| This time line excludes recording session dates as these are detailed under Discography | |
| 1888 | |
| Hall Johnson founder of the Hall Johnson Choir born Athens, GA | |
| 1891 | |
| 25 January | Wellman Braud born St. James Parish, LA |
| 1894 | |
| 16 January | Irving Mills born New York City, NY |
| 1895 | |
| Clifton "Pike" Davis born | |
| 1897 | |
| 23 May | Fred Guy born Burkeville, GA |
| 1898 | |
| Harvey Boone born | |
| 22 February | Henry "Bass Edwards born |
| 1899 | |
| 08 February | Lonnie Johnson born New Orleans, LA |
| 29 April | Birth of Edward Kennedy Ellington to James Edward and Daisy Kennedy Ellington in Washington, DC |
| 06 May | Charles, "Charlie" Irvis born New York City, NY |
| 1900 | |
| 22 January | Juan Tizol born San Juan, Puerto Rico |
| 24 March | June Clark born Long Branch, NJ |
| 29 July | Donald Matthew Redman born Piedmont, WV |
| 09 October | Elmer Snowden born Baltimore, MD |
| 1901 | |
| 04 August | Louis Armstrong born New Orleans,LA |
| 20 October | Adelaide Hall born NYC,NY |
| 1902 | |
| 7 June | Prince Robinson born Norfolk, VA |
| 1903 | |
| 19 January | James "Bubber" Miley born Aiken, S. Carolina |
| Matty Malneck born | |
| 13 December | William Alexander "Sonny" Greer born Long Branch, NJ |
| 1904 | |
| 01February | Joseph "Tricky Sam" Nanton born New York City, NY |
| 31 May | Otto Hardwicke born Washington,DC |
| 1905 | Goes to Garnett Elementary School, Washington, DC |
| Arthur Whetsel born Punta Gorda, FL | |
| 28 February | Louis Metcalf born St. Louis, MO |
| 1906 | |
| Starts taking piano lessons from Mrs. Clinkscales | |
| 03 March | Leon Albany "Barney" Bigard born New Orleans, LA |
| 10 October | Frederic D. "Freddie" or "Posey" Jenkins born NYC, NY |
| 1907 | |
| 31 August | Edgar Sampson born New York City, NY |
| 1909 | |
| Teddy Bunn born Freeport, NY | |
| 1910 | |
| 01 April | Harry Howell Carney born Boston, Mass |
| 1911 | |
| Goes to Garrison Junior High, Washington, DC | |
| 24 July | Charles Melvin "Cootie" Williams born Mobile, AL |
| 1913 | |
| Takes job as soda jerk at Poodle Dog Café, Washington, DC | |
| Hears Harvey Brooks, pianist, in Asbury Park, NJ, when on vacation | |
| Composes first tune, "Soda Fountain Rag" | |
| Goes to Armstrong High School, Washington, DC | |
| 29 May 1913 | Premier of Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring" |
| 1914 | |
| 28 June | Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife the Duchess Sophie |
| 01 August | Marcus Garvey founds the Universal Improvement Association in Jamaica |
| 01 | Outbreak of First World War |
| 15 | Panama Canal Inaugurated |
| 1915 | |
| 02 July | Birth of Ruth Dorothea Ellington, Washington, DC (died 6 March 2004, Manhattan, NY) |
| 1916 | |
| Offered scholarship to the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NJ, after winning a poster art competition | |
| 1917 | |
| February | Drops out of Armstrong High, prior to graduation. Takes up work as poster artist. Plays with local bands |
| 06 April | United States declares war on Germany |
| 1918 | |
| Early | Forms his first group |
| 02 July | Marries Edna Thompson |
| 11 November | 11am First World War Cease Fire |
| 1919 | |
| Mercer Kennedy Ellington, son, born | |
| 28 June | Treaty of Versailles formally ended First World War |
| 1923 | |
| February | Hired by Wilbur Sweatman on Sonny Greer's insistence |
| 05 March | Sweatman opens engagement at Lafayette Theatre in Harlem |
| Leaves Sweatman when latter joins the Keith Circuit | |
| Spring | Returns to Washington, DC |
