First meeting of Johns Hopkins Metaphysical Club, 28 Oct.
1880
Elected to London Mathematical Society, 11 Mar.
Fourth Coast Survey assignment in Europe, Apr.–Aug.
Addressed French Academy on value of gravity, 14 June
Designed and supervised construction of the first of four gravity pendulums bearing his name
Death of Peirce’s father, Benjamin, 6 Oct.
1881
Elected to American Association for the Advancement of Science in Aug.
1883
Studies in Logic published in spring
Divorced Melusina, 24 Apr.
Married Juliette Froissy (Pourtalais), 30 Apr.
Fifth and final Coast Survey assignment in Europe, May-Sept.
1883–91
Prepared about 15,000 definitions for Century Dictionary (published 1889–91)
1884
Forced to resign from Johns Hopkins; moved to Washington, D.C. in Sept.
In charge of U.S. Office of Weights and Measures, Oct. ’84–22 Feb. ’85
1884–86
Directed pendulum operations to determine relative gravity at Washington, D.C. and various field sites, Jul. ’84–Feb ’86
1886
Moved from Washington, D.C. to New York City, Mar. Operations at Stevens Institute, Hoboken, summer
Relieved of field operations for the Coast Survey, 15 Aug.
1887
Received first inquiries about his correspondence course in logic, Jan.
Submitted, under pressure, his report on General Greely’s pendulum work at Fort Conger, 11 Apr.
Moved with Juliette to Milford, Penn. 28 Apr.; by May 11 rented a house (in town) for the summer
Finished first paper after moving to Milford, “Criticism on Phantasms of the Living,” 14 May. Published in Dec.
Death of Peirce’s mother, Sarah Mills, 10 Oct.
1887–88
Turned “One, Two, Three” (1885–86) into “A Guess at the Riddle”
1888
Appointed by President Cleveland to U.S. Assay Commission, 1 Jan.
Death of Charlotte Elizabeth Peirce, his aunt, 4 Feb.
Rented Scheinmee Homestead on Broad Street, Milford, 28 Apr.
Assigned a clerk, Allan Risteen, for Coast Survey work
Risteen and wife stay with Peirce’s in Milford, Apr.–Jul.
Purchased with Juliette the Quick farm about two miles northeast of Milford, 10 May; renamed Arisbe in 1891
1889
First edition of Century Dictionary published; continues till 1891
Started renovations on Quick farmhouse, Jan.
O. H. Mitchell, 37, died of pneumonia at Marietta, 29 Mar.
Juliette diagnosed with tuberculosis in May
Thomas Corwin Mendenhall succeeded Thorn as superintendent of the Coast Survey, 9 Jul.
After many delays, submitted report on gravity at Smithsonian, Ann Arbor, Madison, and Cornell, 20 Nov. Never published
Juliette travelled to Mediterranean for her health, Nov. 27–spring ’90
1890
Ernst Schröder resumed correspondence with Peirce, 1 Feb.
Helped organize the New York Times debate on Spencer; contributed under the name “Outsider,” 23 Mar.–27 Apr.
Invited by Paul Carns to write article for inaugural issue of the Monist, 2 Jul.; submitted “The Architecture of Theories,” 3 Aug. (too late for the first issue), launching one of his most important publishing relationships
1891
Forced to resign from Coast and Geodetic Survey, 31 Dec.
1892
Delivered Lowell lectures on “The History of Science,” 28 Nov.’92–5 Jan. ’93
1893
Petrus Peregrinus announced; prospectus published, Oct.
“Search for a Method” announced by Open Court (not completed)
“The Principles of Philosophy” (in 12 vols.) announced by Henry Holt Co., Dec. (not completed)
1894
“How to Reason” rejected by both Macmillan and Ginn & Co.
1895
“New Elements of Mathematics” rejected by Ginn & Co.
1896
Consulting chemical engineer (till ’02), St. Lawrence Power Co.
1896–97
Reviewed Ernst Schröder’s works on logic of relatives
1898
Delivered Cambridge lectures on “Reasoning and the Logic of Things,” 10 Feb.–7 Mar.
“The History of Science” announced by Putnam’s (not completed)
William James introduced “Pragmatism” to Berkeley Philosophical Union, naming Peirce its father, 26 Aug.
1901
Contributed to Baldwin’s Dictionary of Philosophy and Psychology
Presented “On the Logic of Research into Ancient History” to National Academy of Sciences, 12–14 Nov.
1901–02
Completed the first four chapters of “Minute Logic”
1902
Applied to Carnegie Institution for grant to fund “Proposed Memoirs on Minute Logic” (rejected)
1903
Delivered Harvard lectures on “Pragmatism,” 26 Mar.–17 May
Delivered Lowell lectures on “Some Topics of Logic,” 23 Nov.–17 Dec.
Began correspondence with Victoria Lady Welby
1905–06
Published three Monist papers on pragmatism (series incomplete)
1906
Presented paper on existential graphs to National Academy of Sciences, Apr.
Presented paper on phaneroscopy to National Academy of Sciences, Nov.
1907
Delivered three Harvard Philosophy Club lectures on “Logical Methodeutic,” 8–13 Apr.
Wrote lengthy letter to the Nation and Atlantic Monthly on pragmatism (especially R 318)
1908
Published “A Neglected Argument for the Reality of God,” Hibbert Journal, Oct.
1908–09
Published Monist series on “Amazing Mazes”
1909
Originated a matrix method for three-valued logic; recorded in his Logic Notebook (R 339), 23 Feb.
1911
Wrote “A Sketch of Logical Critics” for volume to honor Lady Welby (not completed)
Last public presentation: “The Reasons of Reasoning, or Grounds of Inferring” at meeting of National Academy of Sciences, 21–22 Nov.
1914
Died of cancer at Arisbe, 19 Apr.
Bibliographical Abbreviations in Editorial Matter
CD [page #] The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia, 10 volumes, ed. William D. Whitney (New York: The Century Company, 1889–). The pagination is that of Peirce's personal interleaved copy, which was the dictionary's first printing. Unless specified otherwise all
