1501 September 2
Michel's father, Jaume, enrolled as notary of St-Remy.

1510 July 8
Jaume recorded as 'notary and merchant'.

1517 March to June
Jaume recorded as 'notary and scribe'.

1518 June/July
Michel's brother Bertrand baptised.

1519(?)
Michel starts his studies at Avignon.

1520
Plague sweeps Provence, the university closes, Nostredame commences nine years of wandering and medicinal research, eventually becoming an apothecary. 

1522 February 19
His brother Jean baptised.

1523 April 27
His brother Antoine baptised.

1529 October 3
Nostredame enrols in the student body of the Medical Faculty at Montpellier.  October (?) He is expelled from the student body again on the grounds that he has been an apothecary and, as such, has been rude about doctors. October 29 Having presumably got himself reinstated, he enrols in the Medical Faculty itself to study for his doctorate.

1530 September 17
The ex-monk and scholar François Rabelais joins him at the Montpellier Medical Faculty to take his baccalaureate.

1531 June
Having gained his degree, Rabelais leaves again.

1531-3
Nostredame travels in the south-west, sets up practice alongside Jules Cèsar Scaliger at Agen and marries Henriette d'Encausse.

1532
Rabelais publishes Pantagruel.

1533
Rabelais publishes Pantagrueline prognostication.

1534
Rabelais publishes Gargantua.

1535
After losing his wife and two children to an epidemic, Nostredame quarrels with Scaliger, is engaged in litigation with his wife's family, provokes the interest of the Inquisition of Toulouse with an unwise remark and leaves Agen for a new period of wandering 'through many lands and countries'.

1540
His father Jaume and uncle Pierre, originally of Jewish ancestry, officially naturalised as Frenchmen.

1540
Michel's brother Bertrand marries Thomime Rousse.

1544
Michel studies the plague and its treatment at Marseille under the eminent physician Louis Serre.

1545
His brother Jean recorded  as a lawyer at Aix-en-Provence.

1546
His brother Hector marries Anthonete Morguete.

1546 June
Nostredame summoned to Aix to fight a major plague outbreak. Summoned to Salon-de-Provence to fight a further outbreak there, he seemingly meets his future second wife.

1547
Summoned to Lyon to combat an unidentified epidemic, he quarrels with local physician Philibert Sarrazin, who apparently retires in disgust to nearby Villefranche. February Michel's father Jaume dead. Michel's brother Jean becomes official Solicitor, then Attorney to the Parlement of Provence at Aix.   November 11 Nostredame, back in Salon, marries Anne Ponsarde, known as Gemelle ('the Twin').

1548
Nostredame leaves for Italy, where he is eventually seen in Venice, Genoa and Savona.

1549
Still in Italy, possibly heading south for Sicily.

1550
Back in Salon, Nostredame publishes his first annual Almanac as Nostradamus. His brother Antoine recorded as official tax-collector at St-Remy.

1551
Nostradamus's second annual Almanac published. His first child Madeleine born.

1552 April
1st His cosmetics manual and cookbook, the Trait‚ des fardemens et confitures finished, but not published. His Almanac for 1553 published in Lyon.

1553
Almanach for 1554 published in Lyon. Nostradamus supplies facetious Latin inscription for new public fountain at Salon.

1554 March 10
He observes falling meteorite and writes to the Governor of Provence about it. April 1st He reaches Century I.42. Two-headed infant brought from nearby Senas for his inspection. Two-headed kid brought from nearby Aurons for his inspection. Almanac for 1555 published in Lyon. His first son Cèsar born.

1555
His Trait‚ des fardemens et confitures published by Volant of Lyon. April 30 Royal privilige for first edition of Propheties granted.  May 4 First edition of Propheties (first 353 verses) published by Bonhomme of Lyon and Roux of Avignon.  May 20/ Having been summoned by Queen Catherine de Mèdicis for July 27 consultation, Nostradamus passes through Lyon on his way to the court in Paris. August 15 Arrives in Paris and is allegedly escorted by High Constable Anne de Montmorency to the royal castle of St-Germain-en-Laye. After an attack of gout, he is dispatched to Blois to examine the seven royal children: allegedly reports back that 'All your sons will be kings'.  September/ Having allegedly been advised that he is about to be investigated    October by the Paris justices, he hurriedly returns to Salon.

1556
His brother Bertrand starts building works at the Mas de Roussan, just to the west of St-Remy. Inscription over doorway at Turin claims that 'Nostradamus stayed here'. July 27 Nostradamus signs legal document investing 200 crowns in Adam de Craponne's local canal-project. First edition of Propheties republished in Avignon. The Trait‚ published in Paris and Lyon. October (?) Almanac for 1557 published in Lyon and Paris.

1557
Almanac for 1557 republished in Paris. March 14 Nostradamus in middle of writing to King Henri II the dedicatory letter to the final section of his Propheties. July Almanac for 1558 published in Lyon. Italian translation of Almanac for 1558 published in Milan. His brother Antoine Attorney for the town of St-R‚my. Nostradamus's free translation of Menodotus's Paraphrase de Galen published by Du Rosne of Lyon. His Trait‚ republished in Antwerp. September 6 Second edition of Propheties (first 642 verses) published by Du Rosne of Lyon. November 3 The seer's second son, Andr‚, born. November 13 Pirated version of second edition of Propheties (first 639 verses only) published under the name of Du Rosne of Lyon, with a notable decline in quality.

