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Claude is born
On November 14, 1840, Oscar Claude Monet was born. He was born at 45 rue Laffitte, Paris. The name of his street means "the street of picture dealers," a fitting name for the street this famous painter was born on. -
Claude's mother dies
On January 28, 1857, Louise Justine Aubree Monet passed away. She was a trained singer, popular hostess, and fond of poetry. The death of Louise and her lively spirit greatly upset Claude and his family. -
Monet moves to Paris
In 1859, Monet moved back to his birthplace to pursue his art. He was strongly influenced by the paintings of the Barbizon school and enrolled at a different school to further his work. While in Paris, Monet met another artist, Camille Doncieux, and they became fast friends. -
Civil War
This war was fought in America, between the Union (north) and the Confederacy (south). The two groups were fighting over the controversy of enslaving black people, and the war ended with a victory for the Union and the disbandment of Confederate states. This war is the most studied/written about in U.S. history. -
Monet and Camille Doncieux's Wedding
In the summer of 1870, Claude and Camille got married. The Franco-Prussian war broke out around a month later, causing the newlyweds and their son to flee to London, England. There, Monet met his first art dealer, Paul Durand-Ruel. -
Franco-Prussian War
During the Franco-Prussian war, the Second French Empire and the German states of the North German Confederation (led by the Kingdom of Prussia) were fighting over the extension of German unification. The French were concerned about the European balance of power that may have occurred if the Prussians got their way. In the end, the Germans did win the war and the German Empire was born. -
The Great Chicago Fire
On Sunday, October 8th, the Great Chicago Fire started burning and stayed burning for three days in Chicago, Illinois. It killed hundreds of people and destroyed around 2,000 acres of land in the central business district. 90,000 people were left homeless after their homes were destroyed in the flames. People believe the fire was started by a cow kicking over a lantern in a barn, someone stealing milk and accidentally igniting some hay, or a purposeful fire started during a craps game. -
First impressionist exhibition
In 1874, Monet and seven of his fellow painters decided to appeal to citizens and put together their own organization. The press labeled the artists impressionists (because of their art style), despite the fact that they'd already named themselves independents. The exhibition took place in the legendary Nadar's salon in Paris. -
First Practical Telephone
In March of 1876, Alexander Graham Bell was issued a patent. This fateful patent covered the methods of transmitting vocal or other sounds telegraphically with electrical undulations. This allowed Bell to start working with the materials needed to craft the first working telephone, a revolutionary invention. -
Monet gains success
With the help of Paul Durand-Ruel, Monet began gaining financial success and popularity during the 1880s and 1890s. Durand-Ruel sponsored solo exhibitions of Monet's work in 1886 and even 1883. He also organized the first major group impressionist exhibition in the United States. Without Durand-Ruel, Monet probably wouldn't have gained the popularity he did in the 1880s and 90s. -
American Red Cross
In 1881, "angel of the battlefield" Clara Barton was inspired by the work of the International Red Cross and decided to establish her own version. She founded the American Red Cross in Washington, D.C, at age 59, and ran it for the following 23 years. The American and International Red Cross continue to help people all around the world, and do incredible work, to this day. -
Monet and Alice Hoschede's wedding
Claude's first wife, Camille, died in 1879 of cancer. Claude had met Alice a year prior to this, when he moved in with her, her then-husband Ernest, and their children, due to financial struggles. Ernest and Claude were both out all the time, but Claude took the time to write to Alice and keep a steady friendship with her. When Ernest died in 1891, Claude and Alice were free to marry a year later. It is also widely believed that Alice disposed of every trace of Camille, out of sheer jealousy. -
Water Lily Paintings
When Monet's financial situation was steady once again, he began work on his most famous set of paintings, the water lilies. These paintings were of the flowers that resided in his tropical gardens, at his home in Giverny. Monet painted these flowers up until his death, and his work paid off. The series of paintings of the water lilies are his most well known and well loved all around. -
Flooding in Paris
In January of 1910, Paris's constant rain caused the banks of the Seine to overflow. The whole city was flooded, save one line of the Paris Metro. This giant flood effectively drained most water from the city for a while. -
Monet's Diagnosis
In late August of 1926, Dr. Rebiere discovered that Monet had an incurable tumor on his left lung. This made Monet's friend, Georges Clemenceau concerned, and he urged specialists to take a closer look. These specialists diagnosed Monet, with his cataracts and already failing health, with pulmonary sclerosis. -
Claude passes away
Around one p.m. on December 5, 1926, Oscar Claude Monet left this world. His death was the result of an incurable tumor on his left lung. A source says that Monet's last gesture was to hold up two fingers, indicating the width he wants for the frames of the "Water Lilies" murals.
