Timeline: Cesar Chavez

Mar 31, 1927

Birth of Chavez

César E. Chávez born in Yuma, Arizona

Jun 1, 1952

Joins Community Service Organization

César E. Chávez meets Fred Ross and joins the Community Service Organization.

Sep 30, 1962

César E. Chávez establishes NFWA (or FWA).

César E. Chávez establishes NFWA [National Farm Workers Association] (or FWA) in Fresno. Union has first convention 211 members

Mar 1, 1965

César E. Chávez begins a 340-mile Peregrinácion (pilgrimage) from Delano to Sacramento.

Chávez and small group of strikers walk from Delano and are joined by thousands of supporters by the time they reach
the steps of the state Capitol in Sacramento. The march draws national attention to the suffering of farm workers. During the march and after a four-month boycott, Schenley Vineyards negotiates an agreement with NFWA--the first genuine union contract between a grower and farm workers' union in United State's history.

Sep 16, 1965

Chavez's union votes to join AWOC in a grape strike

Chávez's union votes to join Agricultural Workers Organizing
Committee (AWOC), AFL-CIO led by Filipino workers in a grape strike.

Aug 22, 1966

NFWA merges with AWOC and forms UFWOC (United Farm Workers Organizing Committee)

Mar 10, 1968

César begins a fast for non-violence

César begins a fast for non-violence which lasts 25 days. U.S. Sen. Robert F. Kennedy joins 8,000 farm workers and supporters at a mass where César breaks his fast, calling the weakened farm labor leader "one of the heroic figures of our time."

Jul 15, 1970

26 growers in Delano sign contracts with UFW ending a five year struggle.

Jul 30, 1970

Salad Bowl Strike begins.

Conflict with Teamsters begins as Teamsters sign sweetheart contracts with growers.

Period: Dec 10, 1970 to Dec 24, 1970

Chavez is jailed.

César is jailed in Salinas, California for refusing to obey a court order to stop the boycott against Bud Antle lettuce. Coretta Scott King, widow of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Ethel Kennedy, widow of Robert Kennedy, visit César in jail.

Jan 1, 1972

The UFW is chartered as an independent affiliate.

1972 The UFW is chartered as an independent affiliate by the AFL-CIO; it becomes the United Farm Workers of America, AFL-CIO (UFW).

Period: May 11, 1972 to Jun 4, 1972

Chavez fasts for 25 days.

May 11-June 4, 1972 César fasts for 25 days in Phoenix over a just-passed Arizona law banning the right of farm workers to strike or boycott

Jan 15, 1974

Chávez is awarded the Martin Luther King Jr. Nonviolent Peace Prize by Coretta Scott King.

Jun 5, 1975

César E. Chávez and the UFW get the Agricultural Labor Relations Act signed by California Governor Jerry Brown.

The Alatorre-Zenovich-Dunlap-Berman Agricultural Labor Relations Act of 1975 was designed to protect rights of farm workers to act together to help themselves, to engage in union organizational activity, and to select their own representatives to bargain with employers.

May 1, 1976

Proposition 14 drive gets 719,000 signatures.

Proposition 14 drive gets 719,000 signatures and passes forcing
California to fund the Agricultural Labor Relations Board (ALRB).

Jan 1, 1984

Grape boycott launched.

Mar 1, 1986

"Wrath of Grapes" campaign

César E. Chávez kicks off the "Wrath of Grapes" campaign to draw
public attention to the pesticide poisoning of grape workers and their children.

Period: Jul 16, 1988 to Aug 20, 1988

Chavez fasts for 36 days.

At age 61, César E. Chávez conducts his last--and longest--public fast for 36 days in Delano to call attention to farm workers and their
children stricken by pesticides

Nov 12, 1990

Chavez is awarded the Aguila Azteca.

Nov. 12, 1990 Mexican President Salinas de Gortari awards Chávez the Aguila Azteca, the highest Mexican civilian award.

Apr 23, 1993

Chavez dies peacefully in his sleep in San Luis, Arizona.

May 1, 1993

Arturo Rodriguez becomes UFW president.

Veteran UFW organizer Arturo Rodriguez succeeds César E. Chávez as union president.

Aug 8, 1994

Presidential Medal of Freedom

President Bill Clinton posthumously presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America's highest civilian honor to César E. Chávez. His widow, Helen, receives the medal during a White House ceremony.