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| 1770 | When was Beethoven born? December 16th uncertain in Bonn, Germany December 17th: Baptized at Bonn   Certificate of Baptism of Ludwig van Beethoven...  | 
    
| 1774 |          April 8th: Baptism of his brother Caspar Anton Carl  | 
| 1776 | 
         October 2nd: Baptism of his brother Nikolaus Johann 
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| 1778 | March 26th: Ludwig's first known public performance, at Cologne | 
| 1779 | February 23rd: Baptism of his sister Anna Maria Franziska (died four days later) October: Neefe pursues Ludwig's musical training  | 
    
| 1781 | January 17th: Baptism of his brother Franz Georg (died two years later) | 
| 1782 | Publication of first work in Beethoven life known as the Dressler Variations | 
| 1783 | October 14th: Publication of three sonatas and other works | 
| 1784 | June: Ludwig is appointed organist to the Choir of Maximilian Franz. He is 14 year old. 
 Museum of Bonn - The piano...  | 
    
| 1786 | May 5th: Baptism of his sister Maria Margaretha (died one year later) | 
| 1787 | 
         Visited Vienna, studied with Mozart 
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| 1789-1792 |          Played for four seasons as violinist at the Opera of Bonn  | 
| 1791 | December 5th: Death of Mozart | 
| 1792 | November 2nd: Left for Vienna November 10th: Arrived at Vienna Musical studies with Haydn December 18th: Death of his father  | 
    
| 1794 | May: His brother Carl arrives at Vienna January 19th: Haydn returns to London. Ludwig studies with Albrechtsberger Composition of his first major work: Trios for Piano (opus 1)  | 
    
| 1795 |          March 29th: First public appearance at Vienna; he played his own works   | 
| 1796 |          Numerous Beethoven compositions and a concert given at Prague  | 
| 1797 | Probably the year of a serious illness, which triggered his deafness | 
| 1797-1799 | 
         Composition and publication of works 
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| 1799 | Instruction by Salieri Began composing the first symphony  | 
    
| 1800 |          Concert at Vienna, playing of his first symphony  | 
| 1802 | 
         February: Finished his second symphony 
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| 1803 | January: Ludwig became the composer of the Theatre of Vienna, where he lived with his brother Carl June-October: Composed the Eroica symphony August 6th: The piano maker Sébastien Erard sent him a new piano, as a present. This allowed for bigger intervals - like the pianos we have today.  | 
    
| 1804 | April: His contract with the theatre finishes | 
| 1805 | 
         April 7th: First public performance of the Eroica symphony 
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| 1806 | May 25th: Marriage of his brother Caspar Carl Journey with the Prince Lichnowsky, and composition of the fourth symphony  | 
    
| 1807 | Composition of the Coriolan Overture March: First performance of the fourth symphony Autumn: Composition of the fifth symphony  | 
    
| 1808 | 
         Spring-Summer: Composition of the sixth symphony - The Pastoral 
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| 1809 | April 9th: War is declared against France May 10th: French army surrounds Vienna May 11th-12th: France takes possession of Vienna Beethoven teaches music to Archduke Rudolphe  | 
    
| 1810 | April 27th: Beethoven presents 'The Letter for Elise' to Thérèse Malfatti | 
| 1811 | October: Beethoven begins writing the seventh symphony | 
| 1812 | 
         March 2nd: Presentation of 'To the Beloved' to Antonie Brentano 
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| 1813 | December 8th: First public presentation of the eighth symphony | 
| 1814 | February 27th: Playing of the eighth symphony May 23rd: First presentation of Fidelio  | 
    
| 1815 | November 15th: Ludwig's brother, Carl, dies. After several court cases, Ludwig is given guardianship of his nephew. | 
| 1816 | October: Beethoven becomes ill | 
1817  | 
      Beginning of the year: Beethoven is still ill September 10th: Writing of the first bars of the ninth symphony  | 
    
| 1818 | February 14th: Beethoven and Salieri recommend the metronome in the Viennese press. February: Beethoven's deafness is such that he has to use a notebook and pencil to converse with visitors. December 3rd: Karl runs away to his mother's home, but Beethoven demands that the police bring him back.  | 
    
| 1819 | January 11th: The guardianship of Karl is taken away from Beethoven on grounds of his deafness. November: Composition of 'Missa Solemnis'  | 
    
| 1820 | April 8th: Beethoven becomes Karl's tutor again, with Karl Peters. | 
| 1821 | January and the following months: Beethoven becomes regularly ill | 
| 1822 | October: Pursues the composition of the ninth symphony and the beginnings of the tenth | 
| 1823 | March 6th: Beethoven names Karl as his heir Works on the ninth symphony  | 
    
| 1824 | Works on the tenth symphony (only the first movement was written in detail) February: Finished writing the ninth symphony May 7th: Public playing of the ninth symphony  | 
    
| 1825 | May 7th-October 15th: Beethoven installs himself at Baden | 
| 1826 | August 6th: Karl attempts suicide by shooting himself in the head. He's only injured. December: Beethoven's health starts to decline. He undergoes an operation.  | 
    
| 1827 | 
         He undergoes three further operations in the first two months of the year... 
 
 
 March 26th: Ludwig van Beethoven dies, probably at 5:45 pm.    | 
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         This chronology was inspired by the works of Barry Cooper.  | 
    
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| Many 
        thanks to Hannah SALTER for her translation 
        of this page from French into English © 2001 - 2013  | 
    
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