| Timeline |
| 1791 |
Born 23 April |
| 1809 |
Graduates from Dickinson College, begins to study law |
| 1812 |
Admitted to the bar |
| 1812 |
Volunteers in the War of 1812 |
| 1814 |
Serves in the lower house of the state legislature |
| 1819 |
Is engaged to Ann Caroline Coleman for a short time - she breaks off the engagement and dies of overdose shortly thereafter |
| 1821 |
Serves as a representative in Congress |
| 1830 |
Chairman of the judiciary committee |
| 1832 |
Serves as minister to Russia until 1834 |
| 1834 |
Elected to the United States Senate, serves until 1845 |
| 1845 |
Resigns the Senate to accept a Cabinet portfolio |
| 1845 |
Serves as Secretary of State under James Polk |
| 1846 |
Negotiates the Oregon Treaty |
| 1853 |
Named president of the Board of Trustees of Franklin and Marshall College |
| 1853 |
Serves as minister to the United Kingdom until 1856 |
| 1856 |
Elected president |
| 1856 |
Helps draft Ostend Manifesto |
| 1857 |
Buchannan fully supports Lecompton Consitution in Kansas |
| 1861 |
Buchanan leaves office - at this time seven states have succeeded, the Confederacy is already formed, nearly all the forts and arsenals are already lost, and 25% of all federal soldiers have surrended to Texas troops - Lincoln enters office |
| 1868 |
Dies 1 June |