| June | Greer hired by Elmer Snowden in New York agrees if Ellington and Otto Hardwick are included |
| Ellington plays rehearsal piano at Connie's Inn | |
| September | Elmer Snowden and His Black Sox Orchestra opens the Hollywood Club, New York |
| November | Band changes name to The Washingtonians |
| 1924 | |
| February | Elmer Snowden leaves and Ellington becomes leader. George Francis (bj) joins |
| November | The Washingtonians record for the first time as a band under that name |
| Late 1924 or early 1925 | Fred Guy replaces George Francis |
| 1925 | |
| February | Fire closes the Hollywood. Washingtonians go to Massachusetts |
| March | Hollywood reopens as Kentucky Club |
| May | Prince Robinson (saxes) joins |
| Summer | Henry "Bass" Edwards (bb) joins |
| 1926 | |
| Mid year | Mack Shaw(bb) replaces Bass Edwards |
| Mid June | Joe Nanton(tb) replaces Charlie Irvis |
| July | Kentucky Club closed |
| Harry Carney (16) joins. | |
| 25 September | Kentucky club repoened |
| Late 1926 | Louis Metcalf(t) joins |
| November | Edgar Sampson(as,vl) and n/k(cl,ts) join |
| December | Prince Robinson leaves |
| 1927 | |
| April | n/k(cl,ts) leaves |
| 20 June | The Washingtonians begin summer tour of New England |
| Harry Carney, Rudy Jackson and Wellman Braud join | |
| 21 November | DukeEllington and The Washingtonins open Standard Theatre, Pa. With "Dance Mania" |
| 04 December | Duke Ellington and His Orchestra open at the Cotton Club and begin broadcasting from there on CBS |
| 1928 | |
| January | Rudy Jackson leaves following row over "Creole Love Call", a reworking of King Oliver's Camp Meeting Blues |
| Barney Bigard(cl,ts) joins | |
| March | Arthur Whetsel (t) joins |
| 01 April | Duke Ellington and His Orchestra open the Cotton Club with the "Cotton Club Show Boat" |
| May | Johnny Hodges joins |
| 23 | Ivy League Dance at Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME |
| 07 October | Third Cotton Club revue, "Hot Chocolates" opens |
| Late October | Freddie Jenkins(t) joins |
| December | Plays in battle of the bands at Savoy Ballroom, Harlem |
| 1929 | |
| Mid January | Bubber Miley fired. Cootie Williams hired as replacement |
| 14 February | St. Valentine's Day Massacre in Chicago, IL |
| 31 March | Duke Ellington and His Orchestra open the Cotton Club with the revue, "Springbirds" |
| 01 April | Plays a Breakfast dance and Battle of the Bands at the Rocklnad Palace, Harlem, with Charlie Johnson's Band from Small's Paradise |
| 21 April | Opens for one week at the Paradise Theatre. This on top of the Cotton Club booking. |
| 03 May | Plays dance at Princeton University, before going to Cotton Club engagement |
| 04 | Repeat of previous day |
| 08 | Plays a Battle of Jazz at Savoy Ballroom, Harlem |
| 29 | Variety announced that he is booked to appear in Ziegfield's Show Grl |
| 03 June | Rehearsals begin for Show Girl |
| 25 | Opens in Show Girl inat Colonial Theatre, Boston, MA |
| 01 July | Returns to New York |
| 02 | Opens Show Girl at Ziegfield Theatre New York |
| Juan Tizol joined the Orchestra during July | |
| August | Appears in RKO film Black And Tan |
| 21 September | Appeares a charity event at the Star Casino, New York. |
| 29 | Opens the Cotton Club with the revue, "Blackberries" |
| 05 October | Show Girl closed |
| 29 | Wall Street Crash |
| 07 November | Museum of Modern Art opens to the public in New York City |
| 22 | Plays a NAACP Benefit at Forrest Theatre, New york City |
| 15 December | Plays Benefit concert for the Florence Mills Theatrical Association at Casino Theatre, New York City |
| 18 | Plays one nighter at Richmond Market Armory, Baltimore, MD |
