Timeline of the Life of Dorothy Day
A timeline of the life of Dorothy Day cin the context of the history of the Catholic Church, the Catholic Worker Movement, and the world. Created by Dr. Elizabeth Hinson-Hasty.
Dorothy Day’s autobiographical writings are not arranged chronologically. Her life and work in a house of hospitality also did not afford her the time to review, edit, and revise her work with scholarly precision. The timeline that you see below is intended to help you to consider the significance of her writings and activism within a much larger context. You will notice that events within Day’s personal life are listed as parallel events alongside noteworthy events within the Catholic Worker Community, for the Roman Catholic Church, as well as in the U.S. and around the world. Day was certainly aware of all the events you will find on the timeline. She made significant comments on them in many of her columns in The Catholic Worker paper. Sometimes her own story intersects in more significant ways with the noteworthy events of the church, the U.S. and the world. However, Day ultimately believed that her commitments irradiated from her personalist center and commitment to Christ. The timeline is intended to set her work in context and to reflect that belief.
This timeline was developed by Dr. Elizabeth Hinson-Hasty in conjunction with her book, Dorothy Day for Armchair Theologians (Westminster John Knox, 2014). To suggest additions or corrections please contact Elizabeth at ehinsonhasty@bellarmine.edu.
Cover photo: Dorothy Day faces sheriff deputies at Giumarra orchard picket with the United Farm Workers Union, American Federation of Labor – Congress of Industrial Organizations, 1973, Lamont, CA. Photo by Bob Fitch courtesy of the Bob Fitch Photography Archive,Department of Special Collections, Stanford University.
