September, 2009 (?) - The Naval Academy Museum, at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD, is planning a solo-exhibition of O'Brien's work.

September, 2008 - The Union League Club in New York City will host a solo-exhibition of O'Brien's work entitled New York in the Age of Sail.

April, 2008 - O'Brien delivers a lecture entitled Recreating the Age of Fighting Sail at the opening of the Modern Marine Masters show at the Mystic Seaport in Connecticut.

April, 2008 - O'Brien's painting The Naval Academy in 1908 is used on the cover of Naval History magazine, published by the US Naval Institute.

March, 2008 - A production crew for The History Channel films O'Brien in his studio.

February, 2008 - Three of O'Brien's paintings are shown at the Union League Club in New York City.

December, 2007 - A fire at a gallery in Portsmouth, VA destroys some of O'Brien's work.

October-December, 2007 - A gallery in Virginia hosts a solo-exhibition of O'Brien's work entitled The Civil War at Sea.

September, 2007 - O'Brien's new paintings of Civil War maritime scenes are featured in a four-page cover article in Sea History magazine, published by the National Maritime Historical Society.

September, 2007 - O'Brien's painting of the Battle of the Chesapeake is featured on the cover of the catalog for the 2007 Mystic International Marine Art Exhibition.

April, 2007 - O'Brien's painting of the Civil War battle of the ironclads is used on the cover of Naval History magazine, published by the US Naval Institute.

March, 2007 - Baltimore's NPR station, WYPR, produces a 13-minute radio segment about O'Brien and his work.

February, 2007 - O'Brien's book The Mutiny on the Bounty is published. It is his tenth nonfiction picture book for children.

December, 2006 - The Baltimore Sun runs an article about O'Brien as he works on a large commissioned painting of the Battle of the Chesapeake Bay.

November, 2006 - O'Brien is featured in The Artist's Magazine.