOLOGY

1908 LEMING BORN:

Ian Lancastes Fleming is born in Myfair, London on May 28 to conservative MP Valentine Fleming and his wife Eve Fleming. He is the second of four brothers. James Bond´s nemesis Ernst Stavro Blofeld, head of the international criminal organization SPECTRE, was also given the birth date of May 28, 1908.

1917 VALENTINE:

On May 20 Fleming´s father, Valentine, is killed in the fist World War on the Western Front, and he is posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO).

Ian does not benefit directly from the considerable family wealth, instead relying for many years on an allowance from his mother. Winstn Churchil writes Valentine´s Times obituary, published on May 25.

1921 ETON:

Ian Fleming attends Eton College, and whilst there is awarded the Victor Ludorum (“the winner of the games”) trophy two years running –a unique sporting achievement at Eton. However he leaves before completing his education. Similarly, James Bond is expelled from Eton in 1940.

1926 SANDHURTS:

Gentleman Cadet Ian Lancaster Fleming joins 20 Platoon No.5 Company at Sandhurts Military Academy. He resigns a year later after failing to pass out.

1928 KITZBÜHEL:

In an attempt to pass the Foreign Office exams and begin a career in the civil service, Fleming spends time in the Austrian village of Kitzbühel to learn French and German.

1932 MONIQUE:

Fleming falls in love with Monique Panchaud de Bottomes, the daughter of a Swiss businessman, and they become engaged. Fleming’s mother Eve blames Monique for his failure to secure a position in the civil service. Despite gaining a pass in his Foreign Office exams it is not a sufficient level to qualify. As a result his mother forces him to choose between his allowance and his girl, and he reluctantly chooses allowance.

Fleming remembers Monique and thus James Bond’s mother is named Monique Delacroix.

In October, Fleming’s mother pulls some strings and gets him a job at Reuters news agency. In his first year his send to Moscow to report on the show trial of the six British engineers charged with espionage.

1935 MURIEL:

Fleming begins on-of relationship with Muriel Wright, a fresh-faced English rose and an expert rider, skier and polo player. Referred to as Fleming “slave” by one of his friends, Muriel besotted with the writer even though he treated her badly. In 1944, Muriel is killed during a German bombing raid in London, and Fleming has to identify the body. The experience haunts him for the rest of his life.

1937 EBURY STREET:

Having switched careers to banking and then to navel intelligence, Ian Fleming moved into 22B Ebury Street, a former Baptist Chapel that have been turned into a house by Oswald Mosley, the leader of the British Union of Fascists.

1939 MOSCOW:

Fleming is send by The Times to Moscow again to report on a government trade mission lead by the Secretary for Overseas Trade, Robert Hudson.

1939 ROYAL NAVY:

Real Admiral John Godfrey, Director of Naval Intelligence of the Royal Navy, recruits Fleming as his personal assistant. His commission first as Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Lieutenant, and subsequently promoted to Lieutenant Commander, then Commander. His codename is 17F.

1940 NAVAL INTELLIGENCE:

Fleming and Godfrey prepare intelligence reports history and geography of countries involving World War II, intended for use by the British Arm Forces. The reports eventually evolve into the Naval Intelligence Division Geographical Handbook Series, produced between 1941 and 1946.

1942 WORLD WAR:

Fleming devises many intriguing plots, including Operation Ruthless, a scheme to seize the Naval Enigma code book. His idea is to borrow a captured Luftwaffe bomber and fake a crash to attacked one of the German rescue boats picking up downed pilots in the English Channel. Fleming’s men the overpower the crew and make off with the code book.

The plan is abandoned due to a luck rescue boats and the possibility that the plane may sink before the crew can escape.

1942 30AU:

Fleming forms a combat unit known as 30AU ( 30 Assault Unit), trained in lock-picking, safe-cracking, forms of unarmed combat, and other techniques and skills for collecting intelligent on German forces. The unit first sees action in November in the Anglo-American invasion of French North Africa.

A year later 30 AU is managed by Margaret Priestley, viewed by many as the inspiration for Flemings fictional Bond character, Miss Moneypenny.

1943 QUEBEC CONFERENCE:

Fleming attends the Quebec Conference at which Churchill and Roosevelt discuss future Allied strategy. Claims that Fleming pays a visit to Camp X, the secret clandestine warfare training school at Oshawa, Lake Ontario, are never substantiated.

1944 30 AU AND NORMANDY:

Fleming’s military unit parachuted into France and captures many items of interest, including acoustic homing torpedo, a beautiful French female professor, and most impressively the entire German Naval archives dating back to 1870.

1944 BOODLES:

Fleming’s becomes a member of Boodles an exclusive gentleman’s clubs on London’s St James Street.

1945 MERCURY NEWS SERVICE:

After retiring from the Royal Navy having achieved the rank of commander, Fleming accepts the post of foreign news manager at the Kemsley newspaper group, whose tittles include The Sunday Times. He assembles the Mercury News Services, a large team charged with supplying foreign news coverage.

1952 ANNE ROTHERMERE:

Flemings marries his long-term lover Anne Rothermere, who is pregnant with his baby, becoming her third husband following her marriage to newspaper tycoon Lord Rothermere. The witnesses are Fleming’s friend and neighbour in Jamaica Noel Coward and Cole Leslie, Coward’s secretary.

1953 CASINO ROYALE:

Written in 1952 Fleming’s first James Bond novel, Casino Royale, is published. Also known as a secret agent 007- the “00” indicating that he has a license to kill- it is thought that Bond’s names is inspired by the ornithology James Bond, whose book Field Guide to Birds of the West Indies sat on Fleming’s bookshelf next to his desk in Goldeneye.

