| 1632 | Born at Wrington, Somerset, 29 August |
| 1642 | Outbreak of the Civil Wars |
| 1643 | Troops of Col. Popham, Locke’s future patron, despoil Wells Cathedral |
| 1645 | Defeat of Charles I at Naseby by Oliver Cromwell |
| 1647 | Admitted to Westminster School, London |
| 1648 | Treaty of Westphalia ends European Thirty Years’ War |
| 1649 | Execution of Charles I; England a republic |
| 1651 | Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan |
| 1652 | Elected a Student of Christ Church, Oxford |
| 1652–67 | Usually resident in Oxford |
| 1655 | Graduates as a bachelor of arts |
| 1658 | Graduates as a master of arts; death of Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell |
| 1660 | Restoration of monarchy under Charles II |
| 1660–62 | Writes Two Tracts on Government, against toleration (published 1967) |
| 1661–64 | Lecturer in Greek, rhetoric, and moral philosophy |
| 1662 | Act of Uniformity reimposes Anglicanism; dissenting worship illegal |
| 1663 | Attends chemical and medical lectures |
| 1663–64 | Writes Essays on the Law of Nature (published 1954) |
| 1665–66 | Embassy secretary sent to the Elector of Brandenburg at Cleves (Kleve) |
| 1666 | Licensed to practice medicine |
| | Granted dispensation to retain Studentship without taking holy orders |
| | Great Fire of London |
| 1667 | Joins Lord Ashley’s household; usually resident in London until 1675. |
| | Writes Essay Concerning Toleration (published 1876) |
| 1668 | Oversees lifesaving operation on Ashley |
| | Elected a Fellow of the Royal Society |
| 1669 | Helps draft The Fundamental Constitutions of Carolina |
| 1670 | Baruch Spinoza, Tractatus Theologico-Politicus |
| 1671 | Secretary to the Lords Proprietors of Carolina (until 1675) |
| | First drafts of An Essay Concerning Human Understanding |
| 1672 | Ashley created Earl of Shaftesbury and Lord Chancellor |
| | Appointed secretary for ecclesiastical presentations (to 1673) |
| | First visit to France |
| | Samuel Pufendorf, On the Law of Nature and Nations |
| 1673 | Secretary to the Council of Trade and Plantations (to 1674) |
| | Charles II’s brother and heir, James, Duke of York, converts to Catholicism |
| | Shaftesbury ousted from office; begins to lead opposition |
| 1675 | Shaftesburian manifesto, A Letter from a Person of Quality |
| | Graduates as a bachelor of medicine |
| | To France; chiefly resident at Montpellier until 1677; then mainly Paris |
| 1676 | Translates three of Pierre Nicole’s Essais de Morale |
| 1677 | Repeal of writ De haeretico comburendo, abolishing burning for heresy |
| | Andrew Marvell, An Account of the Growth of Popery |
| 1678 | Popish Plot revealed; executions of Catholics follow (to 1681) |
| 1679 | Returns to England |
| | Habeas Corpus Act |
| 1679–81 | Exclusion Crisis; Whigs seek to exclude Catholic heir from the throne |
| | Whig victory in three general elections, but Whigs outmaneuvered by the king |
| 1680 | Signs London’s “monster petition,” demanding sitting of Parliament |
| 1679–83 | Resides in London, Oxford, and Oakley (James Tyrrell’s home) |
| | Writes Two Treatises of Government |
| 1681 | Writes a defense of toleration against Edward Stillingfleet |
| | Assists Shaftesbury at the Oxford Parliament |
| | Oxford Parliament dismissed; Charles summons no more parliaments |
| | Beginning of royal and Tory backlash against Whigs and dissenters |
| | Shaftesbury accused of treason; charge dismissed by a Whig grand jury |
| 1682 | Court coup against Whigs in City of London; Shaftesbury flees to Holland |
| 1683 | Death of Shaftesbury in Holland; Locke attends funeral in Dorset |
| | Whig Rye House Plot, to assassinate the king, exposed |
| | Executions of Lord William Russell and Algernon Sidney |
| | Earl of Essex’s suicide in the Tower; Whigs suspect state murder |
| | Judgment and Decree of Oxford University against seditious doctrines |
| 1683–89 | Exile in Holland; lives mainly in Utrecht, Amsterdam, and Rotterdam |
