Born in the Sacramento Valley where her family had lived for five generations

During WWII, left Sacramento with her family as her father, an Army Air Corps finance writer, moved from base to base

Returned to Sacramento after the war

Attended public schools during the week and Sunday religious classes at the Trinity Episcopal Cathedral

By age 13, was typing pages from the fiction of Ernest Hemingway and Joseph Conrad so as to see "how sentences worked" (date approximate)

Shortly before graduating college, submitted a long article on architect William Wilson Wurster to VOGUE magazine's "Prix de Paris" contest for young writers; won first prize; entitled to either a trip to Paris or a cash prize and a job at VOGUE, chose the latter

Moved to NYC in the summer

Began at VOGUE writing merchandising and promotional copy; promoted to associate feature editor

Met journalist John Gregory Dunne, who was then working at TIME magazine, at a dinner party hosted by her mentor Noel Parmental (a NYC literary figure)

By the early 1960s, was also freelancing for MADAMOISELLE and the NATIONAL REVIEW

Moved into a NYC apartment with Dunne

Began writing film reviews for VOGUE

Took a leave of absence from her staff position to finish her first novel, "Run River"

Had first novel published, "Run River"

Married Dunne

Three months into marriage, Dunne and Didion took a leave of absence from their jobs to visit Southern California; decided to stay and work as freelancers

Earned a combined total of $7,000 in their first year in California

During the last two years of publication of the old SATURDAY EVENING POST, the couple alternated writing the column "Points West"

With Dunne, contracted to write eight long nonfiction stories a year

Gained acclaim as an essayist with the publication of "Slouching Towards Bethlehem", a celebrated collection of her essays from the SATURDAY EVENING POST and other publications

Began a bi-weekly column for LIFE magazine in December (column ended after a few months)

Completed her second novel, the critically acclaimed bestseller "Play It As It Lays" which garnered a six-figure income and a National Book Award nomination

First screenwriting collaboration with Dunne, scripted the acclaimed feature "The Panic in Needle Park"; produced by Dunne's brother Dominick, helmed by fashion photogrpher-turned-director Jerry Schatzberg and featuring Al Pacino in his first starring role

Collaborated with Dunne to adapt "Play It As It Lays" for film; co-produced by brother-in-law Dominick (with Frank Perry); starred Tuesday Weld; directed by Perry

Wrote a controversial article for THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE in which she criticized modern feminism

With Dunne, created concept and worked on early drafts of the 1976 remake of "A Star Is Born"; shared points in the profits of the film and soundtrack; the deal proved extremely profitable

Named a visiting regents lecturer in English literature at the University of California at Berkeley

With Dunne, adapted his novel "True Confessions" for the film version starring Robert Duvall and Robert De Niro

Moved back to NYC with Dunne and adopted daughter

TV writing debut (with Dunne), adapted Hemingway's short story, "The Hills Like White Elephants" for "Women & Men: Stories of Seduction", as part of a dramatic anthology presentation on "HBO Showcase"

With Dunne, co-wrote teleplay adaptation of "Broken Trust", a TNT legal drama starring Tom Selleck

Returned to features after 15 years to co-script (with Dunne) "Up Close and Personal", a romantic drama loosely adapted from Alanna Nash's "Golden Girl", a nonfiction account of the life of ill-fated newsanchor Jessica Savitch; starred Robert Redford and Michelle Pfeiffer; directed by Jon Avnet

Published "The Last Thing He Wanted", her first novel in 12 years