Birth of Lee Harvey Oswald
Lee Harvey Oswald was born in New Orleans on October 18, 1939, two months after the death of his father.
Historical biography archive · Updated 2026-11-03
Lee Harvey Oswald Biography and Timeline
Follow Lee Harvey Oswald through 351 dated historical records for United States of America.
Lee Harvey Oswald, historical timeline
A chronological timeline drawn from matching World History Database records.
351Distinct records
1 of 9Page
1939–1956Years on this page
1939
1940
Congress Street Residence
Marguerite Oswald moved with young Lee to a rented home on Congress Street after renting out the family property on Alvar Street.
1941
Bartholomew Street Home
Marguerite Oswald purchased a modest frame house on Bartholomew Street, where the family lived while she attempted to support her children.
1942
Bethlehem Childrens Home Admission
Oswald entered the Bethlehem Children's Home on December 26, 1942, and remained there for about thirteen months.
1944
Victor Street Residence
Marguerite withdrew Lee from the children's home and moved with him to a house on Victor Street in Dallas.
1945
Benbrook First Grade Admission
Lee entered first grade in the Benbrook Common School on October 31, 1945, with school records showing an incorrect birth date.
1946
Harris Hospital Mastoidectomy
Lee entered Harris Hospital with acute mastoiditis and underwent an uncomplicated mastoidectomy before leaving four days later.
Covington Elementary Enrollment
Lee enrolled at Covington Elementary School in September 1946 and repeated first grade because he had not completed the previous year's work.
1947
Clayton Public School Enrollment
Lee enrolled at Clayton Public School on January 27, 1947, and completed first grade there with generally good marks.
1948
Clark Elementary Enrollment
Lee entered Clark Elementary School on March 19, 1948, after leaving Clayton Public School during his mother's divorce proceedings.
1949
Ridglea West Elementary Transfer
Oswald transferred to Ridglea West Elementary School in September 1949 and remained there for three school years.
1952
Public School 117 Enrollment
Lee enrolled in seventh grade at Public School 117 on September 30, 1952, after leaving the Lutheran school.
Trinity Lutheran School Enrollment
Lee attended Trinity Evangelical Lutheran School briefly before irregular attendance led to his withdrawal in September 1952.
Sheridan Avenue Bronx Residence
Marguerite and Lee moved to a one-room basement apartment on Sheridan Avenue in the Bronx after leaving John Pic's household.
1953
Public School 117 Truancy
By January 16, 1953, Oswald had attended only a small fraction of his scheduled days at Public School 117 and had failing grades in most subjects.
Truancy Court Petition
A school attendance officer filed a court petition on March 12, 1953, alleging that Oswald had been excessively absent from school.
Public School 44 Registration
Lee registered at Public School 44 on March 23, 1953, after court proceedings increased pressure for him to resume attendance.
Youth House Remand
A New York judge declared Oswald a truant on April 16, 1953, and remanded him to Youth House for psychiatric study.
Hartogs Treatment Recommendation
Psychiatrist Renatus Hartogs recommended probation, child-guidance treatment for Lee, and family-agency assistance rather than immediate institutional placement.
Youth House Psychological Testing
While remanded to Youth House, Lee underwent psychological tests and interviews with a social worker, probation officer, and psychiatric staff.
Court Parole Release
Justice McClancy released Lee on parole until September 24 and requested referral to the Community Service Society for treatment.
Public School 44 Eighth Grade
Lee entered eighth grade at Public School 44 on September 14, 1953, while still under juvenile-court supervision.
Big Brothers Referral
The court continued Lee's parole and directed his probation officer to contact the Big Brothers counseling service for possible assistance.
Bronx Zoo Truancy Encounter
A school attendance officer located Lee at the Bronx Zoo during his period of persistent truancy from Public School 44.
1954
Big Brothers Home Visit
A Big Brothers caseworker visited Lee and Marguerite at home, but Marguerite said further counseling was unnecessary.
Beauregard Junior High Enrollment
Oswald enrolled in the eighth grade at Beauregard Junior High School on January 13, 1954.
Return to New Orleans
Marguerite took Lee back to New Orleans before January 10, 1954, without first obtaining formal permission from the New York court.
New York Truancy Case Dismissed
The New York juvenile court dismissed Lee's truancy case on March 11, 1954, after he had returned to New Orleans.
Beauregard Ninth Grade
Lee entered ninth grade at Beauregard Junior High School and earned mediocre but generally acceptable marks.
Beauregard Achievement Tests
Achievement testing showed Lee performing well in reading and vocabulary but poorly in mathematics during ninth grade.
1955
Beauregard Personal History Form
On a school personal-history form, Lee listed military service among his future plans and stated that he had no close school friends.
Warren Easton High School Enrollment
Lee entered tenth grade at Warren Easton High School in the fall of 1955 but remained there only about a month.
Forged School Withdrawal Note
Lee presented Warren Easton High School with a withdrawal note he had written himself and signed using his mother's name.
First Marine Enlistment Attempt
Soon after his sixteenth birthday, Oswald tried unsuccessfully to enlist in the Marines using a false age affidavit.
Tujague Messenger Employment
Lee began work as a messenger for Gerald F. Tujague, Inc., earning about $130 per month.
Civil Air Patrol Membership
Lee briefly belonged to the Civil Air Patrol while living in New Orleans during his teenage years.
Dolly Shoe Company Stockboy
Lee worked mainly Saturdays for about ten weeks at the Dolly Shoe Company, where his employer remembered him as a stockboy.
1956
J R Michels Office Boy
Lee worked briefly as an office boy for J. R. Michels, Inc., before taking messenger work at the Pfisterer Dental Laboratory.
Arlington Heights High School Dropout
Lee left Arlington Heights High School on September 28, 1956, less than a month before entering the Marine Corps.
Socialist Party Information Request
Oswald wrote to the Socialist Party of America on October 3, 1956, describing himself as a Marxist and requesting information about its youth league.
Records, sources and methodology
These dates and descriptions come from the historical_events database. Exact duplicate records have been collapsed. Names are grouped by the country, Name 2 and Name 1 fields; records with missing Name 2 cannot be reliably assigned to an individual biography. Check the underlying sources before formal citation.