1732 (31st March) (Franz) Joseph Haydn is born in Rohrau on the Leitha (Lower Austria); Today there is a museum there which commemorates both Joseph Haydn and his brother, Michael.

1740-1749 Choirboy (Sangerknabe) in the choir school of St. Stephen's in Vienna; Haydn receives a musical education, as well as lessons in other subjects. As a choirboy, he takes part in performances of church music at St. Stephen's, at other churches in Vienna and at the Viennese court.

 1749-1758(?)Largely self taught and working as a freelance artist in Vienna, Haydn composes ecclesiastical and operatic music, string trios, sonatas, dances, organ concertos, divertimenti for various arrangements and his first string quartet. In the early 1750s he lives as a tenant in a garret in Vienna's 1^{st District.}

1753-1757The Italian composer Nicola Antonio Porpora resides in Vienna. Haydn later describes him as his only teacher.

c. 1758-1761Haydn is musical director in the service of Count Ferdinand Maximilian Franz Morzin. He lives from time to time at the Count's summer residence, the Palace of Lucavec near Pilsen. It is here that Haydn's First Symphony is written, as well as other compositions.

1760 26th November:Haydn marries Maria Anna Aloisia Appolonia Keller, the daughter of a Viennese wig maker, in St. Stephen's Cathedral. The marriage remains childless.

1761 1st May:Haydn enters the service of Prince Esterhazy in Vienna, at first as deputy conductor of his orchestra. Haydn principally in Eisenstadt.

1762Death of Prince Paul Anton Esterhazy, Haydn's employer.

1762-1790 Prince Nicholas Esterhazy 1, Paul Anton's brother, becomes Haydn's new employer. Haydn succeeds in making the Prince's orchestra into one of the best in Europe at the time. For this he composes overtures, symphonies, concerts, suites, minuets, serenades and operas.

1766 Death of Head Conductor of the orchestra, Gregor Joseph Werner. Haydn succeeds him as Head Conductor. The Prince moves into the newly-built Esterhazy Palace (Esterhaza) at the south-eastern end of Lake Neusiedl and this now becomes the most important location for Haydn's work.

1766-1775 Haydn buys a house in Eisenstadt and seldom visits Vienna.

1768 The opera house in Esterhazy Palace is opened with the premiere of Haydn's opera Lo specziale

1773Maria Theresia visits Esterhazy Palace.

1775 2nd and 4th April: Haydn conducts the premiere of ll ritorno di Tobia in Vienna.

1778 Haydn sells his house in Eisenstadt.

1785 15th January and 12th February;Haydn visits Mozart at his Viennese apartment. Mozart's string quartets dedicated to Haydn are played. Haydn and Mozart were friends, even if they did not meet each other very often.

1790 28th September:Death of Prince Nicholas Esterhazy 1.

1790-1794 Prince Paul Anton Esterhazy II succeeds Nicholas i. He dissolves the orchestra. Haydn immediately moves to Vienna (1790), although he remains the Prince's conductor.

1790-1792 Haydn's first trip to England- He composes his first six London symphonies- Performances of his works in London. organised by Salomon.

1791 8th July: Haydn is awarded an honorary doctorate of music by Oxford University-

1793 14th August:Haydn acquires a house in a suburb of Vienna.

1794-1795Haydn's second trip to England, together with his copyist and valet Johann Elssler- Six further London symphonies are composed, as well as works for piano and several other pieces. Haydn makes numerous concert appearances and is feted by London society.

1794-1832 Prince Nicholas Esterhazy II succeeds Paul Anton II. Haydn is commissioned to compose a mass for the nameday of the Prince's wife Hermenegild each year. This results in the last six great masses, written between 1796 and 1802.

1796 26th December: Haydn's Paukenmesse ('Kettledrum Mass'), conducted by the composer himself, is performed for the first time at the Church of the Piarists in Vienna.

1796-1798 Haydn works on his oratorio Die Schöpfung (The Creation).

1797 12th February:Haydn's anthem Gott erhalte is sung for the

first time at the Vienna's Burgtheater.

Summer 1797:Haydn moves into his newly-extended house in Vienna.

1798 29th-30th April:Premiere of the Creation at Schwarzenberg Palace (now demolished)

1799 19th March: First public performance of the Creation in the Burgtheater.

1800 20th March:Haydn's wife Maria Anna dies in Baden near Vienna.

1801 24th April:Premiere of Die Jahreszeiten (The Seasons) at Schwarzenberg Palace.

1803 Haydn, presented with many awards in the last years of his life, receives the great gold Salvator Medal from the City of Vienna. Haydn composes the String Quartet op. 103 (only two movements), which is regarded as his last composition.

1804 Johann Nepomuk Hummel succeeds Haydn as Prince Esterhazy's concert master

1808 27th March:Haydn makes his last appearance in public on the occasion of a performance of The Creation in the main hall of Vienna University;

1809 7th February:Haydn signs his last will and testament

31st May Haydn dies of exhaustion at his house in Vienna (Haydngasse 19 in Vienna's 6th District) in the presence of his servants aged 77.