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Birth
Born in Chiaravalle, Ancona, Italy to parents Alessandro Montessori and Renilde Stoppani. -
Doctor of Medicine
Becomes the first woman in Italy to graduate as a doctor of medicine. -
International Womens Congress
Attends the International Womens Congress in Berlin, where she advocates for equal pay for women -
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Studies pedagogy and educational philosophy
She studies the writings of French doctors Itard and Séguin, who worked with disabled children and audits courses in pedagogy at the University of Rome. Reads all major works in educational philosophy over the past 200 years. -
Birth of her child, Mario Montessori
He will be her only child. Born out of her affair with a fellow doctor with whom she had agreed on a non marriage relationship so that she could continue practicing medicine. The father of her child was pressured into marrying someone else for social advantages and this resulted in Maria feeling betrayed and leaving the university. She placed her son under the care of a wet nurse in the countryside and they were not reunited till he was in his teenage years. -
International Womens Congress
Attends the International Womens Congress in London and is received by Queen Victoria. -
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Lectures on hygiene and anthropology
At the teacher training college for women in Rome. -
Works at the Scuola Magistrale Ortofrenica
She works at the Orthophrenic School, an institute for training teachers in educating medically disabled children. She experiments with different materials to stimulate the senses and succeeds in educating some formely considered uneducable children to the point that they passed public examinations for "normal" children. -
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Lectures on anthropology and biology
At the University of Rome’s school of education, incorporating her clinical observations of pupils in Rome’s elementary schools. These lectures become the basis of her book Pedagogical Anthropology (1910). -
First Casa dei Bambini
The first Children's House opens in the San Lorenzo neighborhood of Rome. Maria Montessori is in charge of supervising and organizing the children's education. -
Second Casa dei Bambini opens
Her method is a success which starts to be recognized. -
Gives her first training course
She also writes her first book based on her discoveries and observations in the Casas (The Montessori Method, in English). -
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The Montessori Method starts to spread across the world
The Montessori method is already being put into practice in English and Argentinean schools and is beginning to be introduced into Italian and Swiss primary schools. Model schools set up in Paris, New York, and Boston. -
L’Antropologia pedagogica published
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Decides to focus solely on education
Resigns her teaching post at the University of Rome and gives up her private medical practice to concentrate entirely on education. -
First international training course
Runs the First International Training Course in her apartment in Rome, under the patronage of Italy's Queen Margherita -
Montessori Educational Association founded in the USA
She also makes her first trip to the United States. -
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Regularly gives international training courses
This becomes a constant in her life, where she will travel to different parts of the world - the UK, India, the US, etc - regularly to lecture on her methods and participare in teacher trainings. -
Moves to Barcelona
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Settles on a standard teacher training format
During a training course in London, she settles on what will become the standard training format: fifty hours of lectures, fifty hours of teaching using the materials, fifty hours of observation of Montessori classes. -
Lectures in Amsterdam University
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Mario Montessori takes Montessori teacher training
He will later take over AMI leadership after her passing -
First International Montessori Congress in Denmark
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Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) founded
She does this in partnership with her son. -
Lectures in Vienna
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Lectures at Berlin University
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The rise of Nazismand fascism across Europe
This causes the closure of Montessori schools in Germany and Italy -
Development of further principles for Elementary and Secondary schools
Presented during the fifth International Montessori Congress in Oxford, England. -
Maria Montessori moves to Amsterdam
Due to the fascist coup in Spain, she is forced to flee first to England and then eventually to Amsterdam. AMI also moves its headquarters there -
Emphasis on education for peace
Her lectures and publications start emphasizing the need for peace and how it can be achieved through education. -
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The Cosmic Education Plan for elementary is further developed
With Mario’s collaboration. -
Due to WWII, the Montessoris are held in India
In June, Mario Montessori interned by the British colonial government in India as an enemy alien, and Maria Montessori confined to the compound of the Theosophical Society. Mario is released in August out of the Viceroy’s respect for Maria Montessori and to honor her 70th birthday. Still, the Montessoris are not allowed to leave the country until the war is over. -
Maria and Mario Montessori return to Europe
The war is over and they are able to return. -
Reopening of Montessori centers in Italy
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First nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize
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Speaks at the annual UNESCO conference
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Death
She died at the age of 81 in The Netherlands.