1558
Almanac for 1558 republished in Lyon and Antwerp. une 27 Nostradamus finishes dedicatory letter to King Henri II to accompany the now-completed thousand prophecies. His brother Antoine one of three consuls for St-R‚my. His translation of Menodotus's paraphrase of Galen published by Du Rosne of Lyon. Last three Centuries published by De Tournes of Lyon. October (?) Almanac for 1559 published in Lyon. Pirated edition of 1559 Almanac published in London. Nostradamus's second daughter Anne born.

1559
Two official English translations of the 1559 Almanac published in London. August His Les Significations de l'Eclipse qui sera le 16 Septembre published in Paris and, in translation, in London. His Paraphrase de C. Galen republished by Du Rosne of Lyon. December Marguerite de Valois, on her way back from the funeral of her brother King Henri, arrives at Salon and is welcomed in words composed by Nostradamus. A consultation ensues.

1560
Almanac for 1560 translated and published in Germany. Nostradamus invests 200 more crowns in Craponne's canal. Trait‚ des fardemens republished by Volant of Lyon. October/ Almanac for 1561 published in Paris and, in translation, in   November London. December William Fulke publishes a violent denunciation of Nostradamus in England in the course of his Antiprognosticon.

1561 April 14
Nostradamus temporarily leases a house in Avignon to avoid peasant disturbances in Salon. July 15 He returns with his family to Salon. The Propheties plagiarised by Barbe Regnault of Paris. Le Remede tres utile contre la peste..., an extract from his Trait‚, published in Paris. Nostradamus, summoned to Turin, predicts a son for Duke Emmanuel Philibert and Marguerite de Valois, as well as the Duke's death 'when a nine precedes a seventh'. Sixains possibly started. September Diane, Nostradamus's youngest daughter, born. October (?) Almanac for 1562 published in Lyon and Paris. October 31 He writes to Jean de Morel in Paris, at last repaying him debts incurred during his Paris visit of 1555. December 16 Having published his 1562 Almanac without the required authorisation from a bishop, he is arrested by his friend Claude de Tende, Governor of Provence, thrown into jail at Marignane, but then quickly released again.

1562 February 4
He replies to the Canons of Orange, advising them how to recover their lost treasures and enclosing a horoscope. February 13 He invests 100 more crowns in Craponne's canal. Almanac for 1563 published in Lyon and Avignon and, in translation, in Italy.

1563
English translation of Almanac for 1564 published in London.

1564 October 17
The young King Charles IX and his mother Catherine de M‚dicis, reaching Salon on their two-year progress through the country, are welcomed by Nostradamus and entertain him and his family at the castle. October 18(?) He 'spots' the future Henri IV among the vast royal retinue and, after examining the boy for tell-tale moles and birth-marks, prepares his horoscope. October (?) Almanac for 1565 published in Lyon and, in Italian translation, in Genoa. November (?) Summoned for further royal consultations at Arles, he recommends the proposed marriage of Charles to Elizabeth of England, is awarded 300 crowns and appointed Councillor and Physician in Ordinary to the King, with a pension to match.

1565
Almanach for 1565 republished in Lyon. Anne Ponsarde, Nostradamus's wife, invests 100 more crowns in Craponne's canal. November Almanac for 1566, published in Lyon, predicts a 'strange transmigration' for July 1st. December 21 Nostradamus writes to the Queen in his capacity as Royal Councillor, predicting some auspicious piece of good fortune for the kingdom.

1566
Almanac for 1566 published in Italian and English. English translation of Almanac for 1566 published in London. June 15 Royal privilŠge granted for publication of the 1567 Almanach. June 17 Nostradamus, mortally ill with dropsy (oedema), draws up his will, leaving everything (including cash amounting to 3444 crowns and 10 sous) to his wife in trust for his children. June 20 He adds a codicil bequeathing his 'magic' ring and astrolabe to Cèsar and some furniture and effects to Madeleine. June 30 (?) He writes in Latin 'Death is close at hand' on a copy of Jean Stadius's recently-published astronomical tables. July 1st He tells his secretary Chavigny 'You will not see me alive at sunrise.' July 2 Nostradamus is found dead and almost cold in his room: subsequently buried in the local Franciscan chapel with full civic honours. October (?) Almanac for 1567 published in French, Italian and English.

Click to find out more...

webmaster@nostradamus-repository.org

[ Home ] [ Short Biography ] [ Timeline of His Life ] [ Family Tree ] [ Map of Provence ] [ Preface to César ] [ Letter to HENRI II ] [ Présages ] [ Sixains ] [ Orus Apollo ]  [ Myths ] [ FAQs ] [ Random Quatrain ] [ Quatrain Search Engine ] [ Anagram Solver ] [ Repository ] [ Mother Shipton ] [ Books ] [ Links ] [ Feedback ] [ Contributors ] [ Privacy Statement ]