1877 - Edgar Cayce is born on March 18 at the Cayce family tobacco farm near Hopkinsville, Kentucky.

1890 - While reading the Bible outside under a tree, Edgar has a vision of a woman or angel who asks him what he wants in life. Edgar answers "To help people, especially children." The angel or woman suddenly is gone. Later in the year, while struggling with a spelling lesson he falls asleep on his spelling book and finds that he can now remember how to spell all of the words in the book - and can even tell his father what page they're on.

1893 - At age 16, Edgar leaves home and begins to work to support his family. With his ability to enter a trance and memorize the contents of books, he becomes a valuable asset to a local bookstore.

1900 - At age 23, while trying to work as a salesman to gather money for marriage, he mysteriously loses his voice. Doctors can't seem to help him. Unable to continue with a career in sales, Edgar becomes a portrait photographer.

1901 - A visiting friend hypnotizes Edgar and finds that Edgar can speak normally while in trance - but that he speaks as though he is someone other than Edgar. As this other entity, Edgar gives mental instructions to his body to clear the condition in the throat. His throat flushes bright red and when awakened Edgar can speak normally. However, Edgar needs to be hypnotized again every once in a while, or his voice fades away.

In this same year, while under hypnosis, Edgar's friend decides to experiment and ask Edgar about the ailments of other people. To everyone's suprise, the voice coming through Edgar is able to accurately describe other people's physical conditions and give suggestions on how their illnesses may be successfully overcome.

1902 - Edgar gives his first reading that results in a "miraculous" cure. However, Edgar also develops deep doubts about his strange ability and needs constant prodding to provide new health readings.

1903 - Edgar Cayce marries Gertrude Evans and moves to Bowling Green, Kentucky.

1907 - First son, Hugh Lynn, is born.

1910 - Now in Hopkinsville again, at the urging of his father Edgar officially sets up shop as a "psychic diagnostician" in addition to the portait photography. This is done after winning over skeptical business people, doctors, lawyers, and judges.

1911 - Second son, Milton Porter, is born and dies. Grieving, his wife Gertrude contracts tuberculosis and comes close to death. Edgar gives a series of readings that save her life.

1914 - Prior to this time, Edgar still lacked confidence in his psychic readings. But in this year, his surviving son burns his eyes with flash powder. The doctors say one eye will be blind and the other must be removed. As a result of using recommendations from his psychic readings, the eyesight is restored in both of his son's eyes. Edgar now realizes he cannot continue to deny his gift.

1918 - Third son, Edgar Evans, is born.

1923 - At age 46, Edgar hires 18 year old Gladys Davis to record and maintain files on all the readings. Gladys moves with the Cayce family to Dayton, Ohio, where Edgar establishes the Cayce Psychic Institute. The first life readings are given, which include information on astrological influences, past lives, and other philosophical and metaphysical topics.

1924 - At a time of great financial distress, Edgar meets Morton Blumenthal and his brother Edwin, two wealthy stockbrokers from New York who decide to support Edgar in the building of a hospital.

1925 - The Cayce family, following advice in the readings, moves to Virginia Beach, Virginia.

1927 - At age 50, Cayce, Blumenthal, and others start an organization known as the Association of National Investigators. (This is the predecessor to the present A.R.E. organization.)

1929 - The Cayce Hospital opens, but late in the year the stock market crashes, and the loss of funding fuels conflicts among the many partners in the Hospital and ANI.

1930 - Morton Blumenthal's idealistic project, Atlantic University, opens on property near the Cayce Hospital.

1931 - Due to lack of funds and angry disputes between Cayce's friends and the Blumethals, the Cayce Hospital closes. The ANI is dissolved. Atlanic University closes its doors. Edgar, Gertrude, and their secretary Gladys are arrested in New York on charges of fortune-telling, and are put in jail, but the charges are dismissed.

Friends urge Edgar to begin again with the Association for Research and Enlightenment (A.R.E.). The first Search for God study group meets.

1935 - At age 58, Edgar, Gertrude, Hugh Lynn, and Gladys are arrested in Detroit for practicing medicine without a license. Of the group, only Edgar is convicted, and he is released on probation.

1943 - At age 66, Edgar becomes famous as the result of the publication of his biography, "There Is a River," by his son's friend, Tom Sugrue. Requests for help come flooding through the mail.

1944 - Cayce gives his last reading, a warning of poor health for himself, at age 67. Days later he has a severe stroke from which he never recovers.

1945 - Edgar Cayce dies on January 3. His wife, Gertrude, dies on April 1st.

1948 - The Edgar Cayce Foundation is established and becomes the keeper of the Cayce readings, correspondence, and other valued items.