| 22 | Plays Benefit for New York American Christmas & Relief Fund at Ziegfield Theatre, New York City |
| 28 | Plays afternoon show at Acadamy Theatre, New York City |
| 29 | All India Conference in Lahore demands Indian Independence |
| 1930 | |
| 06 January | Plays evening show at Audubon Theatre New York City |
| 12 | One week engagement at Crotona Theatre, Bronx, NYC. |
| 13 | Mickey Mouse comic strip appears |
| 19 | One week engagement at Loew's Metropolitan Theatre, Brooklyn |
| 02 March | Opens the Cotton Club with the revue, "The Blackberries of 1930" |
| 06 | Birdseye frozen foods go on sale in Springfield, MA |
| 12 | Plays at 4th Anniversary of Savoy Ballroom, New York City |
| 22 | Plays 2nd annual Harlem Revels Solidarity Ball, Rockland Palace, New York City. |
| 30 | Two weeks at the Fulton Theatre, New York City with Maurice Chevalier for two weeks |
| 17 April | Neoprene invented |
| 02 May | Dance at Princeton University |
| 03 | One week engagement at the Lafayette Theatre. This on top of the Cotton Club booking. |
| Duke moves his family to 381 Edgecombe Avenue, Sugar Hill, Harlem in May | |
| 14 | Plays a Battle of Music at Savoy Ballroom, Harlem |
| 17 | Two week engagement at Palace Theatre New York City |
| 16 June | Duke Ellington and His Orchestra play one nighter at Wonderland Park, Baltimore, MD |
| 23 | One week engagement at Pearl Theatre, Philadelphia, PA |
| 30 | One-nighter at Nuttings-On-The Charles, Waltham, MA |
| 02 July | One-nighter at Bournehurst On The canal, Buzzards Bay, MA, |
| 06 | One-nighter at Metropolitan Theatre, Boston, MA |
| 09 | Dance at George F. Pavillion, Johnson City, NY |
| 11 | One-nighter at Pythian Temple, Pittsburgh, PA |
| 21 | One-nighter at Graystone Ballroom, Detroit, MI |
| 26 | Opens for 2 nights at Savoy Ballroom, Chicago, iL |
| Late July | Band travels to Los Angeles to appear in RKO film "Check And Double Check" |
| 09 August | Betty Boop makes first appearance in Dizzy Dishes |
| 14 August | Filming for "Check And Double Check" for 2 weeks |
| 29 | Concert in Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, CA, then take the train back to New York |
| 06 September | One week engagement at Palace Theatre, New York City |
| 08 | 3M begins manufacture of Scotch Tape |
| 14 | Returns to Cotton Club for last two weeks of review |
| 28 | Opens the Cotton Club with the revue, "Brown Sugar" |
| 12 October | Plays benefit at Broadhurst Theatre, New York City |
| 16 | Features in Gala Fall Opening of Roseland Ballroom, New York City |
| 24 | Takes part in Andy 'n' Amos broadcast |
| 31 | Two week engagement at Paramount Theatre, New York City.Still appearing at the Cotton Club |
| 29 November | One week engagement at Lafayette Theatre |
| 07 December | Plays at NAACP Benefit, Waldorf Theatre, New York City |
| 13 | 5 night engagement at Douglas Theatre, New York City |
| 17 | Apears in Eighth Annual Radio Ball at Roseland Ballroom, New York City |
| 1931 | |
| 05 January | Returns to the Cotton Club |
| 21 | Plays Gala Benefit for the Urban League at Rockland Palace, New York City |
| 23 | Two week engagement at Paramount Theatre, Brooklyn |
| 03 February | Leaves the Cotton Club after 3 years |
| 06 | Begins tour and strats one week engagement at Metropolitan Theatre, Boston, MA |
| 13 | One week engagement at Oriental Theatre, Chicago, IL |
| 20 | One week engagement at Regal Theatre, Chicago, IL. Includes midnight show for Musicians Union, Locale 208 on 25th |
| 27 | One week engagement at Uptown Theatre, Chicago, IL |
