1809	Born in Madison County Kentucky, the 9th of 14 children. Family moves to Boone's Lick, Missouri soon after.
1823	Apprenticed to a Saddle Maker in St. Louis, Missouri.
1826	Joined a wagon train heading west on the Santa Fe Trail. Came to Taos and hired on as an errand boy, harness repairman and cook. Hired as a wagon train drover to Mexico and back.
1828	Hired as a trapper on an expedition to California. Spent next 12 years as a trapper & mountain man, using Taos as a base camp.
1835	Married Wa Ni Beh, Arapaho women, fathered two children with her. She died of childbirth complications after the 2nd delivery.
1841	Moved to Bent's Fort in Colorado, was a hunter for the fort.
1842	Youngest daughter dies, he marries Making-Out Road, a Cheyenne woman. Marriage ends in divorce. Takes his older daughter Adeline, daughter of Wa Ni Beh, to St. Louis to be raised by his sister and attend Catholic school.
1843	On the return trip to Taos, meets John Charles Fremont, explorer. Meets Josefa Jaramillo and marries her. Purchases 3-room home (now Kit Carson Home & Museum). Makes several expeditions with Fremont over the next several years.
1846	Mexican-American war breaks out. Leads General Kearney and his troops from Socorro NM to San Diego. At end of war, settles down to ranching in Taos.
1851	Oldest daughter Adeline returns from St. Louis to join new family.
1853	Carson & Lucien Maxwell drive a large flock of sheep to California. He and Josefa ransom 3 captive Navajo children & raise them as part of their family.
1856	Becomes Federal agent to the Ute & Taos Pueblo tribes. Becomes a Mason and starts Masonic Lodge in Taos with Charles Bent and others.
1862	Organizes New Mexico volunteer brigade in Civil War mobilization. Sees action at Valverde and Glorietta Pass.
1863	Campaigns against the Navajo, forcing them into surrender. Refuses a direct order to march them to Fort Sumner.
1865	Commissioned as Brigadier General.
1866	Expands ranching business to Colorado, takes command of Fort Garland.
1867	Ill health forces him to resign from Army.
1868	Moves to Boggsville, Colorado with family. Josefa dies of childbirth complications, and Carson dies one month later of aortic aneurism. Children raised and educated by his brother-in-law Thomas Boggs.
1869	Bodies of Carson & Josefa moved to Taos, NM and interred near their Taos home. Graves are located in Kit Carson Park, Taos.