| 551 BCE | Confucius was born in the village of Zou in the Chinese state of Lu, near present-day Qufu, Shandong Province. |
| 548 BCE | When Confucius was three, his father died. He was raised by his mother, in poverty. |
| 532 BCE | Aged 19, he married Qi Guan and they had a son and two daughters. He worked as a shepherd, cowherd, clerk and book keeper. Due to his ability to read and write, he secured a job with the Duke of Lu, as a clerk. |
| 528 BCE | His mother died and he spent the next three years in mourning. During that time, he studied philosophy. He wanted to create harmony among people in his home country of China which was in conflict and fighting many wars. |
| 519 BCE | Confucius began teaching ancient customs. His teachings were based upon moral and ethical principles for day-to-day living. He believed that there were five different relationships in the world. |
| 518 BCE | He travelled to the imperial capital, Lo-yang, and studied the traditions of the empire. |
| 517 BCE | When there was war in the state of Lu, the Duke of Lu and Confucius escaped to the neighbouring state of Qi. Confucius learned the art of music. |
| 500 BCE | At the age of 51, he was appointed as the Minister of Justice of the state of Lu. He was promoted to Prime Minister. |
| 495 BCE | Confucius left the state of Lu and his position in the government. He spent the following years travelling from one region to another hoping to put his principles into practice. |
| 483 BCE | He returned to the state of Lu and refused any offer of a Government position. |
| 479 BCE | Confucius died aged 72, in the state of Lu. |
