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Birth
Born 1713 in Langres, Champagne, Denis was the oldest child of were Didier Diderot and Angélique Vigneron -
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Denis Diderot's Life
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Denis Graduates Jesuit College
Denis Graduated from a Jesuit college in 1732 with a Master of Arts degree in philosophy. He then decided to persue becoming a clergyman at Collège d'Harcourt of the University of Paris. -
Denis Drops out of Collège d'Harcourt
Abandoning the idea of becoming a clergyman, Denis began to study law at Paris Law Faculty. -
~ Denis becomes a translator and writer
Embarrassed by his child's choice of profession, Denis's father disowned him. -
Denis Marries Antoinette Champion
An unlikely marriage, given that she was Roman Catholic and of a lower class -
History of Greece
François-Vincent Toussaint, and Marc-Antoine Eidous, and Denis Diderot translate History of Greece together -
Translates Shaftesbury's Inquiry Concerning Virtue and Merit
He also added "reflections" to the translated version. -
Writes His First Original Work
Philosophical Thoughts becomes Diderot's first book he wrote purely on his own, not a translation. -
"The Skeptic's Walk" Written
Diderot wrote The Skeptics Walk the very next year. The book was, however, not published until 1830 -
The Indiscreet Jewels Published
Down on funds, Diderot wrote this raunchy novel to gain some money. It remains his most published work. -
Letter on the Blind is Publsihed
Diderot's debut essay, Letter on the Blind, showed him to have independent, but sacrilegious, thoughts. -
Diderot is sent to Prison
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Diderot Released from Prison
Diderot was released following good behavior. -
Diderot Releases Prospectus for Encyclopédie
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First volume of Encyclopedie Published
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Encyclopedie Suspended by Courts
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4,000 People Subscribe to Encyclopedie
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Le Fils naturel Published
This was Diderot's first of several plays. -
Le Père de famille Published
The second of Diderot's plays. -
Encyclopedie Suppressed
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Diderot begins writing for The Correspondance
Diderot wrote about the biennial art exhibitions in the Louvre, as reuested by his friend Friedrich Melchior Grimm. He would do this from 1759,1771,1775, and 1781. -
Diderot Discovers Encyclopedie was Altered
The bookseller had altered all passages that could be dangerous in order to send out copies without legal repercussion -
Enyclopedie is Finished and Sent Out
It had taken twelve years, but all 28 volumes were now in subscribers hands. -
Diderot visits Catherine the Great
This first visit, which he was payed handsomely for, began Catherine's taking care of Diderot financially. -
"Paradox of the Actor" Finished
This play was begun by Diderot in 1770, but would not be published until 1830 -
"The Nun" is Written 1780
Though the work would not be published until 1796, The Nun criticized the treatment of women by the church. -
Death
Diderot died of pulmonary thrombosis, and his remains put in the National Library of Russia by Catherine II.