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Benjamin Disraeli
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Disraeli’s literary activity in brown

1804  Benjamin Disraeli born 21 December, to Isaac and Maria D’Israeli.
1817  Baptized (with all his family) into the Church of England.
1817  (till 1821) At Mr Potticary's School, Higham, near Walthamstow (London)
1821  Begins three years with a firm of solicitors in London; speculates in stock market.
1822  Changes spelling of his name from D’Israeli to Disraeli.
1824  Pupil barrister at Lincoln’s Inn.
         Tour with father and William Meredith of Belgium and Rhine area.
         Disraeli decides to become a writer
1825  Makes abortive attempts at launching a journalistic career with The Representative,
         a publication started by his father’s friend, John Murray;
         loses money in Mexican mining venture and heavily in debt.
1826  Publication of Vivian Grey; friendship with the Austens,
         who were instrumental in aiding Disraeli's literary career.
1829  His father moves to Bradenham Manor, Buckinghamshire.
1827  Publication of the sequel to Vivian Grey. Nervous collapse.
1830  Affair with his doctor’s wife, Clara Bolton.
         Health difficulties (nervous exhaustion): travels in Mediterranean area.
1831  Publication of The Young Duke; Disraeli visits Jerusalem.
1832  He meets Mrs. Wyndham Lewis; publication of Contarini Fleming;
         Unsuccessfully contests Wycombe as an Independent Radical.
1833  Unsuccessfully contests Marylebone as an Independent Radical.
         Publication of Alroy. Affair with Lady Sykes (until 1836)
1835  Disraeli defeated again at Wycombe; he joins the Conservative Party;
         at Taunton, Disraeli suffers another defeat, this time as a Tory;
         publication of The Vindication of the English Constitution.
1836  His 19 satirical sketches (by 'Runnymede') in The Times and The Spirit of Whiggism.
1837  Publication of Henrietta Temple and Venetia;
         Disraeli elected, with Wyndham Lewis, as MP from Maidstone;
         makes maiden speech in Parliament (December 7); votes for the repeal of the Poor Law.
1838  Wyndham Lewis dies; Disraeli attends Queen Victoria's coronation.
1839  Disraeli gives great speech on Chartism; marries Mrs Wyndham Lewis (for her money).
1841  Elected MP for Shrewsbury; unsuccessfully sought a position in Peel’s government.
1842  Disraeli support Corn Laws on political, social and economic grounds.
1843  He leads the ‘Young England party’ in Parliament. Attacks Peel over Corn Law question.
1844  Publication of Coningsby, his first political novel; opposes new Poor Law and
        supports Factory Reform Laws; delivers the "Young England Manifesto"
        at Manchester Athenaeum to an enormous audience.
        ("It was the culminating point in the glory of Young England"- Monypenny.)
1845  Publication of Sybil. Disraeli attacks Peel in Parliament for ignoring the Conservative Party.
1846  Disraeli attacks repeal of the Corn Law; attacks Peel and supports the Whigs.
1847  MP for Buckinghamshire (until 1876) and a colleague in opposition with Peel.
         Publication of Tancred; his mother dies;
         speaks on Jewish disabilities laws, insisting (as he does in Tancred)
         that there is an intimate and binding relationship between Judaism and Christianity.
1848  His father dies. Buys Hughenden Manor.
1849  Disraeli the effective leader of the ‘protectionists’ in the House of Commons
1851  Lord George Bentinck: A Political Biography (of a supported of the Corn Laws).
1852  Chancellor of the Exchequer; First budget speech 5 hours’s long.
         Gladstone replied to the speech, the start of their rivalry. Ministry defeated.
1853  Establishes The Press, newspaper (lasted 5 years) for progressive conservatism.
         Receives an honorary degree from Oxford.
1858  (- till 1859)  Chancellor of the Exchequer once again and Leader of the Commons.
1859  Reform bill, supported by Disraeli, defeated by Liberals.
1859  Palmerston Prime Minister for last time (until 1865).
1866  Again Chancellor of the Exchequer after Liberals’ (Russell) reform bill defeated.
1867  Second Reform Act passed by the Conservatives
1868  Derby retired from politics.
         Becomes Prime Minister, ‘I have climbed to the top of the greasy pole’;
         his Ministry defeated; Mrs Disraeli made a peeress, Viscountess Beaconsfield.
1870  Publication of Lothair; collected edition of his works, with General Preface, begins to appear in November.
1872  Crystal Palace speech outlines Disraelian conservatism
         Lady Beaconsfield dies.
1874  Prime Minister (1874-1880), first Conservative majority government for 39 years;
         substantial legislative programme, including:
         Trade Union Act, Public Health Act, Artisans Dwellings Act and Factory Act;
         Disraeli offers a baronetcy to Tennyson and the Grand Cross
         of the Order of the Bath to Carlyle. Both refuse.
1875  Majority of shares in the Suez Canal Company purchased.
1875  (to 1878, completed by Congress of Berlin). Eastern Crisis, including
         the 1876  Bulgarian ‘Horrors’. Gladstone’s published
          The Bulgarian Horrors and the Question of the East.
1876  Queen Victoria declared Empress of India;
         Gives last speech in the House of Commons; accepts peerage and is the first Earl of Beaconfield.
1878  Congress of Berlin settles Eastern Question for the time being.
1979  Zulu war began in South Africa.
1880  Conservatives are defeated and Disraeli gives up the Prime Ministership; publication of Endymion.
1881  Dies on 19 April.


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