1919
24th April: born in Arrecife, Lanzarote.

1942
First solo exhibition, Arrecife, Lanzarote.

1945
Moves to Madrid, having won a scholarship to study at the Escuela Superior de Bellas Artes de San Fernando; course ends in 1950. Remains in Madrid until 1964.

1950
Completes the murals at the Parador de Turismo, Arrecife, Lanzarote.

1952
Completes various murals in the Hotel Castellana Hilton, Madrid.

1953
Begins his first forays into non-figurative painting. Completes a mural at Guacimeta Airport, Lanzarote.

1954
Participates in the foundation of the Galería Fernando Fe, Madrid. First exhibition of abstract painting at the Galería Clan, Madrid.

1955
Participates in the XXVIIIth Venice Biennial and the IIIrd Spanish American Biennial in Havana.

1956
Completes various murals, paintings and mobiles for the Hotel Fénix, Madrid.

1958
Solo exhibition at the Ateneo, Madrid.

1959
Takes part in collective exhibitions dedicated to new Spanish painting, exhibited in París, Freiburg, Basel, Munich, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Lima, Santiago de Chile, Valparaíso and Bogotá. Completes two large murals (now destroyed) at Barajas Airport, Madrid.

1960
Participates in the XXXth Venice Biennial. In the first few years of the decade, he exhibits in Spain and Europe. Solo exhibition at L'Entracte, a gallery in Lausanne.

1961
Solo exhibition at Gallerie Craven, París.

1963
His companion, Josefa Gómez, dies in Madrid. Solo exhibition at L'Entracte, Lausanne. Participates in the VIIth Biennial of São Paulo.

1964
Travels to Mallorca, where he spends the summer. In December, travels to New York for the first time, where he would remain until 25th June 1965.

1965
Lives in New York. Participates in the collective exhibition, Contemporary Spanish Art, at the Art Original gallery, New Canaan, Connecticut. He receives a grant from the International Institute of Education to study art in New York. Contract with the Catherine Viviano Gallery for his New York exhibitions.


1966
Works in organising commercial exhibitions at the Spanish Trade Center, New York. Opens his first solo exhibition in New York, at the Catherine Viviano Gallery. In July, he sets up home in Lanzarote, from where he would henceforth prepare future exhibitions for New York. The initial phase begins for Los Jameos del Agua (Jameo Chico), Lanzarote.

1967
Collective exhibition at Kent State University, Ohio. Solo exhibition at the Catherine Viviano Gallery, New York. Completes two murals at the Escuela Náutica de Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Travels to Mexico and New York.

1968
Participates in the collective exhibition "Afro, Manabu Mabe, César Manrique" at the Catherine Viviano Gallery, New York. Travels to New York. Installs the monumental sculpture, "Fecundidad" (Fertility), in the middle of Lanzarote as an homage to the Lanzaroteño peasant. Work begins on the construction of the Casa-Museo El Campesino at the same location. Manrique begins building his house, Taro de Tahíche, Lanzarote. Work begins on Restaurante El Diablo at Timanfaya, Lanzarote. Travels to the Costa Azul, the Riviera and Córcega.

1969
In April, he opens his third solo exhibition at the Catherine Viviano Gallery, New York. Appointed Lanzarote's fine arts representative (delegado insular de Bellas Artes). Entrusted with the task of running the beautification and adaptation of the Costa Martiánez, Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife.

1970
Participates in the collective exhibition "Paintings, Sculpture. American and European" at the Catherine Viviano Gallery, New York. Completes murals made of compacted stone for the Arrecife Gran Hotel, Lanzarote, and the Hotel Cristina, Las Palmas, Gran Canaria. Solo exhibition at the Galería Skira, Madrid, with works created in New York and images of his house in Tahíche, Los Jameos del Agua and the Restaurante El Diablo. Travels to Switzerland.

1971
Travels to England, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Italy and Morocco.

1972
Completes a mural made of Salamanca stone for the Caja Postal de Ahorros, on the Paseo de Recoletos, Madrid.

1973
Completes the works on the Mirador del Río, Lanzarote.

1974
Publishes "Lanzarote. Arquitectura inédita". Founds the El Almacén cultural centre in Arrecife, Lanzarote. Begins restoration work on the Castillo de San José, Lanzarote. Rebuilds the hermitage at Máguez, Lanzarote.