| 03 March | Star Spangled Banneradopted as United States' National Anthem |
| 05 | One week engagement at Paradise Theatre, Chicago, IL |
| 12 | One week engagement at Oriental Theatre, Chicago, IL |
| 17 | Nevada legalises gambling |
| 18 | Ivie Anderson becomes the Orchestra's regular singer |
| 20 | One week engagement at Michigan Theatre, Detroit, MI |
| 27 | Three night engagement at Palace Theatre, Peoria, IL |
| 30 | Three night engagement at Rialto Theatre, Joliet, IL |
| 03 Aoril | One week engagement at World Theatre, Omaha, NE |
| 09 | Plays at charity ball at Fontanelle Hotel, Omaha, NE |
| 11 | One week engagement in Minneapolis, MN |
| 18 | One week engagement at Paramount Theatre, Des Moines, IA |
| 23 | One week engagement at Denver Theatre, Denver, CO |
| 01 May | One week engagement at Newman Theatre, Kansas City, MO |
| Construction of Empire State Building completed | |
| 08 | One week engagement at Ambassadore Theatre, St. Louis, MO |
| 15 | One week engagement at Indiana Theatre, Indianapolis, IN |
| 22 | One week engagement at Shea's Theatre, Buffalo, NY |
| 29 | One week engagement at Imperial Theatre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| 06 June | Two week engagement at Pearl Theatre, Philadelphia, PA |
| 20 | Plays dance at the Casino, Bemus Point, New York |
| 21 | One-nighter at Roosevelt Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA |
| 23 | Dance at Sunset Ballroom Carrolltown, PA |
| 27 | One week engagement at Paramount Theatre, Toledo, OH |
| 04 July | One week engagement at Palace Theatre, Cleveland OH |
| 12 | Four week engagement at Lincoln Tavern, Morton Grove, Chicago, IL |
| 13 | Dance at Chicago Stadium, Chicago, IL |
| 14 August | One week engagement at Oriental Theatre, Chicago, IL |
| 15 | Plays Bud Billiken's Grand Picnic in Washington Park, Chicago, IL |
| 19 | Plays Charity Ball at 8th Regiment Armory, Chicago, IL |
| 21 | One week engagement at Michigan Theatre, Detroit, MI |
| 31 | Plays dance at the at Graystone Ballroom, Detroit, MI |
| 09 September | One-nighter at Graystone Ballroom, Cincinnati, OH |
| 11 | One week engagement at Stanley Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA |
| 19 | One week engagement at Pearl Theatre, Philadelphia |
| 26 | One week engagement at Howard Theatre, Washington, DC |
| 03 October | One week engagement at Stanley Theatre, Jersey City, NJ |
| 10 | One week engagement at Howard Theatre, Washington, DC |
| Duke Ellington received by President Herbert Hoover at the White House during the week | |
| 12 | Plays for NAACP Charity at the Masonic Temple in Washington, D.C. |
| 17 | Al Capone sentenced to 11 years prison for tax evasion |
| 30 | One week engagement at Paramount Theatre, New Haven, CT |
| 06 November | One week engagement in Boston, MA (location unknown) |
| 13 | One week engagement at Shea's Theatre, Buffalo, NY |
| 20 | One week engagement at Oriental Theatre, Chicago, IL |
| 27 | Held over for 2nd. Week |
| 29 | Plays dance at Savoy Ballroom, Chicago, IL |
| 11 December | One week engagement at Indiana Theatre, Indianapolis, IN |
| 19 | Dance at Indiana Roof Ballroom, Indianapolis, IN |
| 21 | Plays in Battle of Music at the New Coliseum, St. Louis MO |
| 22 | Dance at Graystone Ballroom, Cincinnati, OH |
| 25 | Plays in Battle of Music at Naval Armory, Detroit, MI |
| 1932 | |
| 04 January | One nighter at Pythian Temple in Pittsburgh |
| 06 | 2 night engagement at Snell's Dancing Acadamy, Syracuse, NY |
| 08 | One week engagement at Mastbaum Theatre, Philadelphia, PA |
| 16 | One week engagement at Earle Theatre, Washington, DC |