There are a few possible errors in this information, so just use it as a general guide, not as an official document.
In this chronology:
- Information preceded by a dash – is copied from the Los Angeles District Attorney’s files.
Information preceded by a dot is Mary Pacios' original research.
1940
• September: Elizabeth "Bette" Short goes to Florida to work and get away from cold weather
• October 29: nation's first peacetime military draft
1941
• Spring: Bette Short returns to Medford
• December 7: Pearl Harbor bombed; USA enters WW II
1942
• January: mobilization for war effort: price controls, rationing, women replacing drafted men in jobs
• Spring: Bette replaces draftee as soda jerk at Shuman's Drugstore in Medford
• September, Cleo Short sends Bette money to come live with him in California
• November 28: Coconut Grove Fire in Boston
– December 15: She left her mother, Mrs. Phoebe [Mae] Short, in Medford, Massachusetts and went to her father, Cleo A. Short at Mrs. Yankee's house on Nebraska Street, Vallejo, California.
– December 22: Bette and father move to 1028-1/2 W 36 St, Los Angeles [Note DA files list this date as 1/28/43]
1943
- January 29: She went to Camp Cook and worked in the P.X.(Post Exchange) handling small store and confections.: [Note: fingerprinted and photo ID]
• January: Bette living with Vera Green, 221 -C West Montecito St., West Cabrillo Beach, California
• February: Bette picked "Camp Cutie"
• February: Bette living with Mr. and Mrs. Carl Stradder, Tomkins Ranch near Casmalia, California
• April: Cleo borrows key to Mary Booth's apartment in Los Angeles; Bette with him; Cleo encouraging her to be in movies
• June 3: Zoot Suit Riots in LA
• July: Mrs. Agnes L. Dixon befriends Bette in Los Angeles
• August: Bette in Lompoc, staying at Rancho Santo Antonio in Casmalia
• August 25: Bette ends employment at Camp Cooke
• September 23: Bette arrested at El Paseo Restaurant—minor where liquor is served; befriended by police woman, Mary Unkefer
- September 28: She left Camp Cook.
• October 2: Bette put on bus to Boston by Policewoman Unkefer
– December 1: She went to Miami Beach and worked at Rosedale Delicatessen for a few months; lives at the El Mar Hotel
1944
– She works at Mammy's Restaurant until the latter part of 1944
– March: She took a trip to Atlanta, Georgia to visit Matt Gordon
– April: She went to Miami Beach, Florida.
• September: Bette meets Gordon Fickling in Miami Beach Florida
• November: Bette back in Medford for a visit Thanksgiving
• December: Bette in Miami Beach, Florida: meets Matt Gordon New Year's Eve; living with Mrs. Devaul
1945
• Mid-January: Bette back in Medford waiting for fiancé Matt Gordan's retum.
– March 30: Begins working at St. Claire's Restaurant, Boston
• May 7: V-E Day
• August 14: V-J Day—war is over
• August 22: Bette receives telegram Matt Gordon killed after war ended
– September 1: She ends work at St. Claire's Restaurant
• September: Bette working in Belmont, Massachusetts at Schraff’s
– December: She went to Jacksonville, Florida.
1946
– February: She went to her mother, Phoebe Short at Medford, Mass
• April: Bette leaves for Chicago from Medford (mother’s testimony at inquest)
– May: Ann Toth moves into Mark Hansen home at 6024 Carlos, Hollywood
• May: Bette in Chicago, meets briefly with Gordon Fickling: he's on way to California
• May: Bette contacts Dr. John Olsen in Hammond, Indiana
• May: Letter to Bette from Fickling, "Have we been childish?"
– June 1: Bette goes to Indianapolis, Indiana [Note: Mother testified at Inquest that Bette left Medford, Massachusetts in April, 1946. The District Attorney investigator could have relied upon the date her trunk was shipped from Medford. Another person could have arranged for the shipping.]
– June 1: Railway Express receipt addressed to Miss B. Short, 905 (street not legible), Indianapolis, Indiana
– June 24: She went to Chicago, Ill and registered at the Park Row Hotel.
– July 7: She left Chicago to go to Long Beach, California saying she was going there to marry Gordon Fickling. She did not marry him, but did live with him.
• July: "Blue Dahlia" playing at theater in Long Beach, California
• July: Bette given "Black Dahlia" nickname
– July 22: She moved into the Washington Hotel, Long Beach with Gordon Fickling
• July 26: Bette living at Atwater Hotel in Long Beach
– August 8: She moved into several other small unknown hotels in Long Beach remaining approximately the five-day limit in each and living with Gordon Fickling.
– August 20: She went with Fickling and lived with him at the Brevort Hotel, Hollywood.*
– August 27: At 11:30 PM she checked out of the Brevort Hotel
– August 28: She moved into the Hawthorne Hotel, 1611 N. Orange Grove, Los Angeles*, with Marjorie Graham who was originally from 65 Winthrop Street, Cambridge, Mass.
