1887. Born July 7 in Vitebsk, Belorussia, into a Jewish working-class family.
1907. Begins to study painting under Pen in Vitebsk.
1907-10. Studies painting in St Petersburg, first at the Imperial
Society for the Encouragement of the Arts, later at the School of
Elizabeth Svanseva.
1909. meets Bella Rosenfeld .
1910. Arrival in Paris and introduction into the city, and into a
circle of contemporary poets and painters. He is patronised by
Vinaver who offers him a subsidy for four years.
1912. Discovery of the Fauves and Cubists; is briefly touched by
Futurism. Gets to know Braque, Picasso, Delaunay, Leger, Mar-
coussis, Segonzac, Archipenko, Sterenberg, Soffici, and Modigliani.
Has his first studio in Rue de la Ruche and meets the poets Cendrars
and Apollinaire. Exhibits for the first time at the Independants.
1914. First personal show in Berlin, organised by Walden, he sets up 
home for some time in that city. Returns to Vitebsk at the outbreak of war.
1915. Marries Bella Rosenfeld and settles in Vitebsk.
1916.  Birth of the daughter Ida.
1918. Is nominated Commissioner for Fine Arts in Vitebsk.
1919. Is nominated Director  of the Vitebsk Academy of Arts, in which Malevich
the Suprematist also teaches.
1919-1920. Invites to job in Academy of Vitebsk M.Dobuzinsky, I.Puni,Y.Pen, 
A.Romm.
1920. Resigns from Directorship of the Academy and leaves for Moscow. Here 
he does stage decors and painted wall panels for the Jewish Theatre.
1921. Teaches painting to war orphans in a Moscow suburb.
1922. Writes My Life in French, assisted by Bella, making use of notes made 
earlier in Russia.  Goes in Kaunas and then in Berlin when life in his own country
becomes impossible after being told that he was not suited to politics and the 
realities of Marxist socialism.
1923. Returns to France and meets the publisher Vollard, through whom he 
receives commissions to illustrate various publications. He meets Eluard, Ernst
and Gala who want him to join the Surrealist movement. He refuses.
1924. Illustrates Gogol's Dead Souls, which is not published until 1948.
1926. Again commissioned by Vollard, he starts a series of etchings
for the Fables of La Fontaine, which were eventually published in 1952.
1930. Begins a more private domestic style of life, moving to Villa Montmorency, 
near the Porte d'Auteuil. Travels frequently to Switzerland to rediscover countryside
like that of Russia.
1931. Begins etchings for the Bible, which were finally published in 1956, and is
invited to Palestine where he goes to seek inspiration for his Bible illustrations.
1939. Receives the Carnegie Prize.
1940. Vollard dies. Chagall meets Teriade.
1941. Because of the war and racial discrimination he leaves France and embarks at 
Lisbon for the United States where he has been invited to settle.
1942. The beginning of his American stay. He travels to Mexico and prepares the 
scenery and costumes for Aleko.
1944. Bella dies. For nine months he does no work, occupying him­self solely with 
bringing out Bella's writings under the title Lighted Lamps.
1945. Starts work again with scenery and costumes for Stravinsky's Firebird for 
presentation by the Ballet Theatre of New York.
1946. Selected exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, New York.
1947. Exhibition at the Musee National d'Art Moderne, Paris. First colour lithographs.
1948. Triumphant return to Paris. Renews contact with Teriade who from then on 
acts as his publisher.
1950. Settles in Vence, Provence. First attempts at painting and modelling ceramics.
1951. First stone sculptures.
I952. Meets Valentine Brodsky (Vava) and marries her. Travels with her to Greece.
1957. Executes his first mosaics.
1958. Does scenery and costumes for the ballet Daphnis and Chloe for the Paris Opera.
1960. Completes the windows (lancets and roses) for the Gothic cathedral of Metz.
1961. Does the windows for Hadassah Synagogue, near Jerusalem.
1963. Supplies the cartoons and follows the working of his first tapestries which are
to decorate the Parliament of Israel in Tel Aviv.
1964. At Malraux's invitation he paints the panels which are to be fixed to the Opera 
ceiling in Paris.
1966. Executes two huge panels for the Lincoln Centre, New York. Moves from 
Vence to St Paul de Vence where he still lives.
1967. Designs scenery and costumes for The Magic Flute. Has a vast
exhibition at the Louvre.
1969-70. A comprehensive exhibition opens at the Petit Palais of
all of Chagall's work: paintings, gouaches, sculpture, ceramics,
stained glass,  tapestries and sketches for theatrical scenery and
costumes.
1973. Trip to Moscow and Leningrad. Exhibition in The State Tretyakov Gallery.
1974. Exhibition  in Berlin. Executes a stained-glass window for a cathedral in Rheims.
1975. Illustrations to "Odissey" and lithographs to "Storm".
1977. It is awarded with an award of the Honourable Legion. Works above 
stained-glass windows for Art institute in Chicago.
1978. Exhibition in Palace Pitty in Florence. Executes stained-glass windows for 
churches in Florence and the Great Britain.
1979. Exhibition in gallery Pierre Matiss in New York and in Geneva.
1980. "Psalmy David's" exhibition in the Museum in Nice. Exhibition Graphics
in Geneva. 
1981. Exhibition in galleries Meg in Paris and Zurich. End of work on stained-glass
windows of a cathedral in Sent-Atienn.
1982. Exhibitions in Stockholm and Denmark. An exhibition of the book in Geneva.
 1984. Exhibition in Centre Pompidu in Paris. An exhibition of stained-glass 
windows and sculptures in the Museum to Nice. Exhibitions in Rome and Basel. 
1985. March, 28 has died in Sen-Pol de Vence.