1907

20 March, John Hugh MacLennan born in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia to Dr. Samuel MacLennan and Katherine MacQuarrie.

1914
In September, Dr. Samuel MacLennan moves his practice and family to Halifax. Hugh attends Tower Road School.

1917

The MacLennans move into the house at 197 South Park Street, Halifax. On December 6, the Imo and the French arms ship the Mont Blanc collide in Halifax Harbour. The explosion causes the greatest man-made explosion in human history prior to the atomic bomb.

1924
MacLennan graduates from Halifax County Academy. He wins the Yeoman prize in Latin and Greek and a University Entrance Scholarship.

1924-28
Attends Dalhousie University where MacLennan continues his Greek and Latin Studies.

1928

Spring 1928, graduates from Dalhousie University with a B.A. Honours in Greek and Latin. Awarded the Governor-General's Gold Medal for Classics. Recpient of the Canada-at-large Rhode's Scholarship.
Wins Doubles Men's Tennis Championship for Halifax and Nova Scotia.
On September 17, accompanied by his sister, Frances, Hugh MacLennan sets sail for Liverpool en route to Oxford. Upon arrival in Oxford, MacLennan enters Oriel College.

1929
In Spring of 1929, MacLennan makes his frist extensive trip to Europe.
Spends the summer in Halifax. MacLennan wins Maritimes singles tennis championship.

1930

Oxford University singles tennis champion.

1931
Submits volume of verse to three London publishers, manuscript rejected.

1932

May - Graduates from Oxford with a B.A. Third Class in Literae Humaniores.
June - Returns to Canada on the S.S. Pennland, where he meets his future wife Dorothy Duncan.
August - Begins regular correspondence with Dorothy Duncan.
October - Enters Princeton University where he pursues a Ph.D in Classics.
Awarded the John Harding Page Fellowship.

1933
Hugh MacLennan and Dorothy Duncan become engaged.

1934
Completes the manusccript of his first novel "So All Their Praises". The novel is accepted for publication by Robert Brittain's, Vail Bailou Press, but the publisher goes bankrupt before the book is published.

1935
Receives Ph.D from Princeton University and publishes his dissertation: Oxyrhynchus: An Economic and Social Study.
October: Accepts a teaching position at Lower Canada College in Montreal.

1936
Hugh MacLennan and Dorothy Duncan are marrried in Winnetka, Illinois, 22 June.

1937
Hugh and Dorothy join the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation Party, after meeting Frank and Marian Scott, among others in Montreal. During the summer Hugh travels to the Soviet Union and Scandinavia.

1938 Completes the manuscript of his second novel "A Man Should Rejoice". Submits it to numerous publishers, Duell, Sloan and Pearce of New York express an interest in the manuscript, but it is never published.

1939
Death of Dr. Samuel MacLennan.

Chronology continues...