1685
Born in Halle, Germany on 23rd February. His father, originally a barber-surgeon is part of the court of the Duke of Saxe-Weisenfels
1702
Attends University of Halle, offered the position of organist at the cathedral, befriends Telemann
1703
Moves to Hamburg, meets Johann Mattheson. Obtains a position at the Opera House under Reinhard Keiser
1704
Writes his first opera, Almira
1706
Tours Italy working in Florence, Rome, Naples and Venice
1711
Visits to London to perform Rinaldo and returns to Hanover
1712
Receives permission from the Elector of Hanover to return to London 'on condition that he returns within a reasonable time.' Stays with 'Mr. Andrews of Barn-Elms' (now Barnes, in Surrey)
1713
Probably resident with the Earl of Burlington in Piccadilly. Meets Pope, Gay and other luminaries
Box Office takings from Teseo stolen by Owen MacSwinny, who is replaced by John Jacob Heidegger as Handel’s backer
Dismissed from his post in Hanover
Granted a pension of £200 a year by Queen Anne
1714
Death of Queen Anne and accession of George I, Handel’s former patron in Hanover
1717
Writes the Water Music and Chandos Anthems while resident with the Earl of Carnarvon (later Duke of Chandos) at his house ‘Cannons’ in Edgware
1719
The Royal Academy of Music is founded in London to establish Italian opera, managed by Heidegger. Handel is appointed 'Master of the Orchester with a Sallary'
1720
The Academy’s first season includes the premiere of Handel’s Radamisto
Handel is granted a royal warrant for sole right to publish his music for the next 14 years
1723
Handel is appointed Composer of Musick for His Majesty's Chappel Royal and granted an annual pension
Handel moves into 25 Brook Street
1724
Handel produces Giulio Cesare for the Royal Academy, a great success which plays to packed houses
1726
The Academy secures the services of the singers, Cuzzoni, Bordoni and Senesino but they are difficult to manage. The opera Alessandro is a hit but its run is cut short when Senesino walks out
1727
Handel is granted British citizenship
Death of George I
Composition of the Coronation Anthems (including Zadok the Priest) for George II
1728
Tolomeo runs for only seven performances while Gay’s Beggar’s Opera plays sixty-two nights to packed houses. Royal Academy declares bankruptcy
1729
Handel goes to Italy to find new performers and begins a new season in London with Heidegger but his new opera Lotario is not popular
1731
Thomas Arne launches a run of ‘English Opera’ in competition with Handel. It includes work by Arne, J.C. Smith and even Handel’s own Acis and Galatea but is not a success
1733
Opera of the Nobility established under Porpora. Handel pilloried in the press
1734
Arianna in Creta a success but Heidegger sacks Handel and offers his theatre to Porpora. Opera of the Nobility hires Farinelli, the most famous castrato of the age, and the talk of the town
1735
Handel’s star Carestini leaves for Italy after the indifferent reception of Alcina. Handel rules out new opera for the immediate future
1737
Guistino, Arminio and Berenice are all flops. Guistino lampooned in Lampe and Carey’s Dragon of Wantley which runs for sixty-nine performances. Death of Queen Caroline
1738
Faramondo and Serse both commercial failures. Saul and Israel in Egypt struggle. Handel spends the next 18 months writing mainly instrumental music. Helps found the Society for Decay'd Musicians (now the Royal Society of Musicians)
1740
L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato well received but Imeneo and Deidamia perform very badly
1741
William Cavendish, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland invites Handel to perform a series of concerts in Dublin. Handel composes Messiah in 3 weeks
1742
Messiah and Samson debut in Dublin
1743
George II defeats the French army at Dettingen. Handel composes Dettingen Te Deum and Anthem. Semele composed in four weeks
1745
Hercules and Belshazzar premiered as part of the new season but audiences are scarce and it is cancelled with eight concerts remaining unplayed. Handel falls ill
1746
Battle of Culloden. Composition of Judas Maccabeus to celebrate victory over the Jacobites
1748
Joshua, Alexander Balus and Judas Maccabeus performed to great success
1749
Susanna opens very successfully along with Solomon. The end of the War of the Austrian succession celebrated by Music for the Royal Fireworks. First of the annual benefit performances for the Foundling Hospital
1750
Performance of Theodora. Handel writes a score for the play Alceste by Smollett and donates the chapel organ in the Foundling Hospital
1751
Begins composition of Jephtha. Begins to lose the sight in his left eye
1752
Performs Jephtha despite diminishing sight in his right eye. By the end of the year he is effectively blind
1753
Handel resumes playing again after a brief absence, performing some pieces from memory and improvising others
1758
Handel is operated on by ‘opthalmiater’ John Taylor at Tunbridge Wells to restore his sight. Like Taylor’s 1749 operation on J. S. Bach it is not a success
1759
Handel dies at 25 Brook Street on the 14th of April