1902–1921 Born into the old and eminent family of Jovan Ristić, academician and statesman. Is educated in Belgrade and Switzerland.

1922 With M. Dedinac and D. Timotijević starts the journal Roads.

1924–1925 With R. Petrović, D. Matić and M. Dedinac edits Testimonies.

1925 Graduates from the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade.

1926 Marries Seva (Jelica) Živadinović in Vrnjačka Banja, with Aleksandar and Lula Vučo best man and maid of honour.

1926–1927 Meets Breton and the French Surrealists during his stay in Paris when the cycle of collages La vie mobile was created. He and Ševa bought a painting by Max Ernst The Owl (Bird in a Cage), Museum of Contemporary Art, Belgrade.

1928 Publishes his anti–novel Bez mere (Without Measure). His daughter Mara is born.

1928–1929 Makes a series of photograms with Vane Bor in Vrnjačka Banja.

1930 One of the founders of the Belgrade group of Surrealists and a signatory of the manifesto. With A. Vučo and D. Matić, edits the almanac Nemoguće – L’impossible, where his collages Budilnik (The Alarm Clock) and Crustaceans on the Chest are published. With D. Matić writes The Position of Surrealism, signed by the other members of the Belgrade Surrealist group.

1931 Publishes the book Outline for a Phenomenology of the Irrational with K. Popović.

1931–1932 One of the editors of Surrealism Here and Now.

1932 Publishes the book Anti –Wall with V. Bor.

1933 His reply to the survey “L’humour est–il une attitude morale?” is published in the Parisian journal Le surréalisme au service de la révolution (No. 6, 36 – 39).

1936 Writes a text entitled “Foreword to Several Unwritten Novels”.

1938 Publishes his long poem Turpituda (Turpitude), seized by the police in Zagreb. Contributes to the Parisian review Minotaure (Nos. 3–4 Enquête Dictionnaire abrégé du surréalisme).

1939 With M. Krleža, K. Hegedušić, V. Bogdanov, Z. Rihtman and others starts the magazine The Stamp.Travels to Italy with Seva.

1941–1942 Lives in Vrnjačka Banja, does some time in prison in Kruševac.

1944 Publishes his political texts in Politika and Borba. Works as editor in the State Publishing House of Yugoslavia.

1945–1951 Appointed Yugoslav ambassador in Paris.

1951 Elected corresponding member of the Yugoslav Academy of Sciences and Arts in Zagreb.

1952 With O. Bihalji Merin, O. Davičo, M. Dedinac, E. Finci, D. Matić and A. Vučo founds Testimonies.

1955 With A. Vučo, O. Davičo, D. Ćosić, A. Isaković founds the magazine Delo (Deed).

1956 His book Nox microcosmica comes out.

1958 Elected president of the Yugoslav National Committee for UNESCO.

1989 After his death, H. Kapidžić Osmanagić edits his texts for print and publishes them in the book Naknadni dnevnik 12 C (Subsequent Diary 12 C) (Sarajevo).

1993 The Legacy of Seva and Marko Ristic – the visual experiments of the group of Belgrade Surrealists (1926–1939) – is donated to the Museum of Contemporary Art in Belgrade.