Tchaikovsky

Age 10 (1850) – Entered the Imperial School of Jurisprudence
Entered the Imperial School of Jurisprudence in St. Petersburg to begin his formal education.

Age 14 (1854) – Lost His Mother
Lost his mother to cholera, a devastating loss that deeply affected him.

Age 19 (1859) – Became a Civil Servant
Graduated from the Imperial School of Jurisprudence and began working in the Ministry of Justice.

Age 22 (1862) – Enrolled at the St. Petersburg Conservatory
Joined the newly established conservatory to pursue his passion for music.

Age 26 (1866) – Became a Professor of Music
Became a professor of harmony at the Moscow Conservatory.

Age 29 (1869) – Composed Romeo and Juliet
Composed Romeo and Juliet, an orchestral fantasy inspired by Shakespeare’s tragedy.

Age 37 (1877) – Married Antonina Miliukova
Married his former student, but the marriage broke down within weeks.

Age 37 (1877) – Composed Swan Lake
Worked on Swan Lake and began a long correspondence with patron Nadezhda von Meck, whose financial support later allowed him to focus on composing.

Age 47 (1887) – Began Conducting Internationally
Started conducting performances abroad, building his reputation across Europe.

Age 50 (1890) – Lost Von Meck’s Support
Nadezhda von Meck abruptly ended her financial support and correspondence, deeply upsetting him.

Age 52 (1892) – Premiered The Nutcracker
The ballet The Nutcracker premiered in St. Petersburg.

Age 53 (1893) – Premiered His Pathétique Symphony
Conducted the premiere of Symphony No. 6, known as Pathétique, in St. Petersburg. He died nine days later.