Tove Jansson • Timeline • Tovejansson.com

Viktor Jansson and Signe Hammarsten-Jansson met in Paris.

1910

Tove’s parents meet in Paris at art school.

1913–1933

The Jansson family lives on Luotsikatu in Katajanokka, Helsinki.

1913–1913

7.2.1913 The engagement announcement of the parents, sculptor Viktor “Faffan” Jansson and artist Signe “Ham” Hammarsten is published in a Swedish-language newspaper in Finland.

1914

Tove Jansson is born on 9 August in Helsinki, the first child of Viktor Jansson and Signe Hammarsten Jansson.

1916–1919

Tove draws early, here with her mother Signe Hammarsten Jansson.

1919

The drawing God with Adam and Eve in Paradise, by four-year-old Tove.

1920–1930

Makes several small illustrated books.

1920

Brother Per Olov Jansson is born in Helsinki on 22nd April 1920. Per Olov makes his career as a photographer and takes most of Tove’s photos.

1922

Mother Ham is interviewed in a feminist magazine about being a working mother, the cover shows mother and daughter.

1926

Brother Lars Jansson is born in Helsinki on 8th October 1926 and later plays a major role in the continuation and development of the stories of the Moomin comic strip as well as the whole Moomin business.

1928

Tove Jansson’s illustrations are published for the first time (in the magazines Allas Krönika and Julen).

1929

First drawings in the satirical magazine Garm.

1929

The first part of the serial Prickina and Fabian’s adventures is published in the children’s magazine Lunkentus.

1930–1933

Studies at the Technical School in Stockholm.

1930–1939

Draws the first Moomin-like figure, Snork, on an outhouse wall in the Pellinge archipelago in the 1930s.

1930–1933

Early student work, probably from the Technical School in Stockholm.

1933

First picture book Sara och Pelle och Neckens bläckfiskar is published in Swedish under the pseudonym of Vera Haij.

1933–1936

Studies at the Finnish Art Society’s drawing school (Ateneum).

1934

Travels around Germany, ending the trip in Paris.

1935

Draws her first cover for Garm.

1937

Illustrates Ella Pipping’s Jag (I), a fill-in-the-blank baby book, together with her mother Signe Hammarsten Jansson.

1938

Paris, oil painting.

1939

Harbour View, oil painting.

Självporträtt Tove Jansson rökande flicka

1940

Girl Smoking, self-portrait.

1941

Glass paintings in Tullinpuomi restaurant in Helsinki.

1941–1942

Illustrates several postcards for the Finnish publisher Taidekorttikeskus (The Centre for Art Cards).

1942

Lynx boa, self-portrait.

1942

Family, oil painting.

1943

First solo exhibition at the Art Salon in Helsinki.

1943

The first Snork appears in the magazine Garm.

1944

Moves to the studio on Ullanlinnankatu, in Helsinki.

1944

Window paintings for girls’ school in Apollonkatu, Helsinki.

1945

The first Moomin story Småtrollen och den stora översvämningen (The Moomins and the Great Flood) is published.

1945

Mural paintings for Strömberg’s factory in Pitäjänmäki, Helsinki.

1946

Kometjakten (Comet in Moominland) is published.

1947

Paints the frescoes Party in the City and Party in the Countryside, in the City Hall restaurant in Helsinki.

1947–1948

The first Moomin comic, Mumintrollet och jordens undergång (Moomintroll and The End of the World), is published in Ny Tid.

1948

The most translated Moomin book Trollkarlens hatt (Finn Family Moomintroll in the UK/The Happy Moomins in the US) is published in Swedish.

1949

The first Moomin play Mumintrollet och kometen (Comet in Moominland) premieres at Helsinki’s Swedish Theatre directed by Vivica Bandler.

1949

Mural paintings for a kindergarten in Kotka.

1950

Finn Family Moomintroll is the first Moomin book translated into English.

1950

Muminpappans bravader. Skrivna av Honom Själv. (The Exploits of Moominpappa – Written by Himself) is published.

1951

Fazer’s Christmas ad is published in Garm.

1952

The ground-breaking picture book Hur gick det sen? Boken om Mymlan, Mumintrollet och Lilla My (The Book about Moomin, Mymble and Little My) is published.

1952

Mural paintings in the Society Hotel in Hamina.

1952

Mural paintings for Technical School in Kotka.

1953

Last drawing in Garm.

1953

Mural paintings for the student residence Domus Academica, Helsinki.

1953

Ten Virgins altarpiece for the church in Teuva, Finland.

1954–1975

The world’s largest newspaper – London’s Evening News – starts to publish Tove’s Moomin comic.

1954

Mural painting for Pohjoismainen Yhdyspankki in Helsinki.

1954

Mural painting for coeducational school in Karjaa.

