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Birth
Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel is born in Saumur, France, in 1883.
Her parents are Eugénie Jeanne Dévolles and Henri-Albert Chanel. -
The Move
Gabrielle's mother has fallen ill, so she, her two sisters, and her mother move in with Gabrielle's uncle. -
Jeanne's Death
Gabrielle's mother dies from an undetermined cause; however, tuberculosis, poverty, pregnancy, pneumonia, or a combination of these factors could have been to blame. Chanel was placed in the orphanage at Auzabine monastery and abbey. -
Leave Orphanage
When she was 18, Gabrielle Chanel left the orphanage. She then attended the Notre Dame school. -
Becoming Coco
After leaving the leaving the Notre Dame school, the Mother Superior there found work for Chanel and her Aunt Adrienne (who was only two years older than Chanel) in Moulins as shop assistants. Soon, Gabrielle decided to sing on stage, where the audience christened her Coco, as one of the two songs she knew was Qui qu'a vu Coco. -
Etienne Balsan
Balsan and Chanel meet in Moulins and become lovers. Balsan then moves to his new home, Royallieu. -
Royallieu
Chanel moves to Royallieu, although her motives remain unclear. -
Boy Capel
Chanel had met Boy in one of her outings with Balsan and was infatuated with him. She followed Capel on the train and had to write Balsan a letter to explain herself. She stayed with Boy. -
Chane's Shop at Rue Cambon
Chanel opens a shop with the financial support of Balsan and Capel to sell her hats, which are more understated and yet more elegant than the hats currently in fashion. -
Caring for André
Chanel's sister Julia dies, leaving Gabrielle to care for her 6-month-old nephew. There is speculation as to whether the child, named André, is actually Chanel's son, not her sister's. -
Independence
Chanel's shop is so successful that she no longer needs financial support from Balsan of Capel, and she rejoiced in this. -
Shop in Deauville
Chanel expands on her success and opens a shop in Deauville, Frane. -
World War I Begins
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand marks the begininning of World War 1 -
Declaring War
Britain official declares war on Germany. -
Zimmerman Telegram
The Zimmerman Telegram is intercepted by the Allies. The telegram is a request that Mexico side with Germany in the war. -
U.S. Enters War
The U.S. officially enters the war by declaring war on Germany. -
Chanel and Her Hair
Chanel cut her hair really short, which brought her a lot of adversity. People stated that she looked like a boy, and that was improper. -
Armistice Day
The Armistice is signed in ending World War I. -
Idea of the Little Black Dress
According to Chanel, she came up with the idea for the little black dress. She came up with this idea at the opera. -
Creation of Chanel's Number 5
Ernest Beaux invented ten perfumes for Chanel's use. She choose a few including the ever-famous Chanel Number 5. -
Sale of Chanel No. 5
Chanel's Number 5 is released. This soon becomes a big hit as it is differend from the perfumes currently being made. -
Chanel and Ballet
Chanel desigs costumes for a ballet by Dighilev, which included sets by Picasso and music by Arthur Honegger. -
Vogue: Chanel's Ballet Costumes
In February of 1923, both the American and French editions of Vogue ran an extensive coverage of her designs using the headline 'Chanel Goes Greek While Remaining French.' -
Vogue: The Little Black Dress
The American "Vogue" announced the future of fashion in 1926, saying, "Here is Ford signed Chanel." -
Chanel Hits Hollywood
Chanel set off on the steamship Europa to come to America. She has taken a job from a Hollywood producer to design outfits for his films. -
Initiating the Second World War
Japan invades China, initiating World War II in the Pacific. -
Italy's invasion of Albania
Italy begins it's invasion and annexing of Albania. This lasts until the 15 of April. -
Invading Poland
Germany invades Poland, initiating World War II in Europe. -
Pearl Harbor
Japan bombs Pearl Harbor. -
Japan Surrenders
Japan formally surrenders to the Allies. -
'Life' and Coco
Life magazine, the biggest magazine in America at this time, runs a four-page spread on Chanel, making her a household name. -
Death
Coco Chanel dies on January 10, 1971, in Paris, France.
