| 1872 | Born in Northamptonshire, England.on June 19. Active during school years in botanical society; made collection of pressed plants. Apprenticed to a nursery firm at age 16 for thorough training in nursery and seed business. |
| 1891 |
Saw large display of California native plants at The Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew in England. |
| 1893 | Came to California at age 21 and had charge of the gardens on Madame Modjeska’s ranch in Santiago Canyon, Orange County (2 1/2 years). Began his interest in California wild flowers. |
| 1896 | Employed by Germain Seed (then Fruit) Company. |
| 1903 | Established his first nursery and seed business at 440 S. Broadway, Los Angeles. Began collecting wild flower seeds as a hobby. |
| 1905 | Moved business to 345 S. Main where office remained until 1931. Began specializing in California wild flowers, native plants and eucalyptus. Purchased growing grounds at 33rd St. and Hoover. Planted vacant lots in Hollywood and Pasadena with native wild flowers. Created wild flower garden for Raymond Hotel in Pasadena |
| 1906 | Published first catalog California Native Flower Seeds. |
| 1907 | Married Alice Noyes in San Francisco. |
| 1913 | Became President of Wildflower Club of Southwest Museum and laid out its native garden. Developed herbarium there. Co-owned ranch in Thermal with John Ruopp, foreman at Modjeska. |
| 1915 |
Developed first public area in Los Angeles planted entirely with natives: a 5-acre wild garden at Exposition Park (now site of the rose garden), containing 262 species of California native trees, shrubs and wild flowers. |
| 1919 | Formed 5-year partnership with Ralph D. Cornell. Designed large landscape projects: Pomona College, Occidental College, Torrey Pines Park. Designed Washington Park for City of Pasadena. |
| 1922 | Moved nursery to 10 acres at 1969-99 Los Feliz Blvd. on land he purchased. |
| 1926 | Provided ideas and plant materials for Blaksley (now Santa Barbara) Botanic Garden. |
| 1927 | Assisted Mrs. Susanna Bixby Bryant with siting and design of original Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden in Orange County. Helped to relocate the Garden to Claremont in 1951. Maintained private estate landscaping commissions throughout Southern California: Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Pasadena, and Santa Barbara |
| 1939 | Created native plant garden with 176 species at California Institute of Technology, Pasadena (later site of Norman Church Laboratory). Continued publishing articles and speaking about loss of wild flowers. |
| 1952 | Celebrated 80th birthday on June 19. Honored by Southern California Horticultural Institute and given honorary life membership. |
| 1958 | Developed a 5-acre native plant garden at Descanso Gardens, La Canada. |
| 1960 | Incorporation of The Theodore Payne Foundation for Wild Flowers and Native Plants, Inc., a non-profit organization to perpetuate California’s native flora, on January 6. |
| 1961 |
Dedication of 320 acres in Antelope Valley near Llano as The Theodore Payne Wildlife Sanctuary by Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on January 28. After 58 years in business, turned over stock of seeds, plants and equipment to The Foundation to carry on his work and vacated Los Feliz property. |
| 1962 | Published Life on the Modjeska Ranch in the Gay Nineties. Celebrated 90th birthday on June 19 at Administration Hall of Los Angeles County Supervisors. |
| 1963 | Dedication of temporary site for Foundation at Whittier Narrows, Jan. 19. “Man of the Year” Award by California Garden Clubs, Inc. Died in Los Angeles on May 6. Papers and library donated to Foundation. Introduced into cultivation over 430 species of wild flowers and native plants during his lifetime. |
| 1966 | Donation of 20-acre site for Foundation in Sun Valley, California, by Eddie Merrill. |
| 1968 | Acquisition of adjacent 2-acre property for Foundation office. |
| 1983 | Beginning of Wildflower Hotline. |
| 2004 | First Annual Theodore Payne Foundation Los Angeles County Native Plant Garden Tour. |