| Timeline |
| 1839 |
Born Francis Bret Hart on 25 August in Albany, NY |
| 1845 |
Father changes name to Harte, dies shortly after |
| 1847 |
First poems published |
| 1854 |
Moves to California with mother |
| 1857 |
Works at Northern California |
| 1860 |
Works as a columnist at the San Francisco Golden Era |
| 1862 |
Marries Anna Griswold |
| 1864 |
Appointed Secretary of the United States Branch Mint at San Francisco; meets Mark Twain |
| 1867 |
The Lost Galleon and Other Tales and Condensed Novels published |
| 1868 |
Is the first editor of the Overland Monthly |
| 1870 |
Plain Language from Truthful James published |
| 1870 |
The Luck of Roaring Camp and Plain Language from Truthful James published |
| 1871 |
Poems and East and West Poems published |
| 1871 |
Moves to New York, later to Boston |
| 1872 |
Stories of the Sierras and The Little Drummer published |
| 1873 |
Mrs. Skaggs's Husbands published |
| 1875 |
Tales of the Argonauts and Echoes of the Foot-Hills published |
| 1876 |
Wan Lee: The Pagan, Two Men of Sandy Bar and Gabriel Conroy published |
| 1877 |
Thankful Blossom published |
| 1877 |
Writes play Ah Sin with Mark Twain
|
| 1878 |
The Story of a Mine and Drift from Two Shores published |
| 1878 |
Appointed United States Counsul at Crefeld, Germany |
| 1879 |
The Twins of Table Mountain published |
| 1880 |
Poetical Works published |
| 1880 |
Is transferred to Glasgow, Scotland |
| 1882 |
Flip and Found at Blazing Star published |
| 1883 |
In the Carquinez Woods published |
| 1884 |
On the Frontier published |
| 1885 |
By Shore and Sedge and Maruja published |
| 1885 |
Retires to London |
| 1886 |
The Queen of the Pirate Isle and Snow-Bound at Eagle's published |
| 1887 |
The Crusade of the Excelsior and A Millionaire of Rough-and-Ready published |
| 1888 |
A Phyllis of the Sierras and The Argonauts of North Liberty published |
| 1889 |
Cressy and The Heritage of Dedlow Marsh published |
| 1890 |
A Ward of the Golden Gate and A Waif of the Plains published |
| 1891 |
A Sappho of Green Springs and A First Family of Tasajara published |
| 1892 |
Colonel Starbottle's Client published |
| 1893 |
Susy: A Story of the Plains and Sally Dows published |
| 1894 |
A Protégée of Jack Hamlin's and The Bell-Ringer of Angel's published |
| 1895 |
Clarence and In a Hollow of the Hills published |
| 1896 |
Poetical Works of Bret Harte and Barker's Luck and Other Stories published |
| 1897 |
Three Partners published |
| 1898 |
Some Later Verses, Tales of Trail and Town and Stories in Light and Shadow published |
| 1899 |
Mr. Jack Hamlin's Meditation and The Complete Poetical Works published |
| 1900 |
From Sand Hill to Pine published |
| 1901 |
Under the Redwoods published |
| 1902 |
Condensed Novels: Second Series, Sue: A Play in Three Acts and Openings in the Old Trail published |
| 1902 |
Dies 6 May in Camberely, England |
| 1903 |
Trent's Trust published |
