-
100
Epic of Gilgamesh
The earliest surviving example of written literary text from 2150-2000 BC from ancient Mesopotamia. -
Jan 1, 1000
Beowulf
One of the oldest pieces of literature known to the Western world that comes from the Anglo-Saxon period. Traditionally told as an oral tale or story in Old-English. (Literary Period=Early Medeival) -
Jan 1, 1400
The Canterbury Tales
Written by Geoffrey Chaucer, now considered the father of modern English. This is one of the most notable examples of a Middle-English text. Chaucer's work influenced future writers such as Shakespeare to use satire and wit in his plays and sonnets. (Literary Period=Medeival) -
Jan 1, 1440
Creation of the Printing Press
The printing press was invented in the Holy Roman Empire by the German Johannes Gutenberg. Many consider the printing press to be the most important thing created for the sake of literature and the written word because it made getting many copies of any given piece of literature widely avaialbe. -
Apr 23, 1564
William Shakespeare is Born
He didnt know it when he was born, but William Shakespeare would become one of, if the the most famous poet and playwright of all time. With works such as Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, and Hamlet, his work has been read and taught internationally since his time. (Literary Period=English Renaissance) -
The King James Bible
The most widely read Christian Bible by the Church of England begun in 1604 and completed in 1611.It was the third official translation into English. Although it is considered a religions text, this version of it is referenced in hundreds of thousands of other works of literature (Allusions). -
Voltaire is Born
A French Enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher who was famous for his wit and for his advocacy of civil liberties. This included freedom of religion, freedom of expression, free trade and separation of church and state. (Literary Period=Enlightenment) -
Edgar Allan Poe is Born
Edgar Allan Poe was one of the first notable writers to use the short story because he believed the only kind of story people can enjoy is the kind you read in just one sitting. Widely known for is tragic life and in reflection of that, his macabre or gothic style of writing. Wrote The Raven and Fall of the House of Usher. (Literary Period=Romantic) -
Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus
Written in the summer of 1816 but publishede anonymously in 1818 by Mary Shelley when she was 18, this gothic novel has been adapted many times over in films and plays. The image of Dr. Frankenstein's creature has become a part of pop-culture in out modern day Halloween. (Literary Period=Romantic) -
The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby is a novel by American author F. Scott Fitzgerald. It takes place from spring to autumn 1922, during a prosperous time in the United States known as the Roaring Twenties, which lasted from 1920 until the Wall Street Crash of 1929. The novel is a good depiction of the social changes that were occuring during the time and how they changed even more when the Great Depression began. (Literary PEriod=Modernism) -
Book Burning of Nazi Affiliated Texts in Germany
Allied Control Council issued a directive for the confiscation on all media that could contribute to Nazism. Over 30,000 book titles, ranging from school textbooks to poetry, were then banned. All copies of books on the list were confiscated and destroyed. -
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord the Rings is published in a 3 book series by J.R.R. Tolkien. As a sequal to the The Hobbit, it is the third best stelling novel of all time. The fantasy novels have since been adapted into Hollywood films. -
The Obscenity Trial
City Lights Publisher Lawrence Ferlinghetti was arrested for publishing the book Howl and other Poems by Allen Ginsberg (who was part of the Beat Generation). At the trial, nine literary experts testified on the poem's behalf. Supported by the American Civil Liberties Union, Ferlinghetti won the case when California State Superior Court Judge Clayton Horn decided that the poem was of "redeeming social importance." -
Death of John Lennon
Mark David Chapman shoots and kills fomer Beatles frontman in front of this New York apartment. When police arrived, Chapman was reading The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. Since then, the novel has become controversially popular and affiliated with the killer. -
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Since the release of the first novel in the series, these children's fantasy books have gained immense popularity, critical acclaim and commercial success worldwide. As of June 2011, the book series has sold about 450 million copies, making it the best-selling books series in history and has been translated into 67 languages,