| 1684 | Expelled in absentia from Studentship of Christ Church |
| 1685 | Death of Charles II; accession of James II and VII |
| | Abortive rebellion of the Whig Duke of Monmouth; his execution |
| | Louis XIV revokes Edict of Nantes; persecution of Huguenots |
| | Writes Epistola de Tolerantia (Letter Concerning Toleration) |
| 1686 | Pierre Bayle, Philosophical Commentary on religious persecution |
| 1687 | James II issues Declaration of Indulgence (edict of toleration) |
| 1688 | Reviews Newton’s Principia Mathematica for Bibliothèque universelle |
| | Culmination of resistance to James II’s Catholicizing policies |
| | “Glorious Revolution”: invasion of England by William of Orange |
| | James II overthrown and flees to France |
| 1689 | National Convention installs King William and Queen Mary |
| | Nine Years’ War against Louis XIV opens |
| | Toleration Act: freedom of worship for Protestant dissenters |
| | Returns to England; declines an ambassadorship |
| | Appointed Commissioner of Appeals in Excise |
| | Publication of A Letter Concerning Toleration |
| | Publication of Two Treatises of Government |
| | Publication of An Essay Concerning Human Understanding |
| 1690 | Battle of the Boyne: William defeats Jacobites in Ireland |
| | Letter Concerning Toleration attacked by Jonas Proast |
| | Publication of A Second Letter Concerning Toleration |
| 1691 | Publication of Some Considerations of the … Lowering of Interest |
| | Settles at Oates in Essex in Damaris Masham’s household |
| 1692 | Publication of A Third Letter for Toleration |
| | Memorandum on the naturalization of immigrants |
| 1693 | Publication of Some Thoughts Concerning Education |
| 1694 | Founding of the Bank of England; invests £500 |
| | Triennial Act, requiring regular parliamentary elections |
| 1695 | Advises on the ending of press censorship and the recoinage |
| | Publication of The Reasonableness of Christianity |
| | The Reasonableness attacked by John Edwards; publishes Vindication |
| | Publication of Further Considerations Concerning … Money |
| 1696 | Appointed a member of the Board of Trade and Plantations (to 1700) |
| | The Essay attacked by Bishop Edward Stillingfleet |
| | John Toland, Christianity not Mysterious |
| | Pierre Bayle, Historical and Critical Dictionary |
| 1697 | Treaty of Ryswick: temporary peace with France |
| | Publication of Second Vindication of the Reasonableness of Christianity |
| | Publication of two replies to Stillingfleet in defense of the Essay |
| | Composes An Essay on the Poor Law |
| | Composes report on the government of Virginia |
| | Composes The Conduct of the Understanding |
| | Thomas Aikenhead hanged at Edinburgh, Britain’s last heresy execution |
| 1698 | Molyneux’s Case of Ireland cites Two Treatises in defense of Ireland |
| | Algernon Sidney, Discourses Concerning Government (posthumous) |
| 1701 | Act of Settlement, ensuring Protestant (Hanoverian) succession |
| | Renewal of war against France |
| 1702 | Final visit to London |
| | Composes A Discourse on Miracles |
| | Death of William III; accession of Queen Anne |
| | World’s first daily newspaper, in London |
| 1703 | First major critique of Two Treatises, by Charles Leslie |
| 1704 | Completes A Paraphrase and Notes on the Epistles of St. Paul |
| | Battle of Blenheim: Duke of Marlborough’s victory over France |
| | Capture of Gibraltar begins Britain’s Mediterranean naval dominance |
| | Dies at Oates, 28 October; buried in High Laver churchyard, Essex |
| 1705–7 | Publication of A Paraphrase and Notes on the Epistles of St. Paul |
| 1706 | Publication of the unfinished Fourth Letter for Toleration |
| 1710 | First French and German editions of A Letter Concerning Toleration |
| 1714 | First edition of the Works of Locke |
| 1743 | First American edition of A Letter Concerning Toleration |
| 1764 | Voltaire’s edition of A Letter Concerning Toleration |
| 1765 | Thomas Hollis’s edition of the Letters Concerning Toleration |
