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Birth
Francis Scott Key Fitzgerlad was born September 24, 1896 to Edward Fitzgerald and Mary (Mollie) McQuillan. He was named after a distant relative Francis Scott Key, the author of the National Anthem. -
St. Paul Academy
After his father is let go from his sales job in New York, the family moved back to St. Paul Minnesota to live off his mother's inheritance. There, Fitzgerald attneded St. Paul Academy, where his first writing appeared in print in the school's newspaper. -
Newman School
In 1911, Fitzgerald started attending the Newman School, a Catholic prep school in New Jersey. There he was encouraged by Father Sigourney Fay to continue his writing career. Fitzgerald graduated from school in 1913. -
Princeton
Fitzgerald attended Printon University where he scripts and lyrics for the Princeton Triangle Club and writing for the Nassau Literary Magazine. Neglecting his studies, he was put on academic probabtion. -
Joined the Army
With Fitzgerald knowing that he was unlikely going to graduate, he enlisted in the Army. He was commisioned a second lieutenant in the infantry. Believing that he was going to die in the war Fitzgerald wrote the novel "The Romantic Egoist" quickly, and sent it to a publisher. The novel was rejected, but Fitzgerald was asked to resubmit it after some revision. -
Camp Sheridan
In June of 1918 Fitzgerald was stationed at Camp Sheridan in Montgomery. Where he met and fell in love with Zelda Sayre. After revising his first novel, he sent it to a publisher again, where it was denied for a second time. -
New York
The war had ended before Fitzgerald was sent overseas, he was then discharged from the army and moved to New York to work on becoming financially successful. -
St. Paul, Minnesota
While trying to become successful in New York, Zelda broke off their engagement because she was unwilling to wait for Fitzgerald to become a success. Fitzgerald moved back to St. Paul to work on his novel "This Side of Paradise". -
Begins Professional Writing Career
Fitzgerald interrupts his career in novel writing to write stories for magazines. His main focused on characters who were young, independent American women. -
This Side of Paradise
Fitzgerald's "This Side of Paradise" is published and makes him an overnight success. -
Marries Zelda Sayre
A week after the successful debut of his novel Fitzgerald marries Zelda Sayre. -
Frances Scott Fitzgerald
Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald have their first child Frances Scott Fitzgerlad in St. Paul, Minnesota. -
Playwright
In Fall of 1922 the Fitzgeralds moved to New York to be closer to Broadway to help Fitzgerald's new career as a playwright. His new career was unsuccessful and he had to write short stories to support his family. -
The Great Gatsby
In Spring of 1924, the Fitzgerald's vacationed in France where F. Scott wrote the novel "The Great Gatsby". The novel was not a commercial success even though he had deals for a movie and play adaptations. -
Back to America
The Fitzgeralds came back to the U.S. from Europe to avoid distractions to F. Scott's writing. Zelda begins training to become a professional ballet dancer. -
Back to Europe
The Fitzgerald's return to France, where Zelda suffers her first mental breakdown. F. Scott writes short stories for the Saturday Evening Post to pay for her treatment. -
Return to the U.S.
After coming out of the hospital where Zelda is treated for her mental breakdown, the Fitzgeralds return to the U.S. in the Fall of 1931. Zelda relapsed and had to be administered into aother hospital for treatment. -
Save Me the Waltz
Zelda publishes an antibiographical novel that causes some butterness between the couple. -
Tender is the Night
F. Scott Fitzgerald publishes his fourth novel, "Tender is the Night". It is considered to be his most ambitious novel, but it was a commercial failure. -
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
In Summer of 1937 Fitzgerald attempts to be a screenwriter for MGM in Hollywood, California. He is at first successful with his screen adapation of The Three Comrades in 1938, the movie studio asks to renew his contract for another year, but then is let go in 1938. -
The Love of the Last Tycoon
In 1939, in California he begins work on another novel "The Love of the Last Tycoon". -
Death
On December 21, 1940 F. Scott Fitzgerald died of a heart attack while half way through his last novel. He died thinking he was a complete failure. Most obituaries written about him were condescending and said that he was destined to not be remembered in literature. Five years later his novel "The Great Gatsby" was considered by critics to define the American Novel. -
Zelda Fitzgerald's Death
On March 10, 1948 Zelda Fitzgerald dies in a fire that broke out at the Highland Hospital where she was a patient.
