René Magritte, the famous Belgian surrealist artist, was born on November 21, 1898 in Lessines, Belgium.

In 1910, at the age of 12, René Magritte began his journey as an artist by starting drawing lessons.

René Magritte's mother died by suicide by drowning herself in the River Sambre at Châtelet. Her body was discovered later, which may have influenced some of Magritte's later paintings.

On March 12, 1912, René Magritte's mother committed suicide by drowning herself in the River Sambre. This event had a profound impact on Magritte's life and art.

On March 12, 1912, René Magritte faced a tragic event when his mother committed suicide by drowning in the River Sambre, leading to public humiliation for the family.

In 1922, René Magritte saw a reproduction of Giorgio de Chirico’s painting 'The Song of Love' from 1914, which had a significant influence on Magritte's artistic style and approach.

René Magritte's earliest paintings, dating back to 1915, were Impressionistic in style.

On July 27, 1917, René Magritte achieved his first notable success in his artistic career.

On May 30, 1920, René Magritte got married to Georgette Berger, whom he had known since childhood.

René Magritte married Georgette Berger in 1922.

By May 30, 1923, René Magritte's fame was on the rise.

René Magritte painted his first major surrealist work, 'Le Jockey Perdu' (The Lost Jockey), in 1925.

In 1926, René Magritte created his first surreal painting titled The Lost Jockey (Le Jockey Perdu), marking a significant shift in his artistic style.

In 1927, René Magritte held his first exhibition in Brussels, where critics heavily criticized the show. This experience led him to move to Paris and eventually become involved with the surrealist group.

In 1928, René Magritte produced his first surreal oil painting titled The Lost Jockey. This marked a significant milestone in his artistic career.

On December 15, 1929, René Magritte participated in the last publication of La Revolution Surrealiste No. 12, where he published his essay 'Les mots et les images' exploring the relationship between words and images.

After facing failure and making little impact in Paris, René Magritte decided to return to his old job in Brussels in 1930.

René Magritte created The Human Condition series in 1933, challenging the distinction between reality and art. The paintings feature scenes where the view behind an easel differs from what is depicted on it.

In the early stages of his career, René Magritte was supported by Surrealist patron Edward James who allowed him to stay rent-free in his London home to paint.

In 1936, René Magritte had his first solo show in the United States at the Julien Levy Gallery in New York, gaining international popularity.

In 1937, René Magritte achieved success and recognition for his work, but it was short-lived due to the imminent Second World War.

René Magritte's first period, known as the Renoir period, began in 1943 when he adopted a colorful and painterly style in his paintings, exemplified by works like Black Magic, 1945.

René Magritte experienced the beginning of a breakthrough in his artistry in 1944.

In 1946, René Magritte renounced the violence and pessimism of his earlier work by joining several other Belgian artists in signing the manifesto Surrealism in Full Sunlight.

René Magritte's second period, titled the Vache period, commenced in 1947 with works like The Cicerone, showcasing a different artistic approach.

In 1948, René Magritte signed a new contract with a well-known New York art dealer named Alexander Iolas, which led to his worldwide recognition and fame. This marked a significant turning point in his career.

In 1951, René Magritte was commissioned to paint murals for the Knokke Casino in Belgium. The mural, titled 'The Enchanted Domain', showcased some of his most famous images and was a testament to his artistic prowess and recognition.

On June 3, 1953, significant events occurred in René Magritte's life, marking a milestone in his artistic journey.

The Museum of Modern Art will be showcasing René Magritte's pre-World War II works in an exhibition titled 'Magritte: The Mystery of the Ordinary, 1926-1938'. The exhibit will feature around 80 works highlighting the artist's exploration of surrealism and psychoanalysis, including major paintings like 'The False Mirror', 'The Treachery of Images', and 'Clairvoyance'.

In 1955, René Magritte painted The Promenades of Euclid, where he merged ordinary streets with the spires of a castle on canvas. This artwork blurs the line between interior and exterior views.

In 1959, René Magritte painted The Castle of the Pyrenees, featuring a huge stone with a small castle floating above the sea, showcasing his unique style.

René Magritte's painting Le fils de l'homme (The Son of Man) was initially meant to portray his friend Harry Torczyner, but evolved to conceal or reveal Torczyner's true identity through the apple covering the man's face.

Despite battling pancreatic cancer, René Magritte traveled to New York City in 1965 for a retrospective exhibition of his work at the Museum of Modern Art. This exhibition highlighted his enduring influence on the art world.

The logo of Apple Corps, The Beatles' company, is inspired by Magritte's Le Jeu de Mourre painting.

René Magritte passed away on August 15, 1967, due to pancreatic cancer. He was buried in Schaerbeek Cemetery in Brussels.

In 1968, René Magritte's bronze sculptures, inspired by his paintings, were exhibited in Brussels at the Isy Brachot Gallery. The sculptures were titled after the paintings that inspired their subjects.

Tom Stoppard wrote a Surrealist play called After Magritte.

Gary Numan's album The Pleasure Principle was a reference to Magritte's painting of the same name.

Paul Simon's song was inspired by a photograph of Magritte by Lothar Wolleh and appears on the album Hearts and Bones.

Another retrospective exhibition of René Magritte's work took place at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in 1992, further solidifying his legacy in the art world.

The Treachery of Images was used in a major plot in L. J. Smith's novel The Forbidden Game.

The iconic poster shot for the film The Exorcist was inspired by Magritte's The Empire of Light.

The Magritte painting The Son of Man was prominently featured in the plot line of the movie The Thomas Crown Affair.

John Cale wrote a song titled 'Magritte' which appears on the album HoboSapiens.

The Magritte Museum opened to the public in Brussels, displaying some 200 original Magritte paintings, drawings, and sculptures.

On the morning of September 24, 2009, two armed men stole Olympia (1948), a nude portrait of Magritte's wife reportedly worth about US$1.1 million, from a museum located at 135 Rue Esseghem in Brussels, which was Magritte's former home. The painting was later returned to the museum in January 2012 in exchange for a 50,000-Euro payment from the museum's insurer.

In 2012, René Magritte's painting Les Jours Gigantesques, 1928, was sold for $11.3 million at a Christie's auction, reflecting the enduring value of his artworks.

Nigerian rapper Jesse Jagz's 2014 album 'Jagz Nation Vol. 2: Royal Niger Company' featured cover art that drew inspiration from René Magritte's artworks.

In 2015, the band Punch Brothers used René Magritte's painting 'The Lovers' as the cover art for their album 'The Phosphorescent Blues'.