Charles Diodati dies in August 1638.

1639 Settles in London, where he makes his living as a tutor.
1641 Earliest antiprelatical tracts—Of Reformation (May), Of Prelatical Episcopacy (June or July), Animadversions on the Remonstrant’s Defense (July)—published.
1642 Publishes The Reason of Church Government (January or February) and An Apology for Smectymnuus (April). Marries Mary Powell in June or July. In August she leaves him and the Civil War begins.
1643 The Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce published in August.
1644 The second edition of The Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce published in February; Of Education in June; The Judgment of Martin Bucer in August; Areopagitica in November.
1645 Two more divorce pamphlets, Tetrachordon and Colasterion, published in March. Reconciles with Mary in July or August and moves to a larger house in Barbican in September.
1646 Poems of Mr. John Milton published in January, dated 1645. Daughter Anne born July 29.
1647 (March 13) On or about this date his father dies, leaving Milton the Bread Street house and a moderate estate. (September–October) Moves to a smaller house in High Holborn.
1648 (October 25) Daughter Mary born.
1649 (January 30) Charles I executed. Eikon Basilike published a week later. (February 13) The Tenure of Kings and Magistrates published, with a second edition in September. (March 15) Appointed Secretary for Foreign Tongues and ordered to answer Eikon Basilike. (May 11) Salmasius’s Defensio Regia arrives in England. (October 6) Eikonoklastes published, answering Eikon Basilike.
1651 (February 24) The Pro Populo Anglicano Defensio (A Defense of the English People) published, answering Salmasius. (March 16) Son John born.
1652 (February or March) Total blindness descends. Daughter Deborah born May 2. Wife Mary dies on May 5. Son John dies in June.
1653 Duties as Secretary for Foreign Tongues are reduced by the addition of an assistant. Cromwell installed as Protector in December.
1654 Defensio Secunda (Second Defense of the English People) published in May.
1655 Milton is pensioned in April and though he continues to work for the Protectorate, devotes more time to private studies. Pro Se Defensio (Defense of Himself) published in August.
1656 (November 12) Marries Katharine Woodcock.
1657 (October 19) Daughter Katharine born.
1658 Probably begins work on Paradise Lost. Wife Katharine dies on February 3. Daughter Katharine dies on March 17. Cromwell dies in September, succeeded by his son Richard.
1659 A Treatise of Civil Power published in February. Richard Cromwell resigns in May. Considerations Touching the Likeliest Means to Remove Hirelings out of the Church published in August.
1660 The Ready and Easy Way to Establish a Free Commonwealth published in February, with a second edition in April. Charles II proclaimed king in May. Milton arrested and imprisoned between September and November and released in December.
1663 (February 24) Marries Elizabeth Minshull. Moves to a house in Artillery Walk, near Bunhill Fields.
1665 Around June, moves to Chalfont St. Giles to avoid the London plague.
1667 (October or November) Paradise Lost published as a poem in ten books.
1670 (around November 1) History of Britain published.
1671 Paradise Regained and Samson Agonistes published.
1672 Artis Logicae (The Art of Logic) published.
1673 Of True Religion published. An enlarged edition of Poems published, also including Of Education.
1674 Epistolae Familiarum (Familiar Letters) published, including his Prolusions. Paradise Lost. A Poem in Twelve Books published around July 1.