1. F. Scott Fitzgerald Timeline The Great Gatsby Connections

2. 1896 Sept. 24, 1896— Fitzgerald is born in St. Paul Fitzgerald publishes his first piece at age 13 in the St. Paul Academy school newspaper— it is a detective piece 1909 1911-1913 Moves back east to attend Newman School, a Catholic prep school in New Jersey

3. Becomes member of Princeton Class of 1917, joins army instead of graduating due to academic probation 1917 June 1918 Assigned to Camp Sheridan near Montgomery, Alabama. Meets Zelda Sayre. After being discharged from the army, Fitzgerald moves to NYC to seek fortune in order to marry Zelda. When he does not become successful, Zelda breaks the engagement. 1919

4. The publication of This Side of Paradise makes Fitzgerald a celebrity overnight; he and Zelda are married a week later in New York March, 1920 Summer 1920 -Fitzgerald earns a reputation for creating fine literature and for being a playboy -Writes his second novel The Beautiful and the Damned After their first trip to Europe, the Fitzgeralds welcome their only child, Frances Scott, into the world in St. Paul 1921

5. Fitzgeralds go back to France; F.S.F. writes The Great Gatsby; Zelda allegedly has an affair with a French man Spring, 1924 Fitzgeralds go back to Paris; The Great Gatsby is published; sales are not good, but critics love it April, 1925 1926-1929 Fitzgerald tries writing a fourth novel (which he does not publish until 1934) and multiple screenplays, none make him much money

6. Zelda, who is training to be a dancer, suffers a breakdown; Fitzgerald sells short stories to pay for her psychiatric treatment 1930-1931 Zelda suffers another breakdown and enters Johns Hopkins Hospital; she spends the rest of her life as a resident or outpatient of mental hospitals 1932 1934 F.S.F. publishes Tender is the Night—financial upset and critically disputed

7. F.S.F. and his daughter live in hotels as he is unable to consistently pay for a mortgage or rent; soon Scottie is raised by friends so she can go to boarding school 1935-1937 Summer 1937 F.S.F. goes to Hollywood alone with a $1000/wk contract with MGM; contract renewed for a year at $1250/wk F.S.F. falls in love with Sheilah Graham after many disastrous trips to visit Zelda 1938

8. Zelda dies in a fire in Highland Hospital 1948 1945-1950 Fitzgerald revival takes place; G.G. becomes a literary classic F.S.F. dies of a heart attack in Graham’s apartment; dies believing he is a failure; obituaries are condescending December 21, 1940