1914
Karl Otto Götz is born on February 22nd in Aachen
1932
Attends School of Arts and Crafts in Aachen
1933
Early abstract works
1935
Early splatter works, National Socialists prohibit Götz from further paiting and exhibiting, but secretly continues to work
1936-1938
Military service at the German Air Force, starts experimenting with abstract films, photography and photogramms as well as abstract painting
1939 – 1945
Soldier, training as an intelligence officer, is located to Norway until the end of war
1941
Studies for one semester at Hochschule für Bildende Künste Dresden
1945
Most of his early work is destroyed during the shellfire of Dresden
Intensly working on "Fakturenfibel", which he has to leave in Norway and is lost for twenty years until Götz receives it by an anonymous sender
1946
First solo exhibition at Studio Rasch in Wuppertal
1949 – 1953
Publisher of the magazine "Meta"
1948
Götz receives the art award "Junger Westen"
1952
Develops his informel art practice
1953
First to publish poetry by Hans Arp
1958
Participation in 29th Venice Biennale
Begins to engage with information theory
1959
Participation in Documenta II, Kassel
1959 – 1979
Professorship at Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, among his students are Gotthard Graubner, Kuno Gonschior, Sigmar Polke, Gerhard Richter, H.A. Schult
Votes for the calling of Joseph Beuys
1968
Participates in the 34th Venice Biennale
1983
Participates in the exhibitions "Westkunst - Zeitgeössische Kunst seit 1939" in Cologne
1989
Receives the order of merit of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia
1997
Honorary member of the Kunstakademie Münster
2004
Honorary member of the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf
2007
Federal Cross of Merit
2010
Receives honorary doctor of the university of Münster
2017
Karl Otto Götz dies on the 19th of August in Wolfenacker