1954

The first Moomin products are launched: Fauni Moomin dolls and other Moomin products are sold at Stockmann department store in Helsinki.

1954

Farlig midsommar (Moominsummer Madness) is published.

1955

Gets to know graphic artist Tuulikki Pietilä, who becomes her life partner.

1956

Creates the Moomin murals for the children’s ward at Aurora Hospital in Helsinki.

1956

The first Moomin ceramic dishes by Arabia are launched.

1957

Trollvinter (Moominland Midwinter) is published.

1957

A Moomin board game is launched, still in production today.

1958

The legendary Moomin play Troll i kulisserna, premieres at Lilla Teatern in Helsinki and tours around the Nordics.

1959

Lewis Carroll’s The Hunting of the Snark is published in Swedish with illustrations by Tove Jansson.

1960

Brother Lars continues Tove’s work as a cartoonist and scriptwriter for the Moomin comic, having helped his sister for a few years. The Moomin comic was published until 1975.

1960

Tove experiments with abstract painting, for example in the oil painting Abstract Sea.

1960

Picture book Vem ska trösta knyttet? (Who Will Comfort Toffle?) is published.

1962

The short story collection Det osynliga barnet och andra berättelser (Tales from Moominvalley) is published.

1962

J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, is published in Swedish with Tove Jansson’s illustrations.

1964

Illustrates the brochure and timetable for the Finnish Red Cross.

1964

Starts building a summer cottage on the island of Klovharun in the Pellinge archipelago.

1965

Pappan och havet (Moominpappa at Sea) is published.

1965

Writes lyrics for ‘Höstvisa’ (Autumn Song), music by Erna Tauro.

1965

Vi. En romantisk bok för älskande, written together with her mother Signe Hammarsten Jansson, is published.

1966

Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland is published in Swedish with Tove Jansson’s illustrations.

1966

Tove Jansson is awarded the H.C. Andersen Medal for children’s literature.

1966

Mountain, oil painting.

1968

First adult novel, Bildhuggarens dotter (Sculptor’s Daughter), is published.

1968

Kometen kommer, a revised edition of the book Kometjakten (Comet in Moominland) is published.

1968

Muminpappans memoarer (The Memoirs of Moominpappa), a revised edition of Muminpappans bravader (Exploits of Moominpappa) is published.

1969

A Japanese animated series makes the Moomins popular in the country, but Tove Jansson forbids it being shown elsewhere. The Swedish live action TV series Mumintrollet (Moomintroll) premieres.

1970

The last Moomin novel Sent i november (Moominvalley in November) is published.

1970–1979

Makes Moomin posters for the Keep Sweden Tidy organization and its Baltic Sea campaign with her brother Lars Jansson.

1971

Short story collection Lyssnerskan (The Listener) is published.

1971

Draws the famous March for Peace illustration for UNICEF Finland.

1971–1972

Travels the world in eight months with Tuulikki Pietilä.

1972

The Summer Book, one of Jansson’s most beloved adult novels, is published.

1974

Solstaden (Sun City) is published in Swedish.

1974

Muumi Ooppera (Moomin Opera), composed by Ilkka Kuusisto, premieres at the Finnish National Opera.

1977

The picture book Den farliga resan (The Dangerous Journey) is published in Swedish.

1978

Short story collection Dockskåpet och andra berättelser (Art in Nature) is published in Swedish.

1979

A Moomin-themed puppet animation series using stop motion is produced in Poland.

1980

The picture book Skurken i Muminhuset, illustrated with photos by Tove’s brother Per Olov Jansson, is published.

1980–1989

Illustrates Moomin poster and postcard with her brother Lars Jansson for Amnesty International in Finland.

1982

The novel Den ärliga bedragaren (True Deceiver) is published in Swedish.

1984

Novel Stenåkern is published in Swedish.

1984

Mural paintings for the “Hobgoblin’s Hat” Kindergarten in Pori.

1986

The first major Moomin exhibition at the Tampere Art Museum.

1987

Short story collection Resa med lätt bagage (Travelling Light) is published in Swedish.

1989

The novel Rent spel (Fair Play) is published in Swedish.

1990

The highly popular Japanese-Finnish animation series Moomin is released in 104 episodes. It is sold to more than 60 countries.

1991

The short story collection Brev från Klara (Letters from Klara) is published in Swedish.

1993

Songbook Visor från Mumindalen is published in Swedish.

1993

The first Moomin theme park, Moominworld, opens in Naantali, Finland.

1994

Awarded the Grand Prize of the Swedish Academy.

1995

Appointed professor.

1996

Anteckningar från en ö (Notes from an Island), with illustrations by Tuulikki Pietilä, is published in Swedish.

2001

Dies after many years of illness on 27 June in Helsinki.