1936 March 28. Born in Arequipa, Peru, of a long-established family. His parents separated shortly after his birth, and he was raised by his maternal grandparents in Cochabamba, Bolivia.
1941–49 Receives early schooling in Cochabamba and in Piura, Peru.
1950 His parents reunited, he attends the Leoncio Prado Military Academy in Lima.
1952 Writes a play, La huida del Inca (The Flight of the Inca), and has it produced.
1955 Marries Julia Urquidi, a Bolivian, aunt by marriage.
1956–58 Works in Lima in a variety of jobs — in broadcasting, in journalism, in the library of the Club Nacional, at the university as a professor's assistant.
1958 Graduates from the University of San Marcos in Lima with a degree in literature.
1959 Publishes his first book, Los jefes (The Leaders), a collection of short stories, for which he wins the Leopoldo Alas Prize.
1959 Enrolls as a doctoral student at the University of Madrid.
1959 In Paris, works as a translator, interpreter, and broadcaster for Radio-Télévision Fran?aise.
1963 Publishes his first novel, La ciudad y los perros (The Time of the Hero), a microcosm of Peruvian society based on his adolescent experiences at the Leoncio Prado school.
1964 During a short stay in Peru, travels to the jungle that is the setting for The Green House.
1965 Goes to Cuba as a judge for literary awards given by the Casa de las Américas and to show his sympathy with the revolution.
1965 His first marriage having ended in divorce, he marries Patricia Llosa, his first cousin. They have a daughter and two sons.
1966 His second novel, La casa verde (The Green House), appears, and firmly establishes his reputation as one of the leading figures in Hispanic American fiction. The novel wins the prestigious Rómulo Gallegos Prize.
1969 Publication of the two-volume novel Conversación en La Catedral (Conversation in The Cathedral).
1971 Publishes the first of several works of literary criticism, a revision of his Ph.D. dissertation, García Márquez: Historia de un deicidio (García Márquez: Story of a Deicide).
1973 Publishes Pantaleón y las visitadoras (Captain Pantoja and the Special Service), one of the few successful comic novels in Hispanic American fiction.
1975 Is appointed the Edward Laroque Tinker Visiting Professor at Columbia University.
1976 Named president of PEN International.
1977 La tía Julia y el escribidor (Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter) is published, a novel based on his courtship of Julia Urquidi and his work as a writer for a radio station in Lima.
1977–78 Appointed to the Simon Bolivar chair in Latin American Studies at Cambridge University.
1981 Publication of the novel La guerra del fin del mundo (The War of the End of the World).
1981 Publishes his first play, La se?orita de Tacna (The Spinster from Tacna).
1984 Publication of the novel Historia de Mayta (The Real Life of Alejandro Mayta).
1986 Publishes Quién mató a Palomino Molero? (Who Killed Palomino Molero?), a successful attempt at serious detective or suspense fiction.
1988 Publication of the novel El hablador (The Storyteller).
1988 Is appointed the Jeannette K. Watson Distinguished Visiting Professor in the Humanities at Syracuse University.
1990 In a runoff presidential election in June, loses to Alberto Fujimori.
