| 1638 September 5 |
Louis XIV is born, son of Louis XIII, king of France and Anne of Austria, who is Spanish. He is born at the palace at Saint-Germain. |
| 1640 |
The Duc d'Orleans, his brother, is born. |
| 1643 |
Louis XIII dies, Anne of Austria becomes Regent of France. Cardinal Maxarin is Prime Minister. He will hold sway over the fate of France during his life time and is possibly Anne's lover as well. |
| 1654 |
The Coronation of Louis XIV. |
| 1659 |
The Treaty of the Pyrenees ends the war between France and Spain. |
| 1660 |
Louis XIV marries Marie Therese daughter of the King of Spain |
| 1661 March |
Mazarin dies and the 22 year old Louis takes over the kingdom telling his ministers he will run it himself and from now on their function was to advise not initiate policies. He sends Fouquet, the finance minister to prison and replaces him with Colbert. Philippe, the Duc d'Orleans marries Henrietta, the daughter of Charles II of England. Soon after the Great Dauphin is born, Louis takes as a mistress Louise de la Valliere. The chateau at Versailles is enlarged. |
| 1662 |
Colbert Lionne and Le Tellier are trusted ministers. Louis retreives La Valliere from her convent. Conflict with the King of Spain and the Pope. |
| 1663 |
Colbert begins the court's enlightenment, establishing the Academy of Inscriptions and Belles Lettres. Avignon is taken. |
| 1664 |
Colbert establishes the East Indies Company and the West Indies Company. The Academy of Painting and Sculpture |
| 1665 |
Colbert sends settlers to Canada, Louis XIV sends the navy against the Barbary pirates and is concerned about Spain after the death of Philip IV. |
| 1666 |
Louis XIV joins the Dutch who are at war with England. His mother dies. Academy of the Sciences. |
| 1667 |
Louis makes La Valliere the Duchesse de Vaujours and dumps her for Montespan. Both mistresses have at least two children by Louis, as soon as they are born they are secreted away to be raised by Mme. Colbert. Peace with England, but the war of Devolution begins. |
| 1668 |
War of Devolution ends at the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle. Construction of Versailles continues. |
| 1670 |
The Treaty of Dover between Louis XIV and Charles II of England. The "Great Dauphin" takes Bossuet as a tutor. Henrietta of England dies. The Duc du Maine is born to Montespan |
| 1671 |
Philippe, the Duc d'Orleans marries again, to the Princess Palatine. The Academy of Architecture. |
| 1672 |
Louis goes to war with William of Orange in the Dutch War. The Academy of Music. |
| 1673 |
A coalition forms against France, more quarrels with the pope. |
| 1674 |
The Dutch war continues with victories by Condé. Brother Philippe and the Princess Palatine have a son, the future Regent of France. La Valliere becomes a Carmalite nun. |
| 1678 |
The Dutch War ends with the Treaty of Nimwegen. |
| 1679 |
Louis takes more land on his frontier. |
| 1681 |
Louis takes Strasbourg for France. |
| 1682 |
LaSalle claims Louisiana. The Duke of Burgundy is born. He is the oldest grandson of Louis XIV. More quarrels with the pope. |
| 1683 |
The Queen, Maria Therese, and the Controller-General, Colbert, both die. |
| 1684 |
Louis XIV marries Madame de Maintenon, the Truce of Ratisbon, the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles is finished and the Huguenots are persecuted. |
| 1685 |
Louis claims the Palatinate through the inheritance of his sister-in-law, the Princess Palatine. |
| 1686 |
The League of Augsburg is formed in opposition to his expansion of France's borders. British and French forces clash in Hudson Bay. |
| 1687 |
More quarrels with the pope. |
| 1688 |
Louis versus the League of Augsburg in the Palatinate. |
| 1689 |
William of Orange is king of England and James II is in France. The War of the League of Augsburg begins. |
| 1691 |
Louvois, who has been Secretary of State for War since his father died in 1666, dies himself and Louis takes charge of the administration of the conflict. |
| 1692 |
Army victories and naval loses continue the war. |
| 1696 |
France makes peace with the Duke of Savoy and the LEague of Augsburg is broken. |
| 1697 |
The Treaty of Ryswick ends the War of the League of Augsburg. The Duc de Bourgogne (Duke of Burgundy) is married to Adelaide of Savoy. |
| 1698 |
The first Partition Treaty provides for a division of the Spanish Empire, giving Louis XIV more reason to move on his claim of Louisiana. |
| 1699 |
The second Partition Treaty provides for a another division of the Spanish Empire. Iberville's expedition reaches Louisiana and begins exploration. |
| 1700 |
Charles II of Spain dies after bequeathing all to the Duc d'Anjou, who is a grandson of Louis XIV. This precipitates the War of Spanish Succession. |
| 1701 |
Philippe, the Duc d'Orleans dies.The Grand Alliance of The Haugue is organized to prevent Louis XIV from controlling Spain through his grand son. James II dies and his son becomes king, recognized by Louis. |
| 1702 |
William of Orange dies, but the War of Spanish Succession begins |
| 1704 |
The French are defeated by Marlborough at the Battle of Blenheim |
| 1706 |
Philip V is driven from Madrid as the French are defeated at Ramillies and Turin. |
| 1708 |
Marlborough defeats Cendome and the Duke of Burgundy at the Battle of Oudenarde. |
| 1709 |
Louis pleas for pease but will not deny the throne of Spain to his grandson. Marlborough defeats the French at Malplaquet. |
| 1710 |
Philip V gets to keep the throne at Madrid as Marborough is recalled when the Tories come to power in England and Vendome wins at Villaviciosa. |
| 1711 April 17 |
Louis' only surviving son, the Great Dauphin dies, making the Duke of Burgundy the heir apparent to the throne of France. |
| 1711 April 17 |
The Archduke Charles, who had been Philip's rival for the throne of Spain becomes Holy Roman Emperor. |
| 1712 February |
The Duke and Duchess of Burgundy and their oldest son all die, wiping out another one and a half generations of the royal succession. |
| 1713 |
The War of the Spanish Succession is settled at the Treaty of Utrecht |
| 1714 |
Hostilities between the Holy Roman Empire and France are settled at the Treaty of Rastatt. Louis XIV declares the illegitimate sons of Montespan to be in line for dynastic succession, but a legitimate heir is the Duc de Barry who dies this year leaving his four year old son as the sole legitimate heir. |
| 1715 September 1 |
Louis XIV dies in the palace at Versailles. The throne will pass on to Louis XV his five year old great-grandson. |