1828
- High school graduation at the Zwickau Lyceum
- Traveling to Bayreuth (visiting the widow of Jean Paul), Munich (meeting with Heinrich Heine)
- Beginning of law studies in Leipzig
- First meeting with Clara Wieck
- Piano lessons with Friedrich Wieck
1829
- Studies in Heidelberg, performs at the piano in society circles
- travels to Switzerland and Northern Italy
1830
- Schumann hears Paganini in Frankfurt/Main
- decides in favour of a career in music
- returns to Leipzig after a journey along the Rhine, Continues his studies with Wieck
1831
- Studies music theory with Heinrich Dorn
- begin of Schumann's activities as a writer on music (Essay on Chopin)
1832
- Finger paralysis, end of career as a pianist
- first public performance of a Schumann composition
1833
- Foundation of the (partly imaginary) Davidsbund (League of David)
1834
- founding of the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik (New Journal of Music) with Schumann as publisher and editor
- Secret engagement to Ernestine von Fricken
1835
- Engagement dissolved; Falling in love with Clara Wieck
1836
- Death of mother Christiane Schumann
- Secret meeting with Clara - Wieck forbids his daughter to have any contact with Schumannn
1837
- Clara Wieck plays Schumann's Etudes Symphoniques in the Gewandhaus (Cloth Hall)
- Secret engagement after a separation of eighteen months
1838
- Travels to Vienna in the autumn to publish his journal there
1839
- Discovery of Schubert's Symphony in C major
- Returns to Leipzig and begins legal proceedings against Friedrich Wieck regarding marriage
1840
- Graduates Dr. phil. at the University of Jena
- Positive legal verdict, followed by marriage on September 12th
- „Year of Songs" with approx. 150 songs, including
1841
- „Symphonic Year"
1842
- Concert tour to Northern Germany (Hamburg and Bremen)
- „Chamber music year“
1843
- Appointment at the Leipzig Conservatory
- Reconciliation with Friedrich Wieck
- Oratorio Das Paradies and die Peri op. 50
1844
- January to May - concert tour to Russia
- Sale of the New Journal of Music
- December - moves to Dresden
