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Chris McCandless is born
Born in El Segundo, California -
Chris Moves to another state
Chris moved with his family to Annandale, Virginia -
Chris's Highschool Years
Chris tried many sports, and was a very good athlete, but lacked the patience to fine-tune skills. Chris took up running and was amazing. As coach of the cross country team, he told the other runners to imagine they were running away from all of the evil and darkness in the world. -
Chris First Car
Chris obtained his old yellow Datsun during his high school years -
Chris Graduates High School
Chris graduates from Wilbert Tucker Woodson High School in Virginia. Chris got all A's except for an F in physics and participated in track and field because he didn't like team sports. -
Chris's Discovery
Chris drove to El Segundo, and talked to many of his old neighbors, Chris was able to piece together his father's previous marriage and the divorce that he had. Chris was unaware that his father had been in another relationship and was very angry that he had not told him. -
Chris separates from his family
Chris cut off ties with his parents after uncovering infidelity in his father's past; he had a sixth child with his first wife after Chris was born with Walt's second wife, and Chris no longer trusted his father, nor did he forgive him for not telling him what had happened. -
Chris Graduates from Emory University
Chris graduates from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia with a 3.72 GPA. -
Donates Money
After graduating, he donated $25,000 to OXFAM, an organization dedicated to fighting hunger. -
Chris's Journey Starts
Chris took his old Datsun and drove directly West -
Chris is picked up by "Crazy Ernie"
Chris is picked up in North California by a man called "Crazy Ernie" and offered him a job. Chris never got paid, so he left in a few weeks time -
Abandons his car
Chris had no choice but to abandon his Datsun in Arizona after a flash flood soaked the engine and it would no longer start for Chris, attaching a note to the car saying if someone could get the car out they could have it. Along with his car, Chris also left most of his belongings behind. Chris continued his journey on foot from there. -
Changes his Name
Chris started going by the name of "Alex Supertramp". Chris also began keeping a journal, documenting his travels and experiences. -
Picked-up by Jan Burres
In Arcata California, Chris is picked up by Jan Burres and her boyfriend who let him stay with them for a couple of weeks. Alex grew very close to Jan in their short time together, they eventually ended up dropping Chris off at Orick Beach, California and after he left, he sent her postcards as often as possible. -
Chris receives a ticket
Chris gets a ticket for hitchhiking in Willow Creek, California. The unpaid ticket is eventually sent to his parents at their home. -
Chris meets Wayne
Alex hitches a ride from Wayne Westerberg, in South Dakota. Wayne offers Alex a job, working at his grain elevator in Carthage. Alex accepted this job because he did not have much money. Wayne ends up becoming Alex's closest friend. Alex stays with Wayne until Wayne gets in trouble with the law, at this point Alex decides to go to Mexico. -
Westerberg gets Arrested
Wayne Westerberg was involved in making "black boxes" —which allowed people to watch cable t.v without paying for it— and was sent to jail which caused Chris/Alex to move. -
Chris reaches the Colorado River
Chris caught a ride from a trucker and reached the Colorado River, then proceeded to buy a used canoe in Topock Arizona. -
Chris goes to Mexico
Alex sneaks across the border in a kayak, He tried to paddle to the Gulf Coast, but the coast is blocked by swamps. Some Mexicans give him a ride to the Coast in the back of their truck, and he spends a long time there, exploring all of the places in the area. -
Camping on a Bluff
Chris finds a bluff and camps out there for about ten days. -
Canoe breaks down
Chris's canoe broke from a violent storm which almost caused him to drown. Chris had to continue his journey by walking across the Southwest for about five days. -
Coming back to America
Alex is caught by immigration police at the border and is held in jail overnight. He explains to the police what his situation is and they eventually let him into America, although they take away the gun that he had with him. -
Camping at the Grand Canyon
Chris camps at the bottom of the Grand Canyon with German couple Karin and Thomas. -
Chris enters Las Vegas
Chris buries his backpack and heads off to hitchhike in Las Vegas -
Chris leaves Vegas
After working in an Italian restaurant for a couple months he leaves again -
Bullhead City
