# Narnia Celebrations: Key Dates to Mark - **Home**: Home - **The Story**: The Story - **Did You Know**: Did you know - **On Screen**: On screen - **In the Book**: In the book - **In the Books**: In the books - **Trivia**: Trivia - **Going Further**: Going further

• The seven publication dates of *The Chronicles of Narnia* (1950–1956).
• Key dates in the lives of Lewis, Joy Davidman, Tolkien, and Pauline Baynes.
• Adaptation release dates, including the Greta Gerwig film in 2027.

Publication anniversaries, life milestones, and film releases: here are the dates to remember to celebrate *Narnia* all year long. Two stand out: October 16, the anniversary of the first book’s publication in 1950, and November 29, Lewis’s birthday in 1898. November 22, the day of his death in 1963, is also a date of remembrance for his readers.

January

• January 3, 1892: Birth of J.R.R. Tolkien in Bloemfontein, South Africa. →

February

• February 12, 2027: Theatrical release of *The Magician’s Nephew* by Greta Gerwig (IMAX previews on February 10), in countries where the film is shown in theaters. →

March

• March 19, 1956: Publication of *The Last Battle*, the seventh and final volume. →
• March 21, 1957: Religious marriage of Lewis and Joy Davidman, at Joy’s bedside in the Churchill Hospital in Oxford. →

April

• April 1, 1979: CBS broadcast of *The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe* animated film by Bill Melendez (in two parts on April 1 and 2). →
• April 2, 2027: *Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew* release on Netflix worldwide. This is the only French release date planned. →
• April 15, 1918: Lewis is injured by a shell at Mont-Bernanchon, Pas-de-Calais, France. →
• April 18, 1915: Birth of Joy Davidman. →
• April 23, 1956: Civil marriage of Lewis and Joy Davidman at the Oxford registry office. →

May

• May 2, 1955: Publication of *The Magician’s Nephew*, which tells the creation of Narnia. →

June

• June 25, 2008: French release of *The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian*. →

July

• July 13, 1960: Death of Joy Davidman in Oxford. →

August

• August 1, 1956: Death of Pauline Baynes, illustrator of *The Chronicles of Narnia*. →

September

• September 6, 1954: Publication of *The Horse and His Boy*. →
• September 7, 1953: Publication of *The Silver Chair*. →
• September 9, 1922: Birth of Pauline Baynes in Brighton. →
• September 15, 1952: Publication of *The Voyage of the Dawn Treader*. →
• September 19, 1931: Long nighttime conversation between Lewis, Tolkien, and Hugo Dyson on Addison’s Walk, Oxford, about myths and Christianity. →
• September 28, 1931: On the way to Whipsnade Zoo, Lewis becomes a Christian. →

October

• October 15, 1951: Publication of *Prince Caspian*. →
• October 16, 1950: Publication of *The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe*: Narnia enters the world. →

November

• November 13, 1988: Start of the BBC TV series *The Chronicles of Narnia* (until December 23, 1990). →
• November 22, 1963: Death of C.S. Lewis at The Kilns, his home near Oxford. →
• November 22, 2013: For the 50th anniversary of his death, a memorial plaque to Lewis is unveiled in Poets’ Corner, Westminster Abbey. →

December

• December 8, 1998: Birth of Aslan. →
• December 21, 2005: French release of *The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe* (earlier on December 7 in German-speaking Switzerland). →

And in the world of Narnia?

