Ion Luca Caragiale (1852-1912)

1852	Born on January 30 in Haimanale village, Prahova county. Is the son on Luca (secratary of the Margineni monastery) and Ecaterina Caragiali. Today the village is named after the great play writer.
1859-60	First year of school in Ploiesti. Learns to write and read from the Father Marinache and the clerk (dascal) Haralambie from SF. Gheorghe (Saint George) Church. He father become lawyer in Ploiesti
1860-61	The boy goes to school in the second grade at the Princely School no. 1 from Ploiesti.
1862-64	Here he has Bazil Dragosescu as teacher, about whom he has good memories, among them being the exciting visit of Ioan Cuza. Gets his primary school certificate.
1864-67	Goes to "Sf. Petru si Pavel" gimnazium from Ploiesti.
1868-68	The biographers confirm that in the 5th grade he was at a school in Bucharest, where his family was moved.
1868-70	Takes mimic art and declamation courses, at the Bucharest Conservatory, course sustained by Costache Caragiali, one of his uncles, dramatical author and actor.
1870	At 18 years old, is copyist at the Prahovba tribunal, because of the request of his old father, who dies soon after. After his father funerals, Ion Luca leaves this job and he is dismisses. He will be the only support of his mother Ecaterina and his sister Lenci (3 years younger).
1871-72	Prompter and copyist at the National Theater from Bucharest
1873-75	Begins his journalist carrier in the review Ghimpele.
1875-76	"Responsable endorser" at the newspaper Alegatorul liber.
1876-77	Editor at Claponul. With F. Dam‚ edits the newspaper Natiunea româna.
1878	Colaborates at Timpul, having Eminescu and Slavici as collegues. Translates from French the tragedy in lirics Defeated Rome by Al. Parodi, represented on May 21 on the stage of National Theater from Bucharest. Also in May he participates for the first time at a meeting of the Junimea society. In the autumn T. Maiorescu takes him to Iasi, to read the play O noapte furtunoasa.
1879	January 18 - the opening of the comedy O noapte furtunoasa at the National Theater from Bucharest. Makes a trip to Wien.
1881-83	Is school inspector for Neamt-Suceava and next Arges-Valcea counties.
1884	November 13, opening night of the masterpiece O scrisoare pierduta. Clerk at Monopoly administration.
1885	Opening of the comedyD-ale carnavalului. Is substitute teacher at "Sf. Gheorghe" highschool from Bucharest. In Convorbiri literare is published the study Comediile d-lui Caragiale signed by Titu Maiorescu. Is born Mateiu, son of Maria Constantinescu, recognized by I. L. Caragiale.
1886	"The man without luck" enter in enrichment sign. Dies in the capital his mother's cousin Ecaterina Momolo, the old woman with fortune. Follows a long law suit for heritage between the descendants.
1887	Is printed in Sibiu the book Defeated Rome, translated by Caragiale.
1888-89	General director of the theaters. His insistences are not appreciated by the officialities and he resigns. Dies his mother Ecaterina Caragiali (at 73 years old), from the family remains only him and his sister Lenci. At "Soced" publishing house appears his volume Theatre. Marries Alexandrina Burelly, daughter of the architect Gaetano Burelly. Trip in Italy.
1890	Opening of the drama Napasta at the National Theater from Bucharest.
1891	Volumes Teatru and Napasta, are accused of imorality and are rejected from the Academy Prize.
1892	Being in conflict with the writers from Junimea society, he is lecturing at the Atheneum the conference Literary gangs and geese. Are edited the volumes: Pacat..., O faclie de Paste, Om cu noroc (3 short stories).
1893	Edits the first series of Moftului român, with A. Bacalbasa. Is born his second son, Luca Ion, the future poet. Opens his first beer house shocking again his adversaries.
1896	Publishes the volume Schite usoare. Edits for a short period Epoca literara, with St. O. Iosif (editorial board secretary). Asks to be the director of the National Theater from Iasi but is refused by the mayor N. Gane.
1897	Appears his volumes: Schite si Notite si fragmente literare.
1899	Is named registrar at the State Monopoly Administration.
1901	Caragiale is celebrated at the Romanian Atheneum at his 25th anaiversary of his literary activity. B. Delavrancea and Tache Tonescu praise him, he receives an golden feather. Is published his volum Momente. On April 1, he looses his job from The Monopoly Administration and edits the second series from Moftul Român. Is the epoch of the calomny law suit with Constantin Al. Ionescu-Caion, a phychopath who had published in Revista literara two articles in which Caragiale was accused of literary theft in his play Napasta after an fictitious Hungarian author, Istvan Kemeny.
1902	His friend Barbu Delavrancea pleads brilliantly for Caragiale and the lieing journalist is convicted. Finally Caion was aquited. Another hit agains Caragiale is the refusal by the prize commision of the Romanian Academy of his volume Momente.
1904	Attacked always by his adversaries, refused at the Academy prize, Caragiale does not find any more his place in Bucharest. Therefore, together with his family he take a trip to Italy, France, Germany. Now he get his part from the heritage.
1905	He settles down with the family in Berlin, in a wanted exile. Makes the project of a new comedy Titirica, Sotirescu & Co, but he will never finish it. Personaly he have had only troubles from the theatre.
1907	He keep in touch with his friends from the country, missing the places were he was born. Publishes the pamphlet 1907, din primavara pâna-n toamna. Remakes his good relationship with Titu Maiorescu, whom he have had accused of Eminescu's texts falsifying.
1908	Published in three volumes, at "Minerva" publishing house, Opere complete. Even if in the last years of life he have lived in Berlin, makes many trips to the country, even in Bucharest.
1909	Appear Kir Ianulea in Viata româneasca.
1910	Publishes the volume Schite noua, in which there are short stories writen in his last years of literary work.
1912	Is his 60th birthday and he is still in Berlin, away from his country. The president of the Romanian writers society, Emil Gârleanu, propose this cellebartion in Bucharest. But Caragiale has his reasons to refuse this cellebration, and sends to his delicate friend a telegram, in his unic style. June 9, his dies suddenly in Berlin, his body is brought later in Bucharest. His tomb in Bellu cemetery is not far from Eminescu's.

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Last update: 1999, September 8
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