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August 30, 1797: Birth of Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin

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August 30, 1797: Birth of Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin

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Mary Shelley was born in London to famous feminist philosopher Mary Wollstonecraft and political philosopher William Godwin. Tragically, her mother died just eleven days after Mary's birth due to complications from childbirth, leaving her to be raised by her father.

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William Godwin married Mary Jane Clairmont, bringing step-siblings into young Mary's life. The relationship between Mary and her stepmother was notably strained, though this period helped shape her independent thinking and literary interests.

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At age sixteen, Mary met the romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, who was a political follower of her father. Despite Percy being already married, they fell in love and began a romantic relationship that scandalized London society.

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Mary and Percy eloped to France with Mary's stepsister Claire Clairmont, beginning a period of travel and romantic adventure. This journey, though financially difficult, exposed Mary to new experiences and intellectual stimulation.

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February 22, 1815: Mary Shelley's first baby

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February 22, 1815: Mary Shelley's first baby

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Mary gives birth to the couple's first child, Clara. The baby is premature and dies after a few days. Mary’s diary recounts a dream where the baby came back to life when warmed by the fire.

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1815: Eruption of Mount Tambora, Indonesia

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1815: Eruption of Mount Tambora, Indonesia

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Mount Tambora is a volcano on the island of Sumbawa in present-day Indonesia, then part of the Dutch East Indies, and its 1815 eruption was the most powerful volcanic eruption in recorded human history. Its impact was felt across the globe. 1816 was to be called ‘The ‘Year Without a Summer’‘. The weather was cold and rainy, the skies gloomy and dark with ash from the eruption of Mount Tambora the previous year. ‘It proved a wet, ungenial summer, and incessant rain often confined us for days to the house,’ Mary recorded in her diary.

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Mary Godwin gives birth to the couple’s second child, William, nicknamed Willmouse. William died of malaria June 7, 1819.

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1816 - Mary & Shelley visit Mer de Glace

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1816 - Mary & Shelley visit Mer de Glace

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Mary visits the Mer de Glace (Sea of Ice) glacier on top of Mont Blanc with Shelley, and later uses it as the setting for a pivotal scene in Frankenstein.

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June 1816: The Famous Summer at Villa Diodati

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June 1816: The Famous Summer at Villa Diodati

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During the 'Year Without a Summer,' Mary, Percy, and their friends, including Lord Byron, stayed at Villa Diodati near Lake Geneva. Here, during a ghost story competition, Mary conceived the idea for her masterpiece 'Frankenstein.'

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Half-sister dies: Mary’s half-sister Fanny Imlay commits suicide by laudanum overdose aged 22.

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December 10, 1816 - Harriet Westbrook (Shelley's wife) found drowned

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December 10, 1816 - Harriet Westbrook (Shelley's wife) found drowned

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Shelley’s 21-year-old wife Harriet Westbrook is found dead in London's Serpentine River. She was pregnant with her third child, which was probably illegitimate. 15 days after discovering that Percy’s wife has died, Percy and Mary get married in London. She is pregnant with their third child, and reconciles with her father.

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Following the tragic suicide of Percy's first wife Harriet, Mary and Percy officially married. Her father gave consent to her marriage as required for a minor aged under twenty-one and Mr and Mrs Godwin were present as witnesses who signed the register, the marriage ending the family rift. This legitimized their relationship in society's eyes and marked a new chapter in Mary's life.

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January 1, 1818: Publication of Frankenstein

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January 1, 1818: Publication of Frankenstein

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Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is published in three volumes with a print run of 500. Mary is 20 and is not named as the author, and some readers assume that it is Percy’s work. Analysis of the manuscript shows that Percy Shelley contributed around 6% of the text: 4,000 out of 72,000 words. The book is advertised in newspapers but does not sell very well and reviews are mixed.

The book, which would become a cornerstone of both Gothic and science fiction literature, was initially assumed to be written by Percy.

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Percy Shelley drowned in a sailing accident in Italy, leaving Mary a widow at age 24. This tragic event marked a turning point in her life, after which she dedicated herself to preserving Percy's literary legacy while continuing her own writing career.

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Following Percy's death, Mary returned to England and established herself as a professional writer. She published several novels including 'The Last Man' (1826), historical studies, and travelogues, supporting herself and her son through her writing.

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August 1823: Second edition of Frankenstein published

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August 1823: Second edition of Frankenstein published

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The second edition of Frankenstein is published, edited by William Godwin. This time, Mary W. Shelley is acknowledged as the author. This edition is usually not used as an authoritative text, due to William’s editorial changes. Mary also sees the first play adaptation of her work, Presumption; or The Fate of Frankenstein, at the English Opera House. Mary did not receive any royalties from the play but its popularity probably increased sales of the second edition.

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Presumption; or The Fate of Frankenstein

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Mary Shelley died in London at age 53 from what was probably a brain tumor. She was buried at St. Peter's Church, Bournemouth, alongside her parents' remains, which she had moved there. Her legacy lives on as a pioneering female author who created one of literature's most enduring stories.