| ca. 355 b.c.e. | Aristotle (Politics) advocates infanticide for "deformed" children; Cicero follows suit in 55 b.c.e. |
| 380–420 c.e. | St. Augustine of Hippo claims "Faith comes by hearing" and excludes deaf persons from Christian faith |
| 533 | The Code of Justinian classifies deaf persons (both separately and among all other disabled persons) |
| 1578 | Pedro Ponce de León undertakes educating deaf Spanish nobility |
| 1662 | The Royal Society of London inspires inquiry into the nature of language and the teaching of deaf and blind persons |
| 1720 | Daniel Defoe writes The History of the Life and Surprising Adventures of Mr. Duncan Campbell—the first popular book about the lives of deaf persons |
| 1745 | Jacob Rodrigues Pereire begins working with deaf students |
| 1751 | Diderot publishes his study on deaf people |
| 1760 | Abbé Charles Michel de l'Epée founds the Institute for the Deaf in Paris |
| 1779 | Pierre Desloges, a deaf man, defends deaf education based on sign language in a widely circulated pamphlet |
| 1789 | Abbé Sicard takes over the Institute for the Deaf in Paris |
| 1799 | Jean-Marc Itard, trying out the language philosophies of Condillac, begins working with "Victor," a feral boy who cannot speak and is kept at the Institute for the Deaf in Paris |
| 1817 | The Reverend Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet opens the Connecticut Asylum for the Education and Instruction of Deaf and Dumb Persons (first American school for the deaf); educates Alice Cogswell, a deaf girl; and introduces manual methods for deaf education |
| 1850s | Printing becomes popular trade for deaf persons (primarily through training in trade schools) |
| 1851 | Thomas Gallaudet founds first American church for the deaf |
| 1857 | Columbia Institution for the Deaf and Dumb and the Blind is incorporated on two acres of land in Washington, D.C. |
| 1864 | National Deaf Mute College (also known as Columbia Institution for the Deaf and Dumb) founded in Washington, D.C. (later Gallaudet College, then Gallaudet University) |
| 1864 | Alexander Melville Bell designs "Visible Speech" |
| 1867 | Clarke Institution founded (premier oralist school) and full-fledged campaign for oral methods begins |
| 1871 | First successful aural surgery |
| 1871 | Alexander Graham Bell begins teaching his father's method, "Visible Speech," to deaf students |
| 1880 | Milan Conference, an international meeting of educators of the deaf, outlaws use of sign language (manual methods) to teach deaf students |
| 1883 | A. G. Bell delivers and a year later publishes Memoirs upon the Formation of a Deaf Variety of the Human Race, a eugenicist tract decrying the marriage of (and potential child-rearing by) deaf couples |
| 1886 | A. G. Bell tests hearing of Washington, D.C., students (first audiograms) |
| 1890s | A. G. Bell and Edward Miner Gallaudet lead "communications debate" between oralism and manualism, respectively |
| 1893 | National Deaf Mute College renamed Gallaudet College at the request of the alumni association |
| 1895 | A. G. Bell and E. M. Gallaudet square off at Convention of American Instructors of the Deaf |
| 1909 | First compulsory school attendance laws for deaf (and blind) children enacted |
| 1954 | By an act of Congress, the corporate name of the Columbia Institution becomes Gallaudet College |
| 1958 | Public Law 85-926 provides grants for training special education personnel |
| 1963 | The Division of Handicapped Children and Youth is established within the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare |
| 1969 | Model Secondary School for the Deaf (MSSD) established on Gallaudet's campus |
| 1970 | Kendall Demonstration Elementary School (KDES) established on Gallaudet's campus; "Deaf Studies" chair established at Gallaudet |
| 1975 | Public Law 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, is passed by Congress |
| 1980s | Like most U.S. colleges, Gallaudet has significant enrollment increase; cochlear implants offered |
| 1986 | Gallaudet College becomes Gallaudet University; the Education of the Deaf Act (PL 99-371) signed |
| 1988 | "Deaf President Now" protest—students close Gallaudet University campus; Irving King Jordan becomes first deaf president of Gallaudet University; Philip Bravin becomes first deaf chairman of the Board of Trustees |
| 1989 | International "Deaf Way Conference and Festival" held at Gallaudet |
| Harvey Corson appointed as Gallaudet's first deaf provost | |
| 1990 | The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) signed into law |
| 1990 | PL 94-142 revised and renamed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) |
| 1993 present | Gallaudet University enrollment begins to decline—federal funding declines and programs, services, personnel, departments are cut |
| 1998 | Gallaudet students actively campaign to replace a recently reelected English Department chair, purportedly because of her politics and pedagogy in literacy instruction |