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L. Frank Baum is Born
Lyman Frank Baum is born in Chittenango, New York. He grows up as a frail child with a weak heart, but maintains a strong imagination. Disliking his first name, he referred to himself as "Frank Baum". -
William Wallace Denslow
William Wallace Denslow, or W.W. Denslow, is born in Philadelphia. -
The Maid of Arran
Baum writes and stars in the theatre play "The Maid of Arran". -
Maud Gage
Baum falls in love and marries Maud Gage, daughter of noted feminist Matilda Joslyn Gage, who would convince Baum to publish his stories. -
Richburg Theatre
The theatre which Baum's father built for him in Richburg, New York, burns to the ground during the ironically named "Matches". -
The South Dakota Years
Baum and his family move to Aberdeen, South Dakota. Baum opens a store called "Baum's Bazaar". The shop eventually went bankrupt due to Baum's habit of giving out wares on credit. -
Chicago
Baum's family moves to Chicago where Baum takes up several jobs including writing for a newspaper and being a travelling salesman. By now he has had four children - Robert, Harry, Kenneth and Frank. -
Mother Goose
Baum publishes "Mother Goose in Prose". It was successful, allowing him to quit his job as a salesman. -
Baum, Denslow and Father Goose
Baum teams up with Denslow, a successful illustrator, to publish Father Goose: His Story. -
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
On Baum's 44th birthday, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is published. It becomes a highly successful book and one of the greatest children's books of all time. The book follows Dorothy Gale and her dog Toto, when they are whisked away in a tornado to the Land of Oz. Desperate to get home, Dorothy travels to the Emerald City to meet the Wizard of Oz, who may have the power to send her home. She is accompanied by the Scarecrow, Tinman and the Cowardly Lion, who have their own requests for the Wizard. -
The Musical Extravaganza
The Wizard of Oz musical opens in Broadway, prepared by Baum, although the musical is vastly rewritten. Legendary director Julian Mitchell helped in the production. -
The Marvelous Land of Oz
Four years after the first book, Baum published a second book called The Marvelous Land of Oz. The book was illustrated by John R. Neill, after Baum and Denslow fell out over an argument and lost contact with each other. Princess Ozma is introduced. -
Ozma of Oz
Ozma of Oz is published, dedicated to the children of the world. -
Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz
Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz is published. It was inspired by the 1908 San Francisco earthquake. -
The Road to Oz
The Road to Oz is published. The book was dedicated to Baum's first grandson. -
OzCot
Baum, Maud and their family move to Hollywood where the move into a house they affectionately call OzCot. -
The Emerald City of Oz
The Emerald City of Oz is published. Baum had planned to cease writing the Oz books after this novel but due to financial pressures he continued the series. -
The Patchwork Girl of Oz
The Patchwork Girl of Oz is published. The novel gets a silent film adaptation in 1914. -
Tik-Tok of Oz
Tik-Tok of Oz is published. The novel featured the first maps of the Land of Oz. -
The Scarecrow of Oz
The Scarecrow of Oz is published. It is Baum's favourite book. -
Rinkitink in Oz
Rinkitink in Oz is published. -
The Lost Princess of Oz
The Lost Princess of Oz was published, inspired by a letter sent by a young girl to Baum asking what would happen if Ozma got lost. -
The Tin Woodman of Oz
The Tin Woodman of Oz is published. -
L. Frank Baum's Death
Shy of his 63rd birthday, L. Frank Baum passes away in OzCot after having a stroke. His last words, in his sleep, were "Now we can cross the Shifting Sands." He wrote over sixty books in his life, along with musical scores and silent films. -
The Magic of Oz
The Magic of Oz is published, dedicated to the children of American's soldiers. -
Glinda of Oz
Glinda of Oz is published and the last book Baum wrote before dying. -
Ruth Plumly Thompson
Baum's publishes and his wife Maud asked Ruth Plumly Thompson to continue the Oz books with The Royal Book of Oz. Ruth continues to write books until 1939. John R. Neill writes books after until his death in 1943, followed by other writers. -
Judy Garland
Judy Garland, future face for Dorothy Gale, is born. -
The Yellow Brick Road is Made
MGM Studios buys the rights to make a film of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, starring Judy Garland as Dorothy, Ray Bolger as Scarecrow, Jack Haley as Tinman, Bert Lahr as the Cowardly Lion, Margaret Hamilton as the Wicked Witch and Frank Morgan as the Wizard. -
The Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz is released in theatres and becomes an immediate hit. The film was directed by Victor Flemling, among several others. The production was a tricky experience, with numerous accidents, particularly Margaret Hamilton and her stunt team, whilst Tinman's original actor Buddy Ebsen had to be replaced after becoming allergic to the makeup of his character. -
Somewhere Over the Rainbow
At the 12th Academy Awards ceremony, Somewhere Over the Rainbow wins the award for best song. -
Maud Baum
Maud Baum dies of old age. OzCot is demolished and replaced with an apartment building. -
Oz On Television
The Wizard of Oz is aired on television for the first time. The original airing was hosted by Bert Lahr and Liza Minelli, Judy Garland's daughter. The film would be aired on television for years to come. -
The International Wizard of Oz Club
Sixteen fans of the Oz series form the International Wizard of Oz Club. Today, the club is now huge in popularity and held every year. -
Death of Judy Garland
Judy Garland dies from a drug overdose, leaving behind a trouble personal life but a successful film and TV career. -
Land of Oz Theme Park
The Land of Oz theme park opens on Beech Mountain, North Carolina. It closes ten years later but was restored in the 1990s with employees starting the annual Autumn of Oz, which re-opened the park once every year for guests. -
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Elton John releases "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road". It lasts 84 weeks in the British charts, and 108 weeks in the American charts. -
Journey Back to Oz
Disney releases Journey Back to Oz, based on The Marvelous Land of Oz. The film starred Liza Minelli as Dorothy, Mickey Rooney as the Scarecrow, Ethel Merman as Mombi, and Margaret Hamilton as Aunt Em. -
The Wiz
The Wiz, a rock musical of the first book, opens at the Majestic Theatre on Broadway. -
The Wiz Movie
The movie version of The Wiz is released. It stars Diana Ross and Michael Jackson. -
Return to Oz
Disney releases Return to Oz. The film combined plot elements from several books, namely The Marvelous Land of Oz, and Ozma of Oz. The production was slow due to executive meddling, and the film's reception was mixed. However, Return to Oz has become a cult favourite among Oz fans. -
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Anime
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz airs on television. -
Wicked
Gregory Maguire published Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. The story involves the backstory of Elphaba Thropp, and how she became the Wicked Witch of the West. -
The Ruby Slippers
A pair of Dorothy's ruby slippers are auctioned for $666,000. The props were bought by memorabillia collector David Elkouby. -
Wicked the Musical
Wicked, based on Gregory Maguire's novel, opens in Broadway. The show stars Idina Menzel as Elphaba. -
Over the Rainbow Again
Somewhere Over the Rainbow is ranked number one film song of all time in a poll conducted by The American Film Institute. -
The Muppets' Wizard of Oz
The Muppets' Wizard of Oz is released on TV. -
Tin Man
The miniseries Tin Man airs on the Sci-Fi Channel. -
Oz: The Great and Powerful
Sam Raimi's Oz: The Great and Powerful is released.