Karen Blixen/Isak Dinesen home

This chronology records dates of personal significance to Karen Blixen. For complete dates of her publications, see Bibliography.

1885, April 17: Born at the family estate, Rungstedlund, on the Oresund north of Copenhagen, to Wilhelm Dinesen (1845-1895)--soldier, landowner, sportsman, writer of Letters from the Hunt, and Danish parliamentarian--and Ingeborg Westenholz Dinesen (1856-1939)--daughter of a wealthy ship owner, activist, Unitarian, and first woman elected to the Rungsted parish council.

1895: Suicide of Karen Blixen's father when she is 10-years-old, reputedly because of syphilis.

1899: KB studies French in Switzerland for six months with her mother and sisters.

1902: Enters Miss Sode's Art School in Copenhagen.

1903-1906: Attends the Academy of Art, Copenhagen.

1907: At age 22, publishes her first stories, "The Hermits," in Tilskueren magazine, and "The Ploughman" in Gads danske Magasin.

1909: Publishes "The de Cats Family" in Tilskueren. At age 24, falls in love with Baron Hans von Blixen-Finecke (1886-1917), son of her father's cousin.

1910: Spends two months with her sister in Paris.

1912: Visits her second cousin, Countess Daisy Frijs Castenskiold (1888-1917), in Rome. December: becomes engaged to Baron Bror von Blixen-Finecke (1886-1946), twin brother of Hans.

1913, December: Leaves for Africa by ship from Naples.

1914, January: At age 28, joins Bror in East Africa marries (on 14 January) and starts a pioneer coffee plantation (1500 acres) near Nairobi.

1914, August 5: Beginning of the Great War, which includes the East African colonies governed by Germany and Britain.

1915, July: KB returns to Denmark with syphilis contracted from her husband.

1916: KB returns to Africa with Bror; Karen Coffee Corporation is established with money provided by her relatives. A second farm is bought, on the western side of the Rift Valley, and the first is increased--4500 acres each.

1918, April 5: At age 33, KB meets the English hunter, Denys Finch Hatton (1887-1931).

1919: KB returns for nearly a year and a half to Denmark.

1921: In Kenya, KB separates from Bror. Takes over management of the coffee farm, with the help of her brother Thomas (1892-1979).

1922: KB has a miscarriage with Finch Hatton's child.

1923, January: Coffee factory on farm burns. Thomas Dinesen leaves KB in complete charge of the farm.

1924: Denys Finch Hatton begins to reside in her house when he is infrequently in Nairobi.

1925, January: Officially divorced from Bror. At age 40, KB returns to Denmark for a year's home leave.

1926: "The Revenge of Truth" appears in Tilskueren. April: KB believes she is pregnant with Finch Hatton's child; she is either mistaken or has a miscarriage. He is unwilling to form a "partnership." She begins to discuss homosexuality in her letters and says, "Send me the money to come home; I shall die if remaining here."

1927: A happy year; Finch Hatton spends more time with her.

1928, November: KB entertains the Prince of Wales. Denys invites Bror to help him with the prince's safari.

1929: KB returns to Denmark for much of the year; also visits Denys in England.

1930: The farm comes under the grip of the world-wide depression. September 20: KB takes her first ride in Finch Hatton's airplane.

1931: Farm sold in March; Denys Finch Hatton is killed in the crash of his airplane on May 14; Karen Blixen returns to Denmark at age 46.

1934: Publication of Seven Gothic Tales.

1937-1938: Publication of Out of Africa.

1940, April: Denmark occupied by Nazi Germany.

1942: Publication of Winter's Tales.

See Bibliography for dates of other publications.

1954: Fails to receive Nobel Prize for Literature awarded to Ernest Hemingway.

1955: Surgery for an ulcer removes a third of Karen Blixen's stomach.

1957: Fails to receive Nobel Prize for Literature awarded to Albert Camus.

1959: High-profile trip to the United States.

1962, September 7: KB dies at Rungstedlund from malnutrition.