1852 - Born on January 30 in Haimanale village, Prahova county. Is the son of Luca (secretary of the Margineni monastery) and Ecaterina Caragiali. Today the village is named after the great playwriter.

1859-1860 - First year of school in Ploiesti. Learns to write and read from Father Marinache and the clerk (dascal) Haralambie from Saint George Church. His father becomes a lawyer in Ploiesti.

1860-1861 - The boy goes to school in the second grade at the Princely School no.1 from Ploiesti.

1862-1864 - Here he has Bazil Dragosescu as teacher, about whom he has good memories, among them being the exciting visit of Prince Ioan Cuza. Gets his primary school certificate.

1864-1867 - Goes to "Saints Peter and Paul" Secondary School in Ploiesti.

1868-1868 - His biographers confirm that in the 5th grade he was at a school in Bucharest, where his family moved.

1868-1870 - 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 becomes copyist at Prahova tribunal, at the request of his father, who dies soon after. After his father funerals, Ion Luca leaves this job and he is dismissed. He will be the only support for his mother Ecaterina and his sister Lenci (3 years younger).

1871-1872 - Prompter and copyist at the National Theater from Bucharest.

1873-1875 - Begins his journalist carrier at the review Ghimpele (The Thorn).

1875-1876 - "Responsible endorser" at the newspaper Alegatorul liber (The Free Elector).

1876-1877 - Editor at Claponul. With F. Dam‚ edits the newspaper Natiunea româna (The Romanian Nation).

1878 - Colaborates at Timpul, having Eminescu and Slavici as colleagues. Translates from French the tragedy in lyrics 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 - Opening of the comedy O noapte furtunoasa at the National Theater from Bucharest. Makes a trip to Wien.

1881-1883 - School inspector for Neamt-Suceava and later Arges-Valcea counties.

1884, November 13 - Opening night of the masterpiece O scrisoare pierduta. Clerk at Monopoly Administration.

1885 - Opening of the comedy D-ale carnavalului. Becomes substitute teacher at "Sf. Gheorghe" high school 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" enters under the 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 published, in Sibiu, the book Defeated Rome, translated by Caragiale.

1888-1889 - General director of the theater. His insistences are not appreciated by the officials 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 rejected from the Academy Prize.

1892 - Being in conflict with the writers from Junimea society, he is lecturing at the Athenaeum 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 Athenaeum at his 25th anniversary of his literary activity. B. Delavrancea and Tache Tonescu praise him, he receives an golden feather. Is published his volume 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 calumny law suit with Constantin Al. Ionescu-Caion, a psychopath 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 lying journalist is convicted. Finally Caion was acquitted. Another hit against Caragiale is the refusal by the Romanian Academy Prize Commission of his volume Momente.

1904 - Attacked permanently 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. Personally he had only troubles from the theatre.

1907 - He keeps in touch with his friends from the country, missing the places were he was born. Publishes the pamphlet "1907, din primavara pâna-n toamna" (1907, since spring to autumn"). Remakes his good relationship with Titu Maiorescu, whom he has accused of Eminescu's texts falsifying.

1908 - Published in three volumes, at "Minerva" publishing house, Opere complete (Complete Works). Even if in the last years of life he lives in Berlin, makes many trips to the country, even in Bucharest.

1909 - Appears Kir Ianulea in Viata româneasca.

1910 - Publishes the volume Schite noua, short stories written in his last years of literary work.

1912 - His 60th birthday. Still in Berlin, away from his country. The president of the Romanian writers society, Emil Gârleanu, propose this celebration to be held in Bucharest, but Caragiale has his reasons to refuse it and sends to his delicate friend a telegram, in his unique style. On June 9, dies suddenly in Berlin. His body is brought later in Bucharest. His tomb in Bellu Cemetery, Bucharest, is not far away from Eminescu's.