Simone de Beauvoir's Milestones
Birth
Simone de Beauvoir was born in Paris, France, to Georges Bertrand de Beauvoir and Françoise Brasseur.
Sister Hélène born
Her sister Hélène de Beauvoir was born.
Attended convent school
Sent to prestigious convent schools by her mother.
Family loses fortune
Family lost much of its fortune after World War I, impacting their social status.
Became atheist
Began questioning her faith and abandoned religion, remaining an atheist for life.
Passed baccalaureate exams
Passed baccalaureate exams in mathematics and philosophy at age 17.
Attended Institut Catholique & Institut Sainte-Marie
Studied mathematics and literature/languages at Institut Catholique de Paris and Institut Sainte-Marie.
Attended Sorbonne
Studied philosophy at the Sorbonne, graduating second in her class.
Sat in at École Normale Supérieure
Sat in on courses at École Normale Supérieure in preparation for agrégation in philosophy.
Passed agrégation in philosophy
Passed the agrégation in philosophy, becoming the youngest person to do so at age 21.
Began teaching career
Began teaching philosophy at various lycées in France (Marseille, Rouen, Paris).
Met Jean-Paul Sartre
Met Jean-Paul Sartre, beginning a lifelong intellectual and romantic partnership.
First relationship with Olga Kosakiewicz
Began complex personal and intellectual relationship with student Olga Kosakiewicz.
Published 'She Came to Stay'
Published her first novel, 'She Came to Stay,' inspired by her relationship with Sartre and Olga.
Published 'Pyrrhus and Cineas'
Published her first philosophical essay, 'Pyrrhus and Cineas.'
Became editor of Les Temps Modernes
Became editor of the influential journal Les Temps Modernes with Sartre.
Published 'The Blood of Others'
Published 'The Blood of Others,' a novel exploring responsibility and resistance.
Published 'All Men Are Mortal'
Published novel 'All Men Are Mortal.'
Published 'The Ethics of Ambiguity'
Published 'The Ethics of Ambiguity,' a key existentialist essay.
Traveled to United States
Traveled to the United States, met American writer Nelson Algren, with whom she had a long relationship.
Traveled internationally
Traveled widely, lecturing and supporting feminist and existentialist causes.
Published 'America Day by Day'
Published travel diary 'America Day by Day.'
Published 'The Second Sex'
Published 'The Second Sex,' a foundational text in feminist philosophy.
Lived with Claude Lanzmann
Lived with filmmaker Claude Lanzmann.
Won Prix Goncourt for 'The Mandarins'
Won France's highest literary prize, the Prix Goncourt, for 'The Mandarins.'
Published 'The Mandarins'
Published 'The Mandarins,' a roman à clef about postwar intellectual life.
Published 'Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter'
Published the first volume of her autobiography, 'Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter.'
Published 'The Prime of Life'
Published second volume of autobiography, 'The Prime of Life.'
Published 'Force of Circumstance'
Published third volume of autobiography, 'Force of Circumstance.'
Published 'A Very Easy Death'
Published 'A Very Easy Death,' a memoir about her mother's death.
Published 'The Coming of Age'
Published 'La Vieillesse' ('The Coming of Age'), a major work on aging.
Signed Manifesto of the 343
Signed the Manifesto of the 343, advocating for abortion rights in France.
Published 'All Said and Done'
Published 'All Said and Done,' final volume of autobiography.
Publicly declared herself a feminist
Publicly identified as a feminist after years of reluctance.
Awarded Jerusalem Prize
Received the Jerusalem Prize for the Freedom of the Individual in Society.
Death of Jean-Paul Sartre
Jean-Paul Sartre died; de Beauvoir was deeply affected.
Published 'Adieux: A Farewell to Sartre'
Published 'Adieux: A Farewell to Sartre,' reflecting on Sartre's final years.
Death
Simone de Beauvoir died in Paris and was buried next to Sartre.