Born John George Nicolay (or Johann Georg Nicolai), Essingen, near Landau, Bavaria, the youngest of five children born to John Jacob Nicolay (1788-1846) and Helena Müller Nicolay (d. ca. 1839). According to John G. Nicolay's daughter Helen, the family changed the spelling of its surname from "Nicolai" to "Nicolay" after moving to the United States.

Immigrated to the United States

Employed in dry goods store, White Hall, Ill.

Printer, Free Press, a Whig newspaper published in Pittsfield, Ill.

Met John Hay (1838-1905), with whom he would form a lifelong personal friendship and professional relationship

Received Patent No. 9305 for a rotary printing press

Owner and editor, Free Press, Pittsfield, Ill.

Delegate from Pike County, Ill., to anti-Kansas-Nebraska Act Bloomington Convention, where he heard address by Abraham Lincoln that has become known as Lincoln's "Lost Speech"

Clerk for secretary of state of Illinois, Springfield, Ill.

Admitted as a lawyer to the Illinois state bar

Private secretary to Abraham Lincoln

Secretary to Indian treaty commission in Minnesota headed by Commissioner of Indian Affairs William P. Dole. The 1862 Dakota War occurred while Nicolay was in Minnesota.

Admitted to the bar of the Supreme Court of the United States, sponsored by Attorney General Edward Bates.

Onset of asthenopia (eye strain) that continued throughout the rest of his life.

Departed Washington, D.C., to travel to Colorado as secretary to Indian treaty commission. Nicolay did not return to Washington until November 6.

Photographed in group portrait with Abraham Lincoln and John Hay at Alexander Gardner's studio, Washington, D.C.

Accompanied President Lincoln to Gettysburg, Pa., for dedication of national cemetery at which Lincoln delivered his Gettysburg Address

On trip to Havana, Cuba; on return voyage when Abraham Lincoln was assassinated

Married Therena Bates (May 31, 1836-Nov. 25, 1885) of Pittsfield, Ill., the daughter of Dorus Bates (1805-1882) and Emma Lucy Norton Bates (1808-1873) of Pittsfield, Ill.

United States consul, Paris, France. The U.S. Senate confirmed Nicolay's appointment on March 11, 1865, but he did not arrive in Paris until early July.

Daughter Helen Nicolay (d. Sept. 12, 1954) born in Paris, France

Awarded Patent No. 108,171 for improvement to window sash fasteners

Became naturalized U.S. citizen

Marshal, Supreme Court of the United States

Awarded Patent No. 155,809 for improvement in springboard buggies

With John Hay, began work on biography of Abraham Lincoln, using the papers of Abraham Lincoln in Nicolay's custody, on loan from Lincoln's son, Robert Todd Lincoln

Founding member of the Literary Society of Washington, D.C.

Son George Bates Nicolay born (d. Oct. 22, 1877)

Awarded Patent No. 208,485 for exercise machine

Published The Outbreak of Rebellion External. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons

Nicolay and John Hay signed contact with the Century Co. to publish Abraham Lincoln: A History

Death of wife Therena Bates Nicolay

Excerpts of Abraham Lincoln biography published in serial form in the Century Magazine (See Related Resources page for links to articles published by Hay and Nicolay in the Century)

With John Hay, published Abraham Lincoln: A History External. 10 vols. New York: Century Co.

Published articles in the Century Magazine, including "The Gettysburg Address External," "Lincoln's Literary Experiments External," and "Lincoln's Personal Appearance External"

Received Patent No. 445,190 for folding camp chair

With John Hay, published Abraham Lincoln: Complete Works External. New York: Century Co.

Built summer home Tannenruh in Holderness, N.H.

Traveled to Europe and Egypt with daughter Helen Nicolay

Died, Washington, D.C. Interred with his wife Therena and son George at Oak Hill Cemetery, Georgetown, Washington, D.C.

Published (posthumously) A Short Life of Abraham Lincoln External. New York: Century Co. Helen Nicolay completed the book for publication.

Born, Paris, France. Daughter of John G. Nicolay and Therena Bates Nicolay.

Moved with her parents to Washington, D.C.

Completed her father's book A Short Life of Abraham Lincoln External (New York: Century Co.), published posthumously under her father's name

Published The Boys' Life of Abraham Lincoln External. New York: Century Co.

Published The Boys' Life of Ulysses S. Grant External. New York: Century Co.

Published Personal Traits of Abraham Lincoln External. New York: Century Co.

Published Our Nation in the Building External. New York: Century Co.

Published The Book of American Wars External. New York: Century Co.

Published The Boys' Life of Lafayette External. New York: Harper & Brothers

Published Peter and Paul and Their Friends: A Manual for Religious Instruction External. Boston: Beacon Press

Published Our Capital on the Potomac. New York: Century Co.

Published The Boys' Life of Alexander Hamilton. New York: Century Co.

Published Andrew Jackson, the Fighting President. New York: Century Co.

Published The Boys' Life of Washington. New York: Century Co.

Published The Boys' Life of Thomas Jefferson. New York: D. Appleton-Century Co.

Published Sixty Years of the Literary Society External, Washington, D.C.: n.p.

Published Our Perennial Bible. New York: D. Appleton-Century Co.

Published Wizard of the Wires: A Boys' Life of Samuel F. B. Morse. New York: D. Appleton-Century Co.

Published The Bridge of Water: The Story of Panama and the Canal. New York: D. Appleton-Century Co.

Published Decatur of the Old Navy. New York: D. Appleton-Century Co.

Published MacArthur of Bataan. New York: D. Appleton-Century Co.

Published China's First Lady. New York: D. Appleton-Century Co.

Published Born to Command: The Story of General Eisenhower. New York: D. Appleton-Century Co.

Donated John G. Nicolay Papers to the Library of Congress

Published Lincoln's Secretary: A Biography of John G. Nicolay. New York: Longmans, Green

Died, Washington, D.C. Her ashes were scattered at Tannenruh, the Nicolays' summer home in Holderness, N.H.