- 1941
- Born in Cape Town of British parents
- c. 1947-58
- At school in Cape Town
- 1953
- Father dies
- 1958
- Matriculates from St George’s grammar school
- 1959
- Registers for BSc Engineering at University of Cape Town
- 1960
- Changes to philosophy
- 1960
- Sharpeville – black mass movement curtailed and white opposition groups shown to be ineffectual
- 1963
- BSc (Hons) – Philosophy, University of Cape Town
- 1963
- Becomes involved in NUSAS (National Union of South African Students)
- 1964
- First marriage, to Barbara Hubbard
- 1964
- Begins studying for a doctorate on Jean-Paul Sartre at the University of Paris under Professor Jean Wahl
- 1964-1966
- Travels in Italy, Yugoslavia, Austria, Belgium and Britain
- 1966
- Completes doctorate and returns to South Africa with his family
- 1967
- Farms at his mother’s farm, Welcarmes, in Stellenbosch
- 1969
- Teaches for six months as a temporary lecturer at the University of Stellenbosch
- 1969
- Teaches for six months as a temporary lecturer at Rhodes University
- 1970
- Makes contact with Black Consciousness leaders, among whom is Steve Biko
- 1970
- Appointed as lecturer in Political Science at the University of Natal
- 1970
- End of first marriage: second marriage to Foszia Fisher, a ‘Coloured’ student, by Moslem rites
- 1971
- Research programme on working conditions in industrial plants
- 1971
- Workers’ Education Project
- 1971
- Started South African Labour Bulletin
- 1971-72
- Involvement with SPRO-CAS (Stidy Project on Christianity in an Apartheid Society) begins
- 1972
- Publication of SPRO-CAS Economics Commission report (he is a member of the Commission)
- 1972
- First publication of The Eye of the Needle
- 1972
- NUSAS National Seminar and National Leadership Training Seminar
- 1972
- Initiates Education Reform Association to get going a discussion on education
- 1972
- Commission of Enquiry into Certain Organisations (NUSAS, University Christian Movement, Christian Institute, South African Institute of Race Relations), i.e. the Schlebusch Commission, begins its investigations, and calls him to give evidence as political adviser to NUSAS (although he is involved in projects with all these institutions)
- 1973
- Publication of SPRO-CAS Politics Commission Report (he is a member of the Commission)
- 1973
- February, with 7 NUSAS leaders, he is given a restriction order (a “banning” order), which prevents him for the period of 5 years from attending gatherings, leaving Durban, and also from entering factories, trade union premises, or the University of Natal, and from publishing or preparing for publication any material whatever (he is not allowed to teach, but the University keeps him on the payroll anyway)
- 1973
- Durban strikes
- 1976
- Expert witness for the defence in the trial of 9 Black Consciousness leaders under the Terrorism Act
- 1976
- Soweto riots
- 1978
- 8 January, his wife Foszia visits Botswana, and is searched and harassed at the border; meanwhile, at midnight, an unknown gunman knocks at his front door, and wounds him fatally when he comes to the window to see who it is. Turner dies in the presence of both his daughters