- 1859: Charles Darwin's controversial book of revolutionary theories, Origin of the Species, is published.
- 1922: Congressman William Jennings Bryan begins speaking out against Darwin's "law of hate" and begins his journey to enforce the Biblical "law of love." His campaign spreads to Tennessee.
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1925:
- March 21: The Butler Bill is signed by Tennessee governor, Austin Peay which bans the teaching of: "any theory that denies the divine creation of man and teaches instead that man has descended from a lower order of animals."
- May 4: Newspapers contain a note by the American Civil Liberties Union that state they will offer to pay court costs for any teacher willing to stand against the anti-evolution law.
- May 5: Science teacher John Scopes agrees to become that teacher to test the anti-evolution law in court.
- May 13: William Jennings Bryan chooses to represent the World's Christian Fundamentals Organization as prosecutor at the Scopes trial.
- May 25: In Dayton, Tennessee a grand jury indicts John Scopes for violating the anti-evolution law.
- July 10: Prosecution and defense choose members of the jury for the State of Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes.
- July 13: Defending John Scopes, Clarence Darrow gives a passionate speech to convince Judge Raulston that the Butler Law is unconstitutional.
- July 15: Clarence Darrow and the defense bring
well-known scientists to Dayton to support evolution in the trial.
- July 17: The judge decides to forbid the scientists to testify before the jury. Reporters leave town.
- July 20: The most famous event of the trial occurs: Clarence Darrow's aggressive interrogation of Williams Jennings Brian happens outside the courthouse underneath the trees because, ironically, the courtroom becomes too hot to perform the trial.
- July 21: The jury finds John Scopes guilty, and
he vows "to oppose this law in any way I can."
- July 26: William Jennings Bryan dies in his sleep and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
- 1927: The ACLU and Clarence Darrow challenge the Butler Law in the Tennessee Supreme Court. The case still allows the anti-evolution law to remain on the books.
- 1938: Clarence Darrow dies at the age of 81.
- 1955: Inherit the Wind opens on Broadway and uses the Scopes trial to symbolize the intolerance of McCarthyism.
- 1960: The movie version of Inherit the Wind premieres in Dayton at a drive-in during the 35th anniversary of the Scopes trial.
- 1967: Tennessee overturns the Butler Law.
- 1968: In the case Epperson v. Arkansas, the Supreme Court makes all anti-evolution laws unconstitutional.
- 1987: In the case Edwards v. Aguillard in Louisiana,
the Supreme Court demands equal time for creationism whenever evolution
is taught.
- 1999: In Kansas, the Board of Education votes to omit any mention of macro-evolution from its state science teachings. They decide later to change their decision.
- 2007: Inherit the Wind returns to Broadway.
