Timeline of lifetime events
Timeline of important events in the life of the American writer Jerome David Salinger
The birth of J.D. Salinger
Jerome David Salinger was born in Manhattan in 1919. He was the second and last child of Scotch-Irish mother Miriam Jillich Salinger and Jewish father Sol Salinger.
The beginning of his writing career
His parents enrolled him in Manhattan’s exclusive McBurney School where he began his writing career working as a reporter for the school newspaper.
Salinger leaves McBurney School
At the age of fifteen Salinger transfers to Valley Forge Military Academy in Wayne, Pennsylvania, which he later uses as a model in his novel The Catcher in the Rye.
Salinger enters University
Salinger is a freshman in New York University.
Salinger leaves University
Salinger drops out of New York University and goes to Vienna, Austria, to study the meatpacking business to work with his father.
The Second World War emerges
Because of the war emerging in Europe Salinger leaves Vienna and goes back to the United States.
Salinger meets Whit Burnett
Salinger goes to Columbia University and takes a writing course with Whit Burnett who encourages him, and becomes his friend and mentor.
The publication of Salinger’s first story
Salinger publishes his first story, “The Yong Folks,” in Story Magazine.
The New Yorker accepts one of Salinger’s stories
The New Yorker finally accepts one of Salinger’s stories after several rejections. The story was “Slight Rebellion off Madison,” which got published in 1946 and it included versions of characters from “The Catcher in The Rye.”
Salinger joins the U.S. Army
Salinger gets drafted to the U.S. Army as an interrogator. He forms a friendship with the journalist Ernest Hemingway. Salinger keeps writing during his service in the military taking his typewriter with him in his Jeep. The war left a deep impression on him.
Salinger participates in the invasion of Normandy, France.
Salinger’s first marriage
Salinger marries a German woman named Sylvia (her last name and personal information are not known). They live together for eight months and their marriage ends in 1947.
“A Perfect Day for Bananafish”
The New Yorker publishes Salinger’s story “A Perfect Day for Bananafish” which is the first to feature a character from the fictional Glass Family. Salinger then signs a contract with the magazine promising to let them the first to know about any of his new stories.”
A film adapts one of Salinger’s stories
“Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut,” a story by J.D. Salinger gets adapted into a film titled “My Foolish Heart,” which gets a lot of criticism. Due to the harsh criticism the film version of his work got, Salinger never authorizes a film version of any of his works again.
Little, Brown and Company publishes Salinger’s story “The Catcher in the Rye,” which grants him fame and success that he does not want anymore. Salinger then becomes one of the most reclusive celebrities.
Salinger becomes interested in religion
Salinger becomes deeply interested in Hinduism after several years of practicing Buddhism and he also becomes interested in Science.
In the same year Salinger leaves New York City to New Hampshire, a book of short stories gets published with the title “Nine Stories”.
Salinger’s second marriage
Salinger marries a student at Radcliffe College named Claire Douglas. He gives her a copy of a story about the character Franny Glass, as a wedding present. The Character is based on her.
Salinger’s first child is born
Claire Douglas gives birth to Salinger’s first daughter Margaret Salinger.
Salinger’s second child is born
Matt Salinger, Salinger’s first son and second child is born.
A book titled “Franny and Zooey,” by J.D. Salinger is published. The book has two long stores, one about Franny a character based on his wife and the other is about Zooey her brother.
In 1963 Salinger publishes his last book, which contains two novellas “Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters” and “Seymour: An Introduction”.
Salinger’s last published work
A short story titled “Hapworth 16, 1924” by J.D. Salinger gets published in The New Yorker.
Salinger’s second divorce
After twelve years of marriage Salinger and Douglas get divorce.
Salinger’s love affair with a Yale University freshman
After reading an essay in The New York Times Magazine, published by a Yale University freshman named Joyce Maynard, Salinger 53 starts writing to Joyce Maynard 18, and the two start a love affair.
After hearing about the critic Ian Hamilton preparation to write a biography about him, Salinger sues him to prevent him for publishing the biography but eventually the biography titled “In Search of J.D. Salinger” gets published in 1988.
Salinger’s third marriage
Salinger marries Colleen O'Neill, his third and current wife.
Joyce Maynard publishes a book about Salinger
Joyce tells all about Salinger and their relationship in her memoir “At Home in the World,” and auctions off the letters she got form Salinger.
Salinger’s daughter publishes a memoir
Margaret Salinger publishes a memoir about what it is like to grow up with Salinger. The memoir titled “Dream Catcher” is very critical of her father Salinger who cut ties with his daughter when he knew that she was writing it. After the memoir got published Salinger’s son also cut ties with his sister.
Salinger sues a writer named John David California who wrote an unauthorized sequel to “The Catcher in the Rye” titled “60 Years Later: Coming Through the Rye”.
Salinger dies at the age of 91, in New Hampshire
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