| 1899 |
Noël Peirce Coward born on December 16th in Teddington, Middlesex to Arthur Sabin and Violet Veitch Coward. |
| 1907 |
Makes first public appearances in school and community concerts. |
| 1911 |
First professional appearance as Prince Mussel in THE GOLDFISH. In the same year played the Page Boy in THE GREAT NAME and William in WHERE THE RAINBOW ENDS - both with Charles Hawtrey's Company. |
| 1912 |
Directed THE DAISY CHAIN and played Mushroom in the ballet AN AUTUMN IDYLL. |
| 1913 |
Meets Gertrude Lawrence when they both appear as Angels in HANNELE. Plays Slightly in PETER PAN. |
| 1916 |
Five month tour as Charley in CHARLEY'S AUNT. Wrote words and music for his first full length song, "Forbidden Fruit". Appeared as Basil Pycroft in THE LIGHT BLUES. Brief appearance as a dancer in cabaret at the Elysée Restaurant (later renamed the Café de Paris). |
| 1917 |
Plays "Boy pushing barrow" in D.W. Griffith's film HEARTS OF THE WORLD. Co-author with fellow actor Esme Wynne of one act play IDA COLLABORATES. Plays Ripley Guildford in THE SAVING GRACE for Hawtrey. |
| 1918 |
Called up for Army service but discharged on medical grounds after nine months. Wrote play THE RAT TRAP and two other unproduced plays. Wrote second play with Esme Wynne - WOMAN AND WHISKEY. |
| 1919 |
Plays Ralph in THE KNIGHT OF THE BURNING PESTLE. Writes play “I'LL LEAVE IT TO YOU”. |
| 1920 |
Plays Bobbie Dermott in “I'LL LEAVE IT TO YOU”, his first West End production. |
| 1921 |
Meets Gladys Calthrop, who would be designer for many of his plays. Plays Clay Collins in POLLY WITH A PAST. First visit to New York, where he meets and becomes friends with Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne. |
| 1923 |
Plays Sholto Brent in THE YOUNG IDEA. Juvenile lead in his own first revue LONDON CALLING! in which he appears with Gertrude Lawrence. Writes FALLEN ANGELS and THE VORTEX. |
| 1924 |
THE VORTEX produced with Noël as Nicky Lancaster. Writes HAY FEVER. |
| 1925 |
Wrote revue ON WITH THE DANCE. FALLEN ANGELS and HAY FEVER produced in West End.
EASY VIRTUE produced in New York. |
| 1926 |
Toured USA in THE VORTEX. THE QUEEN WAS IN THE PARLOUR, THE RAT TRAP and EASY VIRTUE produced in London. Plays Lewis Dodd in THE CONSTANT NYMPH. |
| 1927 |
Silent film versions of THE QUEEN WAS IN THE PARLOUR, THE VORTEX and EASY VIRTUE made.
Play THE MARQUISE opens in London. |
| 1928 |
Revue THIS YEAR OF GRACE opens in London and later in New York (with Noël starring). |
| 1929 |
BITTER SWEET produced in London and New York. Writes PRIVATE LIVES. |
| 1930 |
PRIVATE LIVES produced with Noël as Elyot and Gertrude Lawrence as Amanda. Wrote POST-MORTEM. |
| 1931 |
Plays in PRIVATE LIVES on Broadway. Directs CAVALCADE in London. |
| 1932 |
Writes DESIGN FOR LIVING. London revue WORDS AND MUSIC. Film of CAVALCADE wins Oscar for Best Picture. |
| 1933 |
DESIGN FOR LIVING produced on Broadway with Noël and the Lunts. |
| 1934 |
Directed and briefly starred in his musical CONVERSATION PIECE. |
| 1935 |
Starred in American film THE SCOUNDREL. Directed his play POINT VALAINE on Broadway. |
| 1936 |
Directed and starred in TONIGHT AT 8.30 in West End. |
| 1937 |
Played TONIGHT AT 8.30 on Broadway. Published first autobiography PRESENT INDICATIVE. |
| 1938 |
Directed musical OPERETTE in West End. Recruited as a spy by the Foreign Office. |
| 1939 |
Wrote PRESENT LAUGHTER and THIS HAPPY BREED but production prevented by outbreak of War. Recruited to head up Bureau of Propaganda in Paris.