Chris arrives in Bullhead City, Arizona, where he settles down in a trailer and starts his job at McDonald's flipping burgers. He stays there for a couple of months working under his real name Chris McCandless and opening a savings account, even giving out his real social security number. -
Chris writes to Burres
Chris sent a postcard to Jan Burres in Niland, California giving her a map and the address of where she could visit him in Bullhead City. -
Alex meets up with Jan and Bob
Alex, along with Jan and her boyfriend Bob, heads to the Slabs, an old navy airbase that is a place for tramps vagabonds to hang out. Slabs serve as a place to stay and a flee market for hundreds of people that aren't part of society. -
Chris meets Ron Franz
Alex set up camp outside Salton City, California. When hitch-hiking into town for supplies, he was picked up by Ronald Franz, an eighty-year-old man. The pair instantly bonded, Alex delayed his trip to Alaska for a while. Franz, having no relatives of his own, treated Alex like a grandson and also taught him some of his skills. -
Chris heads to San Diego
Alex leaves Franz and heads towards San Diego, trying to make some good money for supplies. -
Chris meets up with Ron again
Chris called Franz from Coachella, California and asked to be picked up. Chris ended up staying the night at Franz's and was driven to Grand Junction, Colorado the next day. -
Postcards
Chris sent Burres and Franz postcards from Seattle, Washington. -
Back in Carthage
Alex arrives three days later in Carthage, South Dakota, and resumes work for Wayne, who is now out of prison. -
Starts heading to Alaska
Chris meets Gaylord Stuckey, who gave him a ride in the cab of his sunflower-seed hauling truck. -
On his way to Alaska
Chris took a picture of the sign that marks the start of the Alaska Highway -
Preparing for Alaska
Chris started reading up on edible plants, bought a gun, sent postcards to friends, and started hiking West -
Chris Arrives in Fairbanks, Alaska
After a very difficult hitchhike he arrives at Fairbanks and sends a postcard to Dwayne telling him it would be the last he would hear from Chris. He also requested for Wayne to return all of his mail to the sender. -
Chris meets Jim Gallien
After walking on the highway for a while, a truck driving an electrician named Jim Gallien stopped and picked Chris up. Jim wants Alex to get better equipment, but Alex has his mindset ongoing as he is, however he accepts some small gifts such as rubber boots from Jim. Alex arrives at his final destination, the Stampede Trail. -
Into the Wild
Jim Gallien offers him a ride three hours out of Fairbanks to the Stampede Trail. Gallien watched Chris go into the wild. -
Magic Bus Day
After crossing the Teklanika River, the water never going above his knees, Alex arrived at an abandoned bus sitting on the trail. -
Moose Kill
Chris shot and killed a 600-pound moose, although most of the meat ended up spoiling this was a very big deal to Chris. This shows how effective Chris could be and what he was capable of doing. -
New Life
The Stampede Trail was not passable, so Chris made the bus his shelter and home. For the next six weeks, Chris had great hunting and was living very well. -
Hunting is not easy
Hunting is getting difficult, Chris is alive only because of hunting of little animals and not many bigger animals. Chris also has to eat many wild plants and vegetables because there is less wild game. -
Preparing for the Hike to the Road
Chris packed his backpack to prepare for his 20-mile hike back to the road. -
Stuck on the Bus
While on his hike back to the road, Chris comes to a raging torrent that used to be an uncumbersome river to cross. He then turned around and went back to the bus. -
Wild Potatoes
Alex had been eating wild potatoes since he got to Alaska with no harsh effects, but when the root of the potatoes became bitter and inedible and Alex began collecting the seeds. What Alex did not know is that the seeds went bad and they ended up getting him sick and made him unable to get any nourishment from the food he ate, leading to starving. -
SOS Note
Chris was very weak so he posted an SOS note on the door of the bus saying that he needed help and that if anyone came upon the bus that he needs their help. -
Last Journal Entry
His last journal entry read: "Beautiful blueberries" -
Chris's Death
Chris died on day 112 of starvation in his sleeping bag on the bus. -
Chris's Last Note
The last notes that he left says: "I have had a happy life and thank the Lord. Goodbye and may God bless all!" -
Moose Hunters Find Chris's Body
Nineteen days later six moose hunters from three different groups stumbled upon part of the Fairbanks City Transit System: Bus 142 and noticed a rancid smell. One of the hunters, Gordon Samuel, went inside and found Chris's body inside of a blue sleeping bag. -
Article posted about Chris
New York Times posts an article about Chris