| Timeline |
| 1898 |
Born René-Francois-Ghislain Magritte 21 November in the Belgian province of Hainaut |
| 1910 |
Family moves to Chatelet, where René studies drawing |
| 1912 |
Mother commits suicide |
| 1913 |
René, his father and brothers settle in Charleroi |
| 1916 |
Studies at the Académie royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels |
| 1921 |
Called for military service |
| 1922 |
Marries Geogette Berger, works as a designer in a wallpaper factory |
| 1926 |
Contract with the Galerie le Centaure in Brussels |
| 1927 |
Moves to Le Perreux-sur-Marne, near Paris, active in the Parisian Surrealist circle |
| 1929 |
Words and Images published in La Révolution Surréaliste, visits Dali in Spain |
| 1930 |
Returns to Belgium |
| 1940 |
Joins exodus of Belgians following the German invasion of 19 May, spends three months in France before returning to Brussels |
| 1945 |
Joins and abandons Communist Party |
| 1948 |
Fauvist period Magritte calls "lépoque vache" |
| 1954 |
Writes Thought and Images for the catalogue of his retrospective at the Palais des Beaux-Arts, Brussels |
| 1956 |
Awarded the Guggenheim Prize for Belgium |
| 1960 |
Luc de Heusch makes a film with and about Magritte entitled La lecon des choses, ou Magritte |
| 1965 |
René and Georgette Magritte visit United States |
| 1966 |
René and Georgette travel to Israel |
| 1967 |
Dies 15 August |
