Karl Doenitz

• 1891 (16 September) born in Grunau, Germany
• 1910 enlisted in the German Imperial Navy
• 1913 obtained the rank of Second Lieutenant
• 1914 WWI began - Doenitz assigned to the light cruiser SMS Breslau
• 1916 promoted to First Lieutenant - transferred to U-boat UB 68
• 1916 marries his wife Ingeborg, the daughter of a German General
• 1917 (03 April) daughter born
• 1918 captured by the British - interred to a POW camp in Redmires, England
• 1919 released from POW camp
• 1920 (14 May) son Klaus born
• 1921 promoted to captain-second lieutenant (Kapitänleutnant)
• 1922 (20 March) son Peter born
• 1928 promoted to Lieutenant Commander (Korvettenkapitän)
• 1933 promoted to full Commander (Fregattenkapitän)
• 1934 commander of the cruiser Emden
• 1935 promoted to Captain (Kapitän zur See) of the 1st flotilla Weddigen   
• 1939 promoted to Senior Captain (Kommodore)
• 1939 promoted to Rear Admiral (Konteradmiral)
• 1940 promoted to Vice Admiral (Vizeadmiral)
• 1943 replaces Erich Raeder as Commander in Chief of the German Navy (Oberbefehlshaber der Kriegsmarine).
• 1943 his son, Peter, killed in action aboard U-954
• 1944 his other son, Klaus, killed in action aboard S 141
• 1945 (30 April) becomes Germany's Head of State
• 1946 imprisoned for "Conspiracy to wage aggressive war" as a result of the Nuremberg Trials
• 1956 released from prison - retires to Aumühle, Germany
• 1958 publishes his memoirs, "Ten Years and Twenty Days"
• 1962 (05 May) his wife Ingeborg dies
• 1968 published a second book,"My Ever-Changing Life"
• 1980 (24 December) dies in Aumühle Germany at the age of 89