Year

Date

Events

1809

Feb. 12

Born in Hardin (now LaRue) County Kentucky

1816

Dec.

Family moves to Indiana

1818

Oct. 5

Mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln, dies

1819

Dec. 2

Father marries Sarah Bush Johnston

1830

March

Family moves to Illinois

1831

late July

Arrives in New Salem

1832

April - July

Serves in Black Hawk war

Aug. 6

Defeated for legislature in first political race

1834

Aug 4

Elected to State Legistlature

Autumn

Begins studying law

1836

Aug. 2

Re-elected to state legislature

Sept.9

Receives law license

1837

March 3

First public declaration against slavery

April 15

Moves to Springfield, joins law partnership with
John T. Stuart

1838

Aug. 6

Re-elected to legislature

1840

Aug. 3

Re-elected to legislature

Fall-Winter

Engaged to Mary Todd; breaks engagement

1841

March

Forms legal partnership with Stephen T. Logan

1842

Nov. 4

Marries Mary Todd

1843

Aug. 1

Son Robert Todd Lincoln born

1844

Dec.

Forms legal partnership with William Herndon

1846

March 10

Son Edward Baker (Eddie) Lincoln born

Aug. 3

Elected to Congress

1847-1849

Dec. 3-March 4

Serves in Congress

1850

Feb. 1

Son Eddie dies

Dec. 21

Son William Wallace (Willie) Lincoln Born

1851

Jan. 17

Father, Thomas, dies

1853

April 4

Son Thomas (Tad) Lincoln born

1854

Aug. 26,

Delivers first speech against the Kansas-Nebraska Act

Nov. 7

Elected to the legislature; resigns to seek U.S. Senate seat

1855

Feb. 8

Defeated for Senate

1856

Feb. 22

Affiliates with Republican party

June 19

Finishes second in balloting for Republican vice-presidential nomination

1857

Fall

Campaigns for Republican ticket

March 6

Dred Scott Decision

1858

June 16

Nominated for senator by Republican convention

Aug. 21-Oct. 15

Lincoln-Douglas debates

Nov. 4

State election foreshadows defeat for Senate

1859

Jan. 5

Defeated for senator

1860

May 18

Nominated for president

Nov. 6

Elected president

Dec. 20

South Carolina secedes

1860-1861

Dec.-March

Opposes compromise

1861

Jan.-Feb.

Six remaining states of the Deep South secede

Feb. 11

Leaves Springfield to go to Washington

March 4

Inaugurated

April 12

Fort Sumter bombarded

April 15

Calls for 75,000 volunteers

April 19

Institutes blockade

April 27

Suspends writ of habeas corpus in Maryland

July 21

Battle of Bull Run

July 26

McClellan takes command of the army at Washington

Sep. 12

Revokes Fremont's emancipation proclamation

November 1

Appoints McClellan commanding general

1862

Feb. 20

Son Willie dies

March-July

Peninsula Campaign

May 19

Revokes Hunter's emancipation proclamation

June 26-July 2

Seven Days' Battles

July 12

Meets with border state representatives

July 22

Circulates draft of emancipation proclamation to cabinet

July 23

Names Halleck general-in-chief (serves until March 9, 1864)

Aug. 30

Second Battle of Bull Run

Sept. 17

Battle of Antietam

Sept. 22

Issues preliminary Emancipation Proclamation

Sept. 24

Suspends write of habeas corpus throughout the North

Oct.-Nov.

Democrats gain in fall elections

Nov. 5

Removes McClellan from command

1863

Jan. 1

Issues final Emancipation Proclamation

Jan. 25

Hooker appointed commander of the Army of Potomac

May 6

Vallandigham arrested

June 7

Black troops fight at Battle of Milliken's Bend

June 28

Names Meade commander of the Army of Potomac

July 1-3

Battle of Gettysburg

July 4

Vicksburg captured

July 13-16

New York City draft riots

Oct.-Nov.

Democrats suffer severe defeats in state elections

Nov. 19

Gettysburg Address

Dec. 8

Announces reconstruction program

1864

March 9

Names Grant commanding general

May-June

Grant's offensive in Vigrinia

June 8

Renominated

July 4

Pocket-vetoes Wade-Davis bill

Sept. 2

Sherman captures Atlanta

Nov. 8

Reelected

1865

Jan. 31

Thirteenth Amendment passes Congress

March 4

Second inauguration

April 9

Lee surrenders

April 10

Photograph taken (which turns out to be the last)

April 11

Last speech on reconstruction

April 14

Shot at Ford's Theater by John Wilkes Booth; dies the next morning

May 4

Burial in Springfield