Notable events in the life of Milán Rastislav Štefánik

The following is a timeline of the life of Milán Rastislav Štefánik: 

18 July 1880

Born in Košariská, Austria-Hungary (now Slovakia), the son of Lutheran pastor Pavol Štefánik and Albertína Jurenková.

1900-1904

Attends various schools in Austria-Hungary, among others, in his home village and Bratislava.

1900-1905

Completes a doctorate in philosophy at Charles University in Prague with extensive studies in mathematics and astronomy.  He also meets Czech professor Tomáš G. Masaryk.

1904

Arrives in Paris (France) where he begins a career in astronomy under the supervision of renowned French astronomer Jules (Pierre) Janssen.

1905-1914

Travels the world, including Turkestan, the Equator, the Sahara and the Vava'u islands to observe various astronomical phenomena.  He is also a co-director of the Mont Blanc Observatory.

1912

Becomes an Académie des sciences' members and a naturalized French citizen.

January-July 1914

Named an Officier of the Légion d'Honneur.

28 July-December 1914

Enrolls in the 102nd Regiment of Infantery following the beginning of World War I.

January-November 1915

Trains as a military aviator and participates in numerous missions, including a rescue mission in Serbia. He also sets up a meteorological and military station at the request of Marshall Foch.  Unfortunately, suffering from stomach ailments, a wound and chronic exhaustion, he is sent to a Roman hospital.

December 1915

Renews his acquaitance with Tomáš G. Masaryk and meets Czech politician Eduard Beneš.

1916-1917

The triumvirate Masaryk-Beneš-Štefánik forms the Czechoslovak National Council, the centre of Czechs and Slovaks in exile against Austria-Hungary.  General Štefánik also organizes the "Czechoslovak legions", Czech and Slovak soldiers fighting alongside the French, Russian and Italian armies against Austria-Hungary and Germany.

31 May 1918

Mararyk signs the Pittsburgh Agreement, a memorandum recognizing the creation of a democratic and independant Czech and Slovak state allowing Slovaks their own administration, parliament and education in their mother tongue.

18 October 1918

The Declaration of the Independence of Czecho-Slovakia is published following the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian empire. Masaryk is now the President of Czecho-Slovakia, Eduard Beneš its Foreign Minister and Štefánik its Minister of War.

30 October 1918

The second Slovak National Council publishes the Declaration of Turčiansky sv Martin severing Slovakia's ties to Austria-Hungary and its alliance with the Czechs in the creation of Czecho-Slovakia.

January-April 1919

General Štefánik negotiates the removal of Czechoslovak legions in the Italian, Russian and French armies and the dissolution of military mission in Czecho-Slovakia.