Revue SET TO MUSIC (a reworking of his 1932 WORDS AND MUSIC) opens in New York starring Beatrice Lillie. |
| 1940 |
Assigned to visit USA and report on American attitudes to war in Europe. Begins series of entertainment tours to war zones. Propaganda tour of Australia and New Zealand. |
| 1941 |
Wrote and directed BLITHE SPIRIT. Wrote screenplay of IN WHICH WE SERVE in which he starred and co-directed. |
| 1942 |
IN WHICH WE SERVE released and wins Special Oscar for ‘Outstanding Production Achievement’. |
| 1943 |
Plays leads of Garry Essendine in PRESENT LAUGHTER and Frank Gibbons in THIS HAPPY BREED in West End productions. Tours Middle East to entertain troops. |
| 1944 |
Tours South Africa, Burma, India and Ceylon. Writes screenplay for BRIEF ENCOUNTER |
| 1945 |
Première of BRIEF ENCOUNTER. Revue SIGH NO MORE opens in West End. |
| 1946 |
Musical PACIFIC 1860 opens at Drury Lane. |
| 1947 |
Play PEACE IN OUR TIME opens in London. |
| 1948 |
Plays PRESENT LAUGHTER in French in Paris. Builds home in Jamaica |
| 1949 |
Plays Christian Faber in film of THE ASTONISHED HEART |
| 1950 |
Musical ACE OF CLUBS opens in London. |
| 1951 |
Makes cabaret debut at Café de Paris. Directs RELATIVE VALUES. |
| 1952 |
Directs the Lunts in QUADRILLE. |
| 1953 |
Plays King Magnus in Shaw's THE APPLE CART. Publishes second autobiography, FUTURE INDEFINITE. |
| 1954 |
Musical AFTER THE BALL produced in London. |
| 1955 |
Cabaret season at Desert Inn in Las Vegas. Stars in live TV special with Mary Martin - TOGETHER WITH MUSIC. |
| 1956 |
Stars in TV productions of BLITHE SPIRIT and THIS HAPPY BREED. London production of NUDE WITH VIOLIN. |
| 1957 |
Directs and plays Sebastien in Broadway production of NUDE WITH VIOLIN, later adding PRESENT LAUGHTER to repertoire for West Coast tour. |
| 1958 |
Writes ballet LONDON MORNING. |
| 1959 |
Continues to play character roles in films. LOOK AFTER LULU! produced. Takes up Swiss residence. |
| 1960 |
WAITING IN THE WINGS produced in London. Novel POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE published. |
| 1961 |
Directs musical SAIL AWAY on Broadway. |
| 1963 |
Musical THE GIRL WHO CAME TO SUPPER produced on Broadway. London revival of PRIVATE LIVES marks the beginning of 'Dad's Renaissance' |
| 1964 |
Directs New York production of HIGH SPIRITS (based on BLITHE SPIRIT). Directs revival of HAY FEVER for London's National Theatre. |
| 1966 |
Acted for the last time in his SUITE IN THREE KEYS in London, despite failing health. |
| 1967 |
Appears on US TV as Caesar in Richard Rodgers' musical ANDROCLES AND THE LION. Continues to play roles in films. |
| 1968 |
His last film role in THE ITALIAN JOB. |
| 1969 |
Celebrates his 70th birthday - a series of tributes he christened 'Holy Week'. |
| 1970 |
Awarded knighthood in Queen's New Year's Honours List. |
| 1971 |
Tony Award in New York for 'Distinguished Achievement in the Theatre'. |
| 1973 |
March 26th. Dies peacefully at his home Firefly in Jamaica. Buried on Firefly Hill. |
