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| 1865 | Axel Waldemar Gallén is born in Pori on the 26th of April. |
| 1876 | Moves to Helsinki, where he attends a Swedish-language high school and studies in the evening classes of the Drawing School of the Finnish Fine Arts Association (1878-1881) and at the Central School of Applied Arts (1880-1881). |
| 1881-84 | Studies at the Drawing School of the Finnish Fine Arts Association. |
| 1884-89 | Studies in Paris at the Académie Julian, the Atelier Cormon and other schools. Works of the Paris period include Démasquée and After the Opera Ball. |
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| 1890 | Married to Mary Helena Slöör. Their honeymoon trip to Karelia marked the beginning of the orientation known as Karelianism in Finnish culture. |
| 1894 | Main symbolistic works, including Ad Astra and Symposium. |
| 1895 | Travels to Berlin where he holds a joint exhibition with Edvard Munch. Studies graphics techniques and prepares illustrations for the magazine Pan. |
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| 1900 | Gallen-Kallela painted frescoes of the Kalevala and prepared the 'Iris Room' presenting applied arts for the Finnish Pavilion at the Paris World Fair. |
| 1901-03 | Paints the frescoes of the Jusélius Mausoleum in Pori. This three-year project is followed by a 'period of purification' during which Gallen-Kallela paints a large number of themes from nature, including 'The Lair of the Lynx'. |
| 1905 | Moves to the 'Pirtti' studio in the centre of Helsinki, where Maxim Gorky hid from the authorities in 1906. A period of political unrest. Illustrations to Aleksis Kivi's 'Seven Brothers' in 1906-1907. |
| 1907 | Officially changes his name from Gallén to Gallen-Kallela. Selected as member of the German expressionist group Die Brücke. |
| 1908 | Solo exhibition in Budapest, Hungary. Moves to Paris towards the end of the year. |
| 1909-11 | Travels with his family to British East Africa (present-day Kenya), where he discovers bright, light colours and a more expressive language of form. |
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| 1911-13 | Construction of the Tarvaspää studio-residence. |
| 1914 | Exhibits in his own department at the Venice Biennial. |
| 1918 | Upon the invitation of General Mannerheim, Protector of State, Gallen-Kallela designs flags, official decorations and military uniforms for newly independent Finland. Adjutant to Mannerheim, 1919. Awarded the title of professor. |
| 1920-22 | Illustrations to a special edition of the Kalevala and supervision of the printing work. |
| 1923-26 | Travels to the United States: Chicago 1923-24, 1926; Tao, New Mexico |
| 1924-25 | Studied the art and culture of Native Americans. |
| 1926 | Returns to Tarvaspää. |
| 1928 | Paints replicas of the ceiling frescoes of the Paris World Fair for the National Museum of Finland. Continues illustrations to the 'Great Kalevala' begun in the United States. The work was never accomplished. |
| 1931 | Travels to Copenhagen to deliver a lecture and contracts pneumonia in Stockholm on his return journey. Akseli Gallen-Kallela dies in the Hotel Reisen in Stockholm on the 7th of March. |
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