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Timeline of Jefferson's Life
| PUBLIC | PRIVATE | |
| 1735 | Peter Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson's father, patented 1,000-acre tract which became Monticello. | |
| 1743 | Thomas Jefferson born at Shadwell. | |
| 1757 | Peter Jefferson died. | |
| 1760-62 | Thomas Jefferson attended the College of William and Mary. | |
| 1762 | Began study of law with George Wythe. | |
| 1764 | Came into inheritance at age of 21. | |
| 1767 | Admitted to practice law before General Court. | |
| 1768 | Elected to House of Burgesses. | Leveling of Monticello mountaintop begun. |
| 1770 | Construction begun at Monticello. Shadwell burned. Moved to South Pavilion at Monticello. | |
| 1772 | Married Martha Wayles Skelton. Daughter Martha born. | |
| 1773 | Graveyard at Monticello established with the interment of Jefferson's friend and brother-in-law Dabney Carr. | |
| 1774 | Wrote A Summary View of the Rights of British America. | Retired from legal practice. Inherited 11,000 acres of land and 135 slaves from his father-in-law. Laid off ground for kitchen garden. Daughter Jane Randolph born. |
| 1775 | Elected to Continental Congress. | Daughter Jane Randolph died. |
| 1776 | Drafted Declaration of Independence. Elected to Virginia House of Delegates. Appointed to revise Virginia laws. (Get an .mp3 of the Declaration.) |
Mother Jane Randolph Jefferson died. |
| 1777 | Drafted Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, passed by General Assembly in 1786. | Unnamed son born and died. |
| 1778 | Drafted Bill for the More General Diffusion of Knowledge. | Daughter Mary (Maria) born. Brickwork of first home (Monticello) completed. |
| 1779-81 | Served as Governor of Virginia. | |
| 1780 | Daughter Lucy Elizabeth born. Began Notes on the State of Virginia. | |
| 1781 | British troops at Monticello. Daughter Lucy Elizabeth died. | |
| 1782 | Second Lucy Elizabeth born. Wife Martha died. First house substantially completed. | |
| 1783 | Elected delegate to Congress. | |
| 1784-89 | In France as Commissioner and Minister. | |
| 1784 | Daughter Lucy Elizabeth died. | |
| 1787 | Published Notes on the State of Virginia. | |
| 1790-93 | Served as first United States Secretary of State. | |
| 1794 | Began commercial manufacture of nails on Mulberry Row. Manumitted slave Robert Hemings. | |
| 1796 | Remodeling and enlarging of Monticello begun. Manumitted slave James Hemings. | |
| 1797-1801 | Served as United States Vice President. | |
| 1797-1815 | Served as president of the American Philosophical Society. | |
| 1800 | Dome constructed on Monticello. | |
| 1801-09 | Served as United States President. | |
| 1803 | Louisiana Purchase concluded. Lewis and Clark expedition launched. | |
| 1804 | Daughter Maria Jefferson Eppes died. | |
| 1806 | Lewis and Clark expedition concluded. | House at Poplar Forest begun. |
| 1807 | Oval flower beds near Monticello laid out. Shadwell merchant mill completed. | |
| 1808 | At Monticello, North Pavilion completed and South Pavilion remodeled. Winding walk and flower beds on West Lawn laid out. | |
| 1809 | Retired from presidency and public life. | Remodeling of Monticello and construction of dependencies largely completed. Vegetable garden platform completed. |
| 1812 | Garden Pavilion constructed. | |
| 1815 | Sold 6,700-volume library to Congress. | |
| 1817 | Cornerstone of Central College (later University of Virginia) laid. | |
| 1822-25 | Monticello roof recovered with tin shingles. | |
| 1824 | Historic reunion with the Marquis de Lafayette at Monticello. | |
| 1825 | University of Virginia opened. | |
| 1826 | Died at Monticello, July 4. |