1919 Born in Sheerness

1935 Exhibits with South London Group 

1938 Studies painting at the Royal Academy

1939 Wins Gold Medal for painting at the Royal Academy

1940 Shows at Royal Academy Exhibition

1944 Tower marries Maureen McManus

1946 Enrols at Slade School of Art, is introduced to English slipware

1948 Takes classes in ceramics under William Newland at the London         Institute

1949 Illustrates The Farm Theotime by Henri Bosco

1951 First exhibition with Gimpel Fils (continues to show with Gimpel Fils till the 1980s) 

1966 Becomes head of Fine Art at Brighton College of Art

1978 Solo Show, Gimpel Fils, Ceramics 

1980 Solo Show, New York, Art Latitude, James Tower, Ceramic Sculpture.

Solo Show, James Tower, Gimpel Fils, London

1982 Solo Show, James Tower, Gimpels Fils, London

1986 Gimpel Fils, Christmas show, James Tower Ceramics, London

Group show, Artist Potters Now, Museum of Oxford, Oxford

1987 Craftsmen Potters Association, New Members Show, London

1988 Dies of heart failure 

1988 Crafts Council Gallery (and tour), Craft Classics since the 1940's

1998 James Tower - A Retrospective Exhibition, Hove Museum and Art Gallery

1995 Retrospective at Crafts Council Gallery (and tour) 

Out of This World: The Influence of Nature in Craft and Design 1880-1995, Crafts Council Gallery, London

1998 Shape and Surface, De la Warr Pavilion, Bexhill-on-Sea, curated by Timothy Wilcox 

2004 Solo show, Peter Scott Gallery, Lancaster University, Lancaster

2012 James Tower and Contemporary Ceramics, Gimpel Fils, London

2014 Solo Show, James Tower, Erskine Hall & Coe, London

2015 20th Century Ceramics, Erskine Hall & Coe, London

International Ceramics, Erskine Hall & Coe, London