| Timeline |
| 1804 |
Born 1 June as Novospasskoye (now renamed Glinka), the son of a wealthy landowner |
| 1817 |
Sent to school in St. Petersburg |
| 1824 |
Appointed an undersecretary on the Communications Council in St. Petersburg |
| 1830 |
Moves to Milan |
| 1833 |
Studies composition under Siegried Dehn in Berlin |
| 1834 |
Returns to Russia following the death of his father |
| 1835 |
Marries Mariya Ivanova |
| 1836 |
Successful opening of A Life for the Tzar in St. Petersburg |
| 1837 |
Appointed Master of the Imperial Chapel |
| 1838 |
Separates from Mariya |
| 1842 |
Premiere of Ruslan and Lyudmila is coolly received |
| 1845 |
Composes his First Spanish Overture in Madrid |
| 1848 |
Moves to Warsaw, and writes the Second Spanish Overture and Kamarinskaya |
| 1857 |
Dies 15 February, in Berlin from a cold |