*The Chronicles of Narnia* books rarely give precise dates in the Narnian year. We only know that the White Witch’s winter ends with Aslan’s arrival, that summer is celebrated in the woods with fires and dances, and that Lewis’s timeline extends from year 1 to year 2555. For the years, see the history of Narnia.

```markdown ## In brief - **events** — 01-03 — 1892 — 1892-01-03 — Birth of J.R.R. Tolkien in Bloemfontein (South Africa). [J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis]( - **events** — 02-12 — 2027 — 2027-02-12 — Release of *Narnia: The Magician's Nephew* by Greta Gerwig in theaters (IMAX previews from February 10). [From the 1955 book to the 2027 film: *The Magician's Nephew* as envisioned by Greta Gerwig]( - **events** — 03-19 — 1956 — 1956-03-19 — Publication of *The Last Battle*, the seventh and final volume. [The Last Battle]( - **events** — 03-21 — 1957 — 1957-03-21 — Religious marriage of Lewis and Joy Davidman, at her bedside in the Churchill Hospital in Oxford. [Joy Davidman and *Shadows of the Heart*]( - **events** — 04-01 — 1979 — 1979-04-01 — Broadcast in France and French-speaking Switzerland of the animated *The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe* by Bill Melendez (split into two parts on April 1 and 2). [1979: the first Narnia animated film, by the creator of Snoopy]( - **events** — 04-02 — 2027 — 2027-04-02 — *Narnia: The Magician's Nephew* released on Netflix worldwide (the only planned release in France). [From the 1955 book to the 2027 film: *The Magician's Nephew* as envisioned by Greta Gerwig]( - **events** — 04-15 — 1918 — 1918-04-15 — Lewis is wounded by a shell at Mont-Bernanchon, in the Pas-de-Calais. [Lewis in France: war, translations, readers]( - **events** — 04-18 — 1915 — 1915-04-18 — Birth of Joy Davidman in New York. [Joy Davidman and *Shadows of the Heart*]( - **events** — 04-23 — 1956 — 1956-04-23 — Civil marriage of Lewis and Joy Davidman, at the Oxford registry office. [Joy Davidman and *Shadows of the Heart*]( - **events** — 05-02 — 1955 — 1955-05-02 — Publication of *The Magician's Nephew*, which tells the creation of Narnia. [The Magician's Nephew]( - **events** — 06-25 — 2008 — 2008-06-25 — Release in France and French-speaking Switzerland of *The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian*. [2008: Prince Caspian, a film more warlike than the book]( - **events** — 07-13 — 1960 — 1960-07-13 — Death of Joy Davidman in Oxford. [Joy Davidman and *Shadows of the Heart*]( - **events** — 08-01 — 2008 — 2008-08-01 — Death of Pauline Baynes, illustrator of the Chronicles. [Pauline Baynes, the original illustrator]( - **events** — 09-06 — 1954 — 1954-09-06 — Publication of *The Last Battle*. [The Last Battle]( - **events** — 09-07 — 1953 — 1953-09-07 — Publication of *The Silver Chair*. [The Silver Chair]( - **events** — 09-09 — 1922 — 1922-09-09 — Birth of Pauline Baynes in Brighton. [Pauline Baynes, the original illustrator]( - **events** — 09-19 — 1952 — 1952-09-19 — Publication of *The Voyage of the Dawn Treader*. [The Voyage of the Dawn Treader]( - **events** — 09-19 — 1931 — 1931-09-19 — Long night conversation on Addison's Walk in Oxford, between Lewis, Tolkien and Hugo Dyson, on myths and Christianity. [Lewis' biography (1) from Belfast to Oxford, 1898-1931]( - **events** — 09-28 — 1931 — 1931-09-28 — On the way to Whipsnade Zoo, Lewis becomes a Christian. [Lewis' biography (1) from Belfast to Oxford, 1898-1931]( - **events** — 10-15 — 1951 — 1951-10-15 — Publication of *Prince Caspian*. [Prince Caspian]( - **events** — 10-16 — 1950 — 1950-10-16 — Publication of *The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe: Narnia enters the world*. [The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe]( - **events** — 11-13 — 1988 — 1988-11-13 — Start of the BBC series *The Chronicles of Narnia* (until December 23, 1990). [Puppets and Beaver costumes: the BBC series, 1988-1990]( - **events** — 11-22 — 1963 — 1963-11-22 — Death of C.S. Lewis at the Kilns, his home near Oxford. [Lewis' biography (2): from the Inklings to Narnia, 1932-1963]( - **events** — 11-22 — 2013 — 2013-11-22 — For the fiftieth anniversary of his death, a plaque in memory of Lewis is unveiled at Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey. [Chronology of C.S. Lewis' life]( - **events** — 11-29 — 1898 — 1898-11-29 — Birth of Clive Staples Lewis in Belfast. [Lewis' biography (1): from Belfast to Oxford, 1898-1931]( - **events** — 11-29 — 1917 — 1917-11-29 — Lewis arrives on the front, near Arras, on his nineteenth birthday. [Lewis in France: war, translations, readers]( - **events** — 12-08 — 2010 — 2010-12-08 — Release in France of *The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader*. [2010, Walden Media's final voyage: *The Voyage of the Dawn Treader* in theaters]( ``` ## Did you know - [Joy Davidman and *Shadows of the Heart*]( - [Lewis' biography (1): from Belfast to Oxford, 1898-1931]( - [Lewis in France: war, translations, readers]( ## On screen - [1979: the first Narnia animated film, by the creator of Snoopy]( - [2005: the first Narnia film opens in theaters]( - [2008: Prince Caspian, a film more warlike than the book]( - [2010: Walden Media's final voyage: *The Voyage of the Dawn Treader* in theaters]( - [From the 1955 book to the 2027 film: *The Magician's Nephew* as envisioned by Greta Gerwig]( - [Puppets and Beaver costumes: the BBC series, 1988-1990]( ## The story - [The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe]( - [Prince Caspian]( - [The Voyage of the Dawn Treader]( - [The Silver Chair]( - [The Last Battle]( - [The Magician's Nephew]( - [The Horse and His Boy]( - [The Voyage of the Dawn Treader]( ## Going further - [Lewis' biography (1): from Belfast to Oxford, 1898-1931]( - [Lewis' biography (2): from the Inklings to Narnia, 1932-1963]( - [Chronology of C.S. Lewis' life]( - [The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe]( ```