1866 - his father assisted him to establish, at Chiswick, the shipyard which later became noted for the production of high-speed launches and torpedo craft.

1866-1870 - studied at the Royal School of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering at South Kensington.

1872 - John Donaldson, who had been an engineer in the public works department of India, became his partner in the shipyard.

1873 - built the Gitana, constructed for the Norwegian government, the first torpedo boat.

1877 - built the first torpedo boat of the British navy, the 'Lightning'.

1881 - served on the council of the Institution of Naval Architects.

1893 - elected a fellow of the Royal Society.

1899-1908 - served on the council of the Institution of Civil Engineers.

1901 - received the honorary degree of LLD from Glasgow University.

1902 - knighted.

1904 - was one of the civilian members of the famous Admiralty committee of design, appointed at the instance of Admiral Fisher, which recommended the adoption of the Parsons turbine for the dreadnought class of battleship and for new destroyers.

1916 - the Admiralty wanted a design for a fast launch that could skim safely over minefields and carry a torpedo. Using his design, Thornycroft's firm built such craft, known as coastal motor boats.