1732
Franz Joseph Haydn is born on March 31st, he is baptized on April 1st
1738
Joseph receives his first musical education by the headmaster Johann Mathias Frankh in Hainburg
1740
The musical director of St.Stephen´s Cathedral in Vienna, Georg Reutter, allows Joseph to join the boys´ choir
1742
First compositions
1745
His father Mathias prevents Joseph´s career as a castrato
1749
After the breaking of his voice Joseph has to leave the Kapellhaus. The tenor Spangler gives the now homeless board and lodging
1750
Pilgrimage to Mariazell
Joseph rents a small chamber in the “Michaelerhaus”
He first contacts Pietro Metastasio and Nicola Porpora. He earns his living by giving music lessons and as an accompanist for Porpora
1752
He spends the summer with Porpora in Mannersdorf/Leitha. There he first meets Christoph Willibald Gluck and Georg Christoph Wagenseil
1754
He is appointed as an organist at the “Barmherzige Brüder” in Eisenstadt
Death of his mother
1755
He moves to the city of Vienna, to Seilerstätte
Period of intensive composing, especially of chamber music
1759
Musical director and court composer at Graf Morzin´s castle Lukavec, near Pilsen
1760
Marriage to Maria Anna Aloysia Apollonia Keller, three years older than him
1761
Joseph is appointed second chapel master at Prince Esterházy and moves to Eisenstadt
1763
Death of his father Mathias Haydn
1765
Joseph takes his youngest brother Johann Evangelist (born in 1743) to Eisenstadt and promotes his career as a tenor in the prince´s chapel
1766
Joseph follows Gregor Werner as first music director of Prince Esterházy´s chapel
1773
He takes over the position of the city of Eisenstadt´s first main organist
1774
By this time Joseph Haydn is already famous and widely appreciated. Therefore many young contemporaries, among them Ignaz Pleyel, come to him to be taught composing
1776
Count Erdödy give him a coach and two horses as a present
1777
On the occasion of the elector of Trier´s visit to Empress Marie Therese Haydn is asked to come to the court with his Esterházy orchestra
1778
Haydn´s house in Eisenstadt is destroyed by a fire, Prince Esterházy has it rebuilt
Also the castle of Esterházy burns down. So many of Haydn´s original manuscripts and notes are lost
1780
Fist contact of Haydn with the publication offices Artaria in Vienna and Forster in London
1781
Joseph´s fame has already spread across Europe
Growing friendship with W.A. Mozart
1782
The Russian Tsar is expected to visit Prince Esterházy and Haydn composes the opera “Orlando Paladino”
1785
Haydn joins the freemasons
Memorable meeting with Leopold Mozart in W.A.Mozart´s Viennese apartment
1787
Haydn refuses a commission to write an opera for Prague: “I can´t compete with Mozart´s ´Don Giovanni´”
1789
Mister Bland visits Haydn in Eisenstadt to persuade him to come to England
1790
Prince Nikolaus Esterházy dies and his successor Prince Anton Esterházy dismisses the chapel. Haydn moves to Vienna
The violinist Salomon succeeds in persuading him to go to England. He departs on December 15th and travels to London via Bonn, Brussels and Calais
1791
January 1st – arrival in London
On July 8th he is awarded the title ´Doctor of Music´ in Oxford
1792
His stay in London turns out to be extraordinarily successful
He returns to Vienna and buys a house in Gumpendorf (then Kleine Steingasse 19, today Haydngasse)
Beethoven comes to Vienna to study with Haydn
1794
Second journey to England
After Anton Esterházy´s death the prince´s chapel is summoned again
The English queen tries in vain to oblige Haydn to stay in London
1795
In August he comes back to Vienna
Count Harrach has a monument erected in the castle of Rohrau in honour of Joseph Haydn
1797
He composes the “Kaiserhymne”, -the “Nelsonmesse” and the “Kaiserquartett”
On the occasion of Emperor Franz II ´s birthday on the 12th of February the “Kaiserhymne” is performed in all churches
1798
Joseph Haydn is awarded the membership of the “Royal Academy of Music” in Stockholm
1800
Haydn´s wife Maria Anna Aloysia Apollonia dies in Baden
He composes a “Te Deum” in C-Major for the Empress Marie Therese
1806
His brother Michael´s death is a hard blow for Joseph
Luigi Cherubini visits Joseph
1809
Joseph dies in his house in Gumpendorf on the 31st of May
Funeral on the 1st of June
On the 2nd of June a Requiem is celebrated for him in the church of Gumpendorf (Michael Haydn´s Requiem is sung)
On June 15th there is a memorial celebration held at Schottenkirche
(Requiem by W.A.Mozart is performed)
