1775 Jane Austen born at village of Steventon, England, to George and Cassandra Austen.

1785-87 With her sister, Cassandra, Austen attends the Abbey School in Reading, England.

1790-93 Writes her Juvenilia.

1795-98 Writes original versions of Northanger Abbey, Sense and Sensibility, and Pride and Prejudice.

1797 First Impressions (original version of Pride and Prejudice) rejected by a London publisher.

1801 Father retires and moves to Bath with his wife and daughters.

1803 Susan (original version of Northanger Abbey) is bought by a publisher but never issued.

1804 Austen begins, and quickly abandons, The Watsons.

1805 Death of father, George.

1808 Moves to Southampton with mother and sister.

1809-17 Lives with her mother and sister in a small house provided by her wealthy brother Edward in the village of Chawton, in southern England. Begins revising original versions of Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice.

1811 Sense and Sensibility published.

1813 Pride and Prejudice published.

1814 Mansfield Park published. Austen begins works on Emma.

1816 Emma is published and is dedicated to the Prince Regent (future George IV) at his request. Austen completes Persuasion.

1817 Composes the fragment Sandition; abandons it because of incapacitating illness. Austen is moved to Winchester for medical care in May and dies there on 18 July. Buried in Winchester Cathedral on 24 July.