| 1842 | |
| January 12 | Arrived at Manila, Philippine Islands. |
| February 19 | Arrived at Singapore. |
| April 14 | Arrived at Cape Town, South Africa. |
| June 10 | Exploring Expedition arrived at New York. |
| June 15 | Requested court martial for several members of the Exploring Expedition and a court of inquiry into his own conduct. |
| July 20 | Ordered to New York to stand trial before a court martial. |
| August 26 | Asked by the Joint Library Committee of Congress to prepare a history of Exploring Expedition. |
| September 7 | Found guilty by court martial of illegal punishment and sentenced to a public reprimand by the Secretary of the Navy. |
| 1843 | |
| July 13 | Promoted to Commander. |
| August 1 | Placed in charge of Exploring Expedition collections and reports. |
| 1845 | |
| April 16 | First volumes of Exploring Expedition Narrative distributed. |
| 1846 | |
| May 13 | Request for active service in the Mexican War refused "till your present service is accomplished." |
| 1848 | |
| May 22 | Awarded Founder's Medal by the Royal Geographic Society of London. |
| August 11 | Jane Renwick Wilkes died at Newport. |
| 1853 | |
| December 20 | Fire in Philadelphia destroyed copper plates for engravings for Exploring Expedition volumes. |
| 1854 | |
| October 3 | Married Mary Lynch Bolton. |
| 1855 | |
| September 14 | Promoted to Captain. |
| 1858 | |
| July 21 | Ordered by the Secretary of the Navy Isaac Toucey to examine natural resources—iron, coal, timber—of |
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