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Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel is born in Saumur, France, in 1883.
Her parents are Eugénie Jeanne Dévolles and Henri-Albert Chanel. -
Gabrielle's mother has fallen ill, so she, her two sisters, and her mother move in with Gabrielle's uncle.
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Gabrielle's mother dies from an undetermined cause; however, tuberculosis, poverty, pregnancy, pneumonia, or a combination of these factors could have been to blame. Chanel was placed in the orphanage at Auzabine monastery and abbey.
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When she was 18, Gabrielle Chanel left the orphanage. She then attended the Notre Dame school.
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After leaving the leaving the Notre Dame school, the Mother Superior there found work for Chanel and her Aunt Adrienne (who was only two years older than Chanel) in Moulins as shop assistants. Soon, Gabrielle decided to sing on stage, where the audience christened her Coco, as one of the two songs she knew was Qui qu'a vu Coco.
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Balsan and Chanel meet in Moulins and become lovers. Balsan then moves to his new home, Royallieu.
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Chanel moves to Royallieu, although her motives remain unclear.
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Chanel had met Boy in one of her outings with Balsan and was infatuated with him. She followed Capel on the train and had to write Balsan a letter to explain herself. She stayed with Boy.
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Chanel opens a shop with the financial support of Balsan and Capel to sell her hats, which are more understated and yet more elegant than the hats currently in fashion.
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Chanel's sister Julia dies, leaving Gabrielle to care for her 6-month-old nephew. There is speculation as to whether the child, named André, is actually Chanel's son, not her sister's.
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Chanel's shop is so successful that she no longer needs financial support from Balsan of Capel, and she rejoiced in this.
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Chanel expands on her success and opens a shop in Deauville, Frane.
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The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand marks the begininning of World War 1
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Britain official declares war on Germany.
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The Zimmerman Telegram is intercepted by the Allies. The telegram is a request that Mexico side with Germany in the war.
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The U.S. officially enters the war by declaring war on Germany.
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Chanel cut her hair really short, which brought her a lot of adversity. People stated that she looked like a boy, and that was improper.
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The Armistice is signed in ending World War I.
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According to Chanel, she came up with the idea for the little black dress. She came up with this idea at the opera.
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Ernest Beaux invented ten perfumes for Chanel's use. She choose a few including the ever-famous Chanel Number 5.
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Chanel's Number 5 is released. This soon becomes a big hit as it is differend from the perfumes currently being made.
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Chanel desigs costumes for a ballet by Dighilev, which included sets by Picasso and music by Arthur Honegger.
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In February of 1923, both the American and French editions of Vogue ran an extensive coverage of her designs using the headline 'Chanel Goes Greek While Remaining French.'
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The American "Vogue" announced the future of fashion in 1926, saying, "Here is Ford signed Chanel."
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Chanel set off on the steamship Europa to come to America. She has taken a job from a Hollywood producer to design outfits for his films.
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Japan invades China, initiating World War II in the Pacific.
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Italy begins it's invasion and annexing of Albania. This lasts until the 15 of April.
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Germany invades Poland, initiating World War II in Europe.
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Japan bombs Pearl Harbor.
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Japan formally surrenders to the Allies.
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Life magazine, the biggest magazine in America at this time, runs a four-page spread on Chanel, making her a household name.
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Coco Chanel dies on January 10, 1971, in Paris, France.