1976
Opening of the Museo Internacional de Arte Contemporáneo-Castillo de San José, Lanzarote. Begins work on the Jardín de Cactus, Guatiza, Lanzarote. Work begins on the auditorium at Los Jameos del Agua, Lanzarote.

1977
Designs the gardens and swimming pools  at the Hotel Las Salinas, Teguise, Lanzarote. The King of Spain, Juan Carlos I, awards him the Medalla de Oro al Mérito Turístico (gold medal for contributions to tourism). Opening of the artificial lake at Costa Martiánez, Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife.

1978
The Association of German Journalists awards Manrique the "World Award for Ecology and Tourism", Berlín. The King of Spain, Juan Carlos I, presents him with the "Gran Cruz al Mérito Civil" (Grand Cross of Civil Merit), for his ecological work.

1980
The Spanish Government awards him the "Medalla de Oro de Bellas Artes" (Gold Medal of Art). The city of Goslar awards him the "Goslarer Monchehaus-Preises für Kunst und Umwelt" prize, 1981, Germany.

1982
Appointed an honorary member of the Van D'Abeod Foundation, which awards him the "Nederlans Laureat Van D'Abeod", Netherlands.

1983
Opening of the Madrid-2 shopping centre, La Vaguada, Madrid. Solo exhibition: "Manrique. Obra Ecológica" at the Galería Theo, Arco'83, Madrid.

1984
Begins recovery and refitting of the Charco de San Ginés, Arrecife, Lanzarote. Travels to New York.

1985
Creates Las Banderas del Cosmos and the environmental group for the opening of the Centro Astrofísico, Roque de los Muchachos, La Palma. Solo exhibition at the Münchner Volkshochschule, Gasteig Kulturzentrum, Munich. Europa Nostra, an organisation linked to the European Union, awards him the "Europa Nostra" Prize for his artistic and environmental work in Lanzarote.

1987
Opening of the auditorium at Los Jameos del Agua, Lanzarote.

1988
Moves to his new house at Haría, Lanzarote, which he built and decorated himself. Publishes "Escrito en el fuego".

1989
The Government of the Canary Islands awards him the "Premio Canarias de Bellas Artes" (Canarian Prize for Fine Arts). He receives the "Fritz Schumacher Prize" from the F.S.V. Foundation, Hamburg. Appointed a member of the Spanish committee for UNESCO's Man and Biosphere Programme. Creates the pilot project for the Parque Marítimo del Mediterráneo, Ceuta. Project for the Mirador de El Palmarejo, Valle Gran Rey, La Gomera. Opening of the Mirador de La Peña, Valverde, El Hierro.

1990
Opening of the Jardín de Cactus (Cactus Garden), Guatiza, Lanzarote.

1991
The Government of the Canary Islands organises a touring anthological exhibition, "Hecho en el fuego", at the Centro de Arte La Regenta, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, and the Sala de Exposiciones La Granja, Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

1992
In March, the Fundación César Manrique is opened in his former home at Taro de Tahíche, Lanzarote. He takes part in Expo-92 with the anthological exhibition, "Manrique. Arte y naturaleza" Salas de El Arenal, Sevilla. On 25th September, Manrique does in a road accident in Tahíche, Lanzarote. In November, he is named, posthumously, corresponding member of the Real Academia de Bellas Artes (royal academy of fine arts), San Carlos, Valencia.

1994
Named an Adoptive Son of the town of Las Palmas, Gran Canaria. Finalisation of the works at Playa Jardín, Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife.

1995
The district of Tías, Lanzarote, grants him the title of Adoptive Son. The Cabildo de Lanzarote names him Favourite Son of Lanzarote. On 17th February, the Parque Marítimo, Santa Cruz de Tenerife opens. On 18th June, the Parque Marítimo del Mediterráneo, Ceuta, opens - a project designed by Manrique. Opening of the Mirador de El Palmarejo, Valle Gran Rey, La Gomera.

1996
At the Fundación César Manrique, opening of the César Manrique exhibition. New York:  once of the first results of the cataloguing of Manrique's work in the United States, promoted by the FCM.

1997    
The Universidad de Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, appoints him Doctor Honoris Causa in memoriam.

2005    
The Instituto Valenciano de Arte Moderno (IVAM) dedicates an anthological exhibition to Manrique.

2006    
The Fundación César Manrique organises the César Manrique 1950-1957 exhibition, which is exhibited at the FCM and tours Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (CICCA) and La Laguna, Tenerife (Antiguo Convento de Santo Domingo, a former convent/monastery).