| 1920 | David Alexander Colville born in Toronto 24 August |
| 1929 | Moves to Amherst, Nova Scotia |
| 1942 | Graduates from Mount Allison University, Sackville, N.B. with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. Enlists in the Canadian Army. Marries Rhoda Wright, 5 August. |
| 1944 | First son, Graham Alexander is born, several months after Alex’s departure overseas as a war artist |
| 1946 | Second son, John Harrower is born. Alex begins teaching at Mount Allison University |
| 1948 | Third son, Charles Wright Colville is born |
| 1949 | Daughter Ann Christian is born |
| 1951 | First solo exhibition is held at the New Brunswick Museum, Saint John |
| 1953 | Solo exhibition Hewitt Gallery, New York |
| 1955 | Second one-man exhibition, Hewitt Gallery, New York |
| 1958 | Exhibitions at the Hart House Gallery and the Laing Galleries, both in Toronto |
| 1963 | Resigns from teaching at Mount Allison.; exhibits at the Banfer Gallery, New York; receives the Won Dunn International Award, Beaverbrook Art Gallery, Fredericton. |
| 1965 | Commissioned by the Government of Canada to design coins commemorating Canada’s centennial year. |
| 1966 | Represents Canada at the 33rd Venice Biennale; travelling exhibition of war paintings organized by the National Gallery of Canada; exhibition at Hart House, University of Toronto. |
| 1967 | Named an Officer in the Order of Canada; receives an honorary D.Litt. from Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario |
| 1967–68 | Visiting artist at the University of California at Santa Cruz |
| 1968 | Receives an honorary LLD from Mount Allison University |
| 1969 | Exhibits at Kestner-Gesellschaft, Hanover, Germany; receives an honorary LLD from Dalhousie University, Halifax. |
| 1970 | Exhibits at Marlborough Fine Art, London, England. |
| 1971 | Visiting artist, Berliner Kunstlerprogramm, Berlin. |
| 1973 | Moves to Wolfville, Nova Scotia. Receives honorary degrees from Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C., and the University of Windsor, Ontario. |
| 1975 | Awarded Molson Prize (Canada Council); receives honorary D.Litt. from Acadia University, Wolfville. |
| 1976 | Exhibits at the Norman MacKenzie Art Gallery, University of Regina. |
| 1977 | Exhibits at Gemeentemuseum in Arnhem, the Netherlands, the Kunsthalle, Düsseldorf, Germany, and Fischer Fine Art, London, England. |
| 1978 | Designs medal for Governor General and Mrs. Jules Léger, exhibits at the Mira Godard Gallery, Toronto and Montreal. |
| 1981 | Appointed Chancellor of Acadia University; Brockington Lecturer at Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario; receives an honorary D.Litt. from Memorial University, St. John’s, NL.; traveling exhibition of war art organized by the Canadian War Museum. |
| 1982 | Named a Companion of the Order of Canada |
| 1983 | The Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, holds a retrospective that subsequently travels to six galleries in Canada and Germany |
| 1984–85 | Exhibits in Beijing, Hong Kong, Tokyo and London, England. |
| 1990 | Becomes a board member of the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa (until 1993); receives honorary LLD from the University of Calgary. |
| 1991 | Exhibits at the Drabinsky Gallery,Toronto; resigns as Chancellor of Acadia University. |
| 1992 | Appointed to the Privy Council; exhibits at the North Bay Arts Centre. |
| 1993 | Exhibition of drawings at the Owens Art Gallery, Sackville, which subsequently travels to five Canadian galleries. |
| 1994 | Exhibition at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Montreal |
| 1995 | Receives honorary degree from University of Manitoba, Winnipeg |
| 1997 | Receives honorary degrees from Bishops University and the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design |
| 2000 | Exhibition, “Milestones” at the National Gallery of Canada to mark his 80th birthday. |
| Subject of CBC “Life and Times” | |
| 2002 | Exhibits at Mira Godard Gallery, Toronto |
| 2003 | Receives Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts |
| Named a member the Order of Nova Scotia | |
| Exhibition “Alex Colville: Return” Art Gallery of Nova Scotia and travelling to five Canadian galleries | |
| 2004 | Exhibits at Mira Godard Gallery |
| Exhibits at Douglas Udell Gallery, Edmonton | |
| 2007 | Exhibits at Mira Godard Gallery |
| 2010 | Exhibits at Mira Godard Gallery |
| 2013 | Alex Colville died peacefully at home on July 16th, 2013, in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. |