• August: short, dark man sometimes pays Bette's rent at Hawthorne Hotel
• August-November: Bette a regular at Brittingham’s — Columbia Studios
• September-November: Rumor that Bette going with someone at Columbia Studios
• September 20: Last time Lynn Martin saw Bette; argue over Lynn's activities
– September 20: She moved to the Figueroa Hotel with Marjorie Graham and Sid Zaid.
– October 1: She and Marjorie Graham moved into the home of Mark Hansen and Ann Toth 6024 Carlos Ave.
– October 12: She moved to the Guardian Arms Apartments, Apt 726 at 5217 Hollywood Boulevard, and lived with Marjorie Graham, Bill Robinson, her boyfriend and Marvin Margolis.
– October 22: She moved out of the Guardian apartments and spent the night driving around looking for a place to stay but found none. She drove around in the car of Glen Kearns, 2332 Gale St, Los Angeles; [Note: Glen took photos of her at Marshall High School.]
– October 23: Glen Kearns took her to the home of Mark Hansen and Ann Toth, 6024 Carlos Avenue, Los Angeles
• October: Robert S. Gessinger gives Bette ride to drive-in at Sunset Blvd and Vermont
– November 13: She moved from the last address to the Chancellor Apartments, 1842 N. Cherokee, Apt. No. 501. She lived there with Cheryll Haughlamb, Beverly Don'e, Pat Goff, Marion Schmidt, Dorothy Saffron and Mary Louise Pappe. Glen Wolfe was the manager of the chancellor Apartments at the time.
• November: Bette receives letter from Fickling, "pessimistic about the future," but will try to help her
• November: Bette’s trunk arrives at Railway Express
• December: Landlady Juanita Ringo holds Bette's suitcases for nonpayment of rent
– December 1: Maurice Clement bought Bette dinner at Brittingham’s; saw her 3 or 4 times that week
• December 1: Jimmy Harrigan takes Bette to Tabu Club
• December 2: Jimmy Harrigan takes Bette to Ontario for dinner at Sycamore Inn; she tells him she's leaving area
– December 6: She went with Carl Balsiger to Camarillo, California in his 1940 Oldsmobile car (According to Balsiger, he brought her back to Los Angeles and took her to the bus station.)
• December 8: Carl Balsiger brings Bette to Greyhound
- December 9: She arrived in San Diego on a bus from Los Angeles at 6 a.m. and moved in with Dorothy French at 2750 Camino Pradero, [Pacific] Beach, San Diego, Cal. She lived there with Mrs. [E]lvera French and her daughter dorothy French and her son [Cory] French.
• December 13: Bette has date with unidentified naval officer
• December c. 15: Bette writes letter to Ann Toth asking for $20 stake
• December 16: Bette meets Robert Manley (San Diego)
• Decembcr 21: Manley goes by Frenches looking for Bette (Pacific Beach)
• December 22: Bette receives letter and $100 from Fickling (Pacific Beach)
• December 24: Bette has dinner at home of Frank Dominguez (San Diego)
• December 25: Bette celebrates Christmas with the Frenches (Pacific Beach)
• December 31: Bette has date with Frank Dominguez (San Diego)
1947
• January 1: Bette spends New Year's Day with the Frenches (Pacific Beach)
• January 2: Bette receives two phone calls (next door); one from Los Angeles
• January 7: Bette receives telegram from Red (Pacific Beach)
• January 7: Bette dates Sam Navarra (San Diego)
• January 7: Two men and a woman looking for Bette at French home
- January 8: She went to the Mecca Hotel in San diego with Robert Manley Note; They registered as Robert Manley, Mountain View and Eliz. Short, Chicago]
• Januery 8 or 9: Mark Hansen receives phone call from Bette.
• January 9: Fickling receives nine-page letter from Bette: tells Fickling she is going to Chicago for modeling job with "Jack"
• January 9: Robert Manley and Elizabeth Short stop at Sheldon's Café before leaving Pacific Beach; Robert Manley drives Bette to Greyhound Bus Depot in Los Angeles where she leaves her suitcase in locker: at 6:30 or 6:45 Manley drops her off at the Biltmore Hote1; three people see Bette in the lobby
– January 9: She was seen to leave the Biltmore Hotel and walk south on Olive Street by Harold Studholme, the Biltmore Bell Captain, residence, 427 Magnolia St., S. Pasadena
– January 9: At night she was seen by bartender and two other persons in the Crown Jewel Cocktail Lounge, formerly known as Broox's Cocktail Lounge at Eight and Olive, Los Angeles
• January 14: Lynn Martin visits Sunset Strip auto designer; is heard sobbing in motel room
• January 15, 6:30 AM Bob Meyer sees 1936/37 black Ford sedan stop near vacant lot 39th and Norton
• January 15, 10:30 AM: Betty Bersinger sees "two pieces of mannequin" in vacant lot: calls police