Theodorakis - Chronology (I)

1922

During the war between Greece and Turkey (1919-1922), the Greek troups are defeated by the soldiers of Kemal Atatürk. It is this the »Catastrophe of Asia Minor«. The Peace Conference of Lausanne (1923) forces 1,5 millions of Greeks to leave their homeland on the Asiatic continent (Smyrne, Oriental Thrace ...). They bring the Rebetiko music to the European continent.

Rebetes in Piraeus 1937

But already before the signature of this agreement, thousands of Greeks, - among them Aspasia Poulakis, Mikis Theodorakis' mother and her family - flew to the Greek Islands. King Constantin resignes.

1924

25.03. Proclamation of the Republic.

1925

29.07. Mikis (in fact Michail) Theodorakis is born on the island of Chios. His father comes from the village of Galata in Crete, his mother from Tschesme. Yorgos Theodorakis, an admirer of Elefteros Venizelos, is moved from post to post as often as the governement changes.
During the same year, the family settles in Mitilène, the county town of the island of Lesbos.

1928

Venizelos is again Prime Minister (until 1932). The Theodorakis family moves to the island of Siros in the Aegean Sea.

1929

The Theodorakis family goes to Athens.

1930

Yorgos Theodorakis is forced to move to Ioannina (Ianena, Epirus)

1932

Mikis' brother Yannis is born. Venizelos is defeated in Septembre. The Popular Party of Tsaldaris forms the governement.

Mikis at 8 with his family. On the left, his father

1933

June: Yorgos Theodorakis has to settle in Argostoli (island of Cephalonia in the Ionian Sea). Theodorakis goes to school (4th - 6th class), learns to sing Byzantine hymns and, thanks to his parents, grand parents and aunts, he gets to know the varied tradition of Greek folk song.

1935

Putsch. Restoration of the monarchy. George II becomes king.

1936

Mikis father has to go back to Ianena for some months.
09.05. The police and the gendarmerie kill thirty people and wound several hundreds during a meeting in Thessalonika. This prompts Yannis Ritsos to write a series of poems entitled »Epitafios«.
04.08. King George II grants dictatorial power to General Ioannis Metaxas. Yorgos Theodorakis must go back to Argostoli.

Mikis on August 4, 1936, when Metaxas started to be a dictator

1937

June: Yorgos Theodorakis is moved to Patras, the biggest city of the Peloponneses.
Mikis begins his secondary education, sing in the choral an gets his first violin. He writes his first compositions.

1939

His family settles in Pirgos, south of Patras.Theodorakis becomes member of Metaxas'National Youth Organisation. He forms an harmonica orchestra. He feels more and more concerned by music.

1940

Summer: The family Theodorakis moves to Tripolis, the county town of Arcadia on the Peloponneses.

© Guy Wagner & Asteris Koutoulas, 1996-2002. Pictures © Archives FILIKI and Mikis Theodorakis

Chronology (II)

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