| March 30, 1853 | Vincent Van Gogh Born | Van Gogh was born in Groot-Zundert, Netherlands. His family was upper middle class, and had an interest in the arts. His brother, Theo, would become an art dealer. |
| 1864 | Sent to Boarding School(1864 to 1866) | At 11, Van Gogh went to boarding school in Zevenbergen. He was unhappy to leave home, and later called his childhood "cold and sterile". |
| July 1869 | Employed by the Hague gallery | In 1869, Vincent took a job with an art firm, working in his native Netherlands. He later transferred to London, and then to Paris. |
| 1876 | Moved to Borinage, Belgium(1876 to 1880) | Van Gogh begins devoting his life to the evangelization of the poor in the town of Borinage. |
| 1880 | Moved to Brussels, Belgium(1880 to 1884) | Van Gogh relocates to Brussels and begins learning the skills needed to become an artist |
| April 1885 | Completion of The Potato Eaters | Van Gogh's first work, The Potato Eaters, was completed in Belgium. His essential style is not yet visible. |
| March 1886 | Moved to Paris | Van Gogh moves to Paris. In Paris, he discovered the Impressionists and Post Impressionists working in the city. |
| 1887 | Self Portrait with Straw Hat(Summer 1887) | In the 1887, Self Portrait with Straw Hat, Van Gogh's work shows essential elements of his later style, including the characteristic application of paint. |
| February 1888 | Moved to Arles | Van Gogh moved to Arles to create a school of art. His mental decline began relatively soon after the move. |
| 1888 | Sunflowers | Van Gogh painted the famous sunflower pieces and begins suffering from mental problems. The final years of his life, while the most troubled, are also the most productive. |
| September 1888 | Paintings(September and October 1888) | During this period, Van Gogh completed a large number of works, including Starry Night over the Rhone, and a series of paintings depicting his bedroom in Arles. |
| December 1888 | Committed | Van Gogh cut off a portion of his ear, sending it to a local prostitute. After, he committed himself to a mental asylum in Saint Rémy. |
| December 1888 | Relationship Changes | Van Gogh and the painter Gauguin had been very close friends for a long time; however, Van Gogh's actions led to the ending of their friendship. |
| May 1889 | Irises | In May 1889, Van Gogh painted the stunning and vivid Irises. This was painted while he was living in the asylum in Saint Remy. |
| June 1889 | Starry Night | Van Gogh's Starry Night depicts the night sky as seen from his room in the asylum. The sky is portrayed as it appears just before sunrise. |
| May 1890 | Left Asylum | Van Gogh left the asylum to begin care in Auvers-sur-Oise under Dr. Paul Gachet, who was recommended to Vincent by painter Camille Pissarro. |
| July 29, 1890 | Suicide | Vincent Van Gogh died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was buried on July 30 at Auvers-sur-Oise. |
