The Great Gatsby Timeline

Before the story begins

Daisy and Gatsby First Met

Nick graduates from Yale in the Year 1915 and goes to War in WWI.

Gatsby meets Daisy for the first time in 1917 before heading to serve in WWI. He noticed than that he had falled in love with her.

Daisy marries Tom in 1919.

Introducing Nick Carraway: June

Introducing Nick Carraway

The narrator and first character introduced in the story: Nick Carraway, who's settled in Long Island, New York as a bond man but also has a passion for writing. He lives next door to a man he admires named Jay Gatsby in East Egg.

Nick decides to have tea with his cousin Daisy and husband Tom and Miss Jordan in West Egg. After tea, Nick sees Gatsby for the first time at the dock later that night reaching towards the sea as he sees a green light across the bay in the distance.

The story throughout takes place in the year 1922.

Afternoon Party: July 2

Afternoon Party

After riding a train to New York City, Nick meets Tom mistress, Myrtle, her sister, Catherine, and a married couple, Mr. and Mrs. Mckee. Nick obtains information from Catherine that Gatsby is a gentleman from a wealthy and generous family and was a WWI veteran. Nick and the others decide to party and get drunk, but was put to a holt after Myrtle decides to blabber obnoxiously about Daisy's name and Tom was furious, slapping her, thus breaking her nose. Nick soon left taking a train back home.

Nick Meets Gatsby: July cont.

Nick Meets Gatsby

Nick is invited to a house party at Gatsby's, where he develops a relationship with Jordan Baker and meets Gatsby for the first time.

Nick and Gatsby out for Lunch: July cont.

Nick and Gatsby out for Lunch

Nick and Gatsby head out in the city to have lunch together. Nick meets Meyer Wolfshiem, Gatsby's friend who's involved in organized crime.

Tom happens to see Nick and Nick tries to introduce him to Gatsby, but before he could Gatsby disappeared.

Gatsby and Daisy Reunited: July cont.

Gatsby and Daisy Reunited

After Jordan tells Nick about the background of Gatsby and Daisy's relationship, Nick invites Gatsby and Daisy for tea at his house. Gatsby and Daisy reconnect after 5 years of not seeing each other. The love for each other seemed to still exist even throughout that time, thus they begin an affair.

Tom Begins to Suspect Things: August

Tom Begins to Suspect Things

Nick, Tom and Daisy attend Gatsby's next party. Tom meets Gatsby. Tom begins to suspect how Gatsby got his money and his actions around his wife.

Gatsby fires his staff and stops throwing parties in favor for Daisy and for nobody to gossip about their affair.

Love Triangle: August cont.

Daisy invites Nick and Gatsby for lunch at her house. She and Gatsby plan to reveal their love to Tom, but instead in the unbearably hot day, the group decides to go to Manhattan to the Plaza Hotel. There, Gatsby reveals the affair, and Tom reveals that Gatsby’s money comes from crime. Daisy is unwilling to completely renounce Tom, which shocks Gatsby in awe. Daisy decides to stay with Tom.

Love Triangle

Gatsby is Dead: August cont.

Gatsby is Dead

On the way back from the hotel, Daisy, driving Gatsby’s car, runs over and kills Myrtle Wilson. That night, Tom convinces George Wilson that it was actually Gatsby who killed Myrtle. Also that night, Gatsby decides that he will take the blame for Myrtle’s death, and Nick and Jordan break up. The next day Tom and Daisy leave town for good, and Wilson shoots and kills Gatsby, then himself.

Nick's Crazy Summer Ends: 1924

Nick's Crazy Summer Ends

Nick tries to gather people and friends of Gatsby's to attend his funeral, but only a few people did. Only Owl Eyes, a few servants of Gatsby's, and his father, Henry C. Gatz, who came all the way from Minnesota, came to the funeral.

Nick runs into Tom one day and Tom confesses to him that he told Wilson that Gatsby killed Myrtle.

Nick moves back to the Midwest and two years later he writes about the extrodinary and crazy things he's experienced and witnessed "that fateful summer", which is what has been read.