1934

The Academy of American Poets was founded by Marie Bullock

1936

First Fellowship awarded to Edwin Markham; First issue of Doggerel, the Academy's official newsletter, published

1939

New York World's Fair Official Poem selected

1946

Board of Chancellors created; Annual Fellowships begin with award to Edgar Lee Masters

1950

E. E. Cummings receives Fellowship

1954

First ten schools selected for University & College Prize program; Lamont Award for best first book established

1957

William Carlos Williams receives Fellowship

1959

Robert Frost speaks at 25th anniversary celebration

1960

First anthology of College Prize winners published, including Sylvia Plath

1963

Guggenheim Museum reading series begins; John Berryman gives the first reading of the Dream Songs

1965

Poets-in-the-Schools program begins; National Reading Circuits program launched

1969

Edgar Allan Poe featured first in a new series of U.S. postage stamps honoring poets; Library of Congress exhibit for 35th Anniversary

1970

Poetry in the Parks

1973

High-school Poetry Workshops begin; Marilyn Hacker receives Lamont Award

1974

Mark Strand receives Edgar Allan Poe Award; Robert Lowell receives Copernicus Award

1975

Annual award for best second book established and given to Lisel Mueller

1976

First annual Landon Award for best book of translated poetry given to Robert Fitzgerald

1983

First Lavan Younger Poets Award goes to Edward Hirsch

1984

A Poets' Celebration of the Brooklyn Bridge Centenary

1985

American Poets Fund created for poets in need

1989

Southwestern Poetry festival held in Arizona

1990

National Reading Series launched; John Haines and others present at the Alaskan Poetry Festival in Fairbanks

1991

Asian American Poetry Festival begins; writers on the Environment program

1992

National reading tour with Chinese dissident poets

1993

Poet Laureate Rita Dove reads at Cathedral of St. John the Divine with Nobel Laureates Czeslaw Milosz, Joseph Brodsky, Derek Walcott, & Octavio Paz

1994

First annual Wallace Stevens Award of $100,000 for lifetime achievement given to W. S. Merwin; Lenore Marshall Award for best poetry book of the year moved to the Academy

1995

Poets.org, first poetry website initiated; Raiziss / de Palchi Italian Translation awards established

1996

First National Poetry Month; American Poet magazine launched; First Eric Mathieu King Awards support publication of poetry books, including Lucille Clifton's, Muriel Rukeyser's, and others

1998

White House Millennium evening of poetry

1999

Poet's View documentary film series launched

2000

Online Poetry Classroom goes live

2003

Poetry & the Creative Mind annual benefit reading launched at Lincoln Center with Meryl Streep, Jessye Norman, William Styron, and others; National Poetry Map debuts on Poets.org

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2004

Poetry Audio Archive released on CD; Poetry Gift Shop opened online

2005

Poets.org redesigned and expanded; Poetry in Bryant Park reading series launched

2006

How to Eat a Poem anthology published for young readers; National Poetry Read-a-Thon launched

2007

First annual Poets Forum held; Poetry Audio Archive digitized

2008

First national Poem in Your Pocket Day; Mobile version of Poets.org launched; Poetry from the Rooftops summer reading series started

2009

Abrams publishes Poem in Your Pocket anthology; Academy celebrates 75th Anniversary