| 1896 | Born on May 11 |
| 1901 | Native Americans became citizens |
| 1904 | Kinkaid Act |
| 1908 | First short story published |
| 1910 | Family moved to Sandhills |
| 1913 | July; passed the rural teachers examination. Taught in the Sandoz barn. Attended Chadron State Normal School (now Chadron State College) for one short summer teacher's institute. |
| 1917 | U.S. entered World War I |
| 1919 | Moved to Lincoln to attend Lincoln Business College |
| 1929 | Start of the Great Depression |
| 1929 | Winner of Omaha Women's Press Club Award for "Victorie" |
| 1934 | Hired by Nebraska State Historical Society with New Deal Funds |
| 1935 | First book published "Old Jules" |
| 1938 | Lobbied for better conditions for Government Western Archives in Washington, D.C., she considered this her most important work to preserve history. |
| 1940 | Moved to Denver |
| 1942 | U.S. entered World War II |
| 1943 | Moved to New York |
| 1950 | Korean War began |
| 1950 | Received honorary doctorate from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln |
| 1955 | Spent Christmas in the Sandhills. The highway sign reads "Home of Mari Sandoz" |
| 1959 | Featured in a television series about the West |
| 1960 | Woolworth's Sit-in |
| 1963 | JFK assassinated |
| 1964 | Won Western Writers of America "Spur Award" for Best Juvenile Book |
| 1966 | Died on March 10 |