1953 ATTICUS:

Fleming begins a three-year stint writing Atticus, the only column in the slimline Sunday Times. Largely down to Fleming’s lively curiosity, Atticus enjoys a new lease of life. Invited to cover a world conference of top chefs in London, Fleming refuses to ask them how to make extravagant cuisine. Instead he asks for perfect scrambled eggs, prompting a jostle to produce the perfect recipe, and some glorious for the column.

1954 LIVE AND LET DIE:

Live and Let Die, the second novel in the Bond series, is published to critical acclaim. “How wincingly well Mr Fleming writes”, says The Sunday Times, while Times Literary supplement comments that the book “….contains passages which for sheer excitement have not been surpassed by any modern writer of this kind”

1955 MOONRAKER:

James Bond is sent to investigate Sir Hugo Drax, a well known card cheat who has just purchased a £ 10 million British rocket called Moonraker. Whilst investigating his card sharp ways, Bond discovers that the Moonraker rocket is targeted on central London and that Drax is a German SMERSH agent.

1956 DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER:

James Bond is sent to investigate a diamond smuggling operation run by the brothers Jack and Seraffino Spang – by “spangled mob”. Bond is captured by the Spangs´ henchmen Wint and Kidd, but after several incidents finally dispatches of Seraffino in thisused mine outside Las Vegas. He the returned to England mistakenly believing the matter closed…

1957 FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE:

Rosa Klebb, a SMERSH colonel, appoints Red Grant, and ex – Ira man, to assassinate James Bond in revenge for the setbacks caused to the organisation. He is lured to Istambul by the promise of a beautiful Russia cypher expert, Tatiana Romanova, and a Spektor coding machine. The assignation attempts and Bond travels across Europe with Tatiana, delivers the coding machine and tries to locate Rosa Klebb.

1958 DOCTOR NO.

Bond is sent to investigate the murder of a British agent in Jamaica. He uncovered the island lair of Dr. Julius No, on which he has developed a radio beam capable of re – directing missile, with which he plans to hold the to ransom.

1959 GOLFINGUER:

After exposing his cheating ways at cards, James Bond discovers that Auric Golfinguer plans to steal 50 billion $ worth of gold from Fort Knox by drugging the towns water supply. Pussy Galore, initially working for Goldfinguer, realises she is being lied to and helps Bond in his mission to foil the plot.

1959 GOLDENEYE:

On the black of the success of the James Bond series, Fleming continues to use Goldeneye, his idyllic Jamaican holidays retreat which he built in 1946, to write his books. Fleming has already written several of the Bond novels here, using the generous two month’s paid annual leave provided by Kemsley.

1960 FOR YOUR EYES ONLY:

Is a collection of James Bond short stories, comprising from a view to a kill, For Your Eyes Only and Quantum on Solace.

1961 SALTZMAN AND BROCCOLI:

Fleming sells the film rights for his published and forthcoming Bond novels to movie producer Harry Saltzman. Saltzman forms partnerships with Albert R. “Cubby” Broccoli, also a producer, and together they raise the $900,000 necessary to set up EON Productions and kick – starts the Bond movie franchise.

1961 THUNDERBALL:

Having been sent to a health clinic to improve his physical fitness, James Bond survives an assassination attempt by Count Lippe. Bond then discovers that Lippe was working for Ernst Stavro Blofeld and that the organisation he belongs to ,SPECTRE, has hijacked a bomber with two nuclear bombs on board. Using this, Emilio Largo, SPECTRE´s nº 1, holds the world to ransom for ₤100 million.

1962 THE SPY WHO LOVED ME:

The only James Bond novel to be told in the first person by a female, an experiment that wasn’t generally acknowledged a success. In it, Vivienne Michel, the narrator tells the story of being harassed by two thugs on an insurance racket, but is saved by James Bond.

1963 ON HER MAJESTY´S SECRET SERVICE:

Ernst Stavro Blofeld plots to poison Britain´s water supply with a biological agent using brainwashed girls he’s holding under false pretences in Switzerland. Whilst foiling this plot, Bond becomes involves with Tracy Draco, and marries her, only to have her murdered by Blofeld´s henchwoman Irma Bunt as they drive away to their honeymoon.

1963 THRILLING CITIES:

Thrilling Cities is a collection of Fleming’s travel articles written for the Sunday Times 1959 and 1960, about a number of destinations across the world including Hong Kong, Tokyo, Macau, Honolulu, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Chicago and New York.

1964 FLEMING DIES:

On August 12, Ian Fleming dies of a heart attack at the Royal St. George’s Sandwich golf course in Kent, aged 56. Survived by his wife, Anne, and son, Caspar, he is buried in the churchyard in Sevenhampton Village, near Swindon. Fleming has sold more than 40 million Bond books.

1964 YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE:

The twelfth and final Bond book completed by Ian Fleming. James Bond has his license to kill revoked and is sent on a diplomatic mission to Japan to negotiate access to Japanese intelligence and its new cypher machine, Magic 44. During this he discovers his old nemesis Ernst Blofeld, and manages to finally strangle him, whilst also destroying his headquarters.

1965 THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN:

Begun by Fleming before his death in 1964, Kingsly Amis completed the novel in 1965. The plot revolves around James Bond’s investigations of Francisco “pistols” Scaramanga, and his mobs many and varied plans to sabotage Jamaica’s bauxite industry, smuggle drugs to America and set fire to sugar cane fields to helps Castro’s sugar business. At the end of the book James Bond is awarded a knighthood – but refuses it.

1966 OCTOPUSSY & THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS:

A posthumous collection of short stories comprising Octopussy, The Living Daylights, Property of a Lady, “007” in New York.

http://extras.timesonline.co.uk/bond/03/index.htm