1890 – The first edition, in two volumes.

1907-1908 – He was four times elected to Trinity’s Title Alpha Fellowship, and was associated with the college for most of his life, except for a year, spent at the University of Liverpool.

1914 – He was knighted.

         – His theories of totemism were superseded by Claude Lévi-Strauss and his vision of the annual sacrifice of the Year King has not been borne out by field studies.

1915 – The third edition was finished and ran to twelve volumes.

1922 – He also published a single volume abridgement, largely compiled by his wife Lady Frazer, with some controversial material removed from the text.

1930 – He was, if not blind, then severely visually impaired.

1936 – A supplemental thirteenth volume added.