1009 First known mention of Lithuania, in the annals of the monastery of Quedlinburg.
1253 Mindaugas is crowned King of Lithuania.
1674 The nobility elect John Sobieski King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania.
1863 The January Uprising breaks out in Poland, Lithuania and Belarus. The aim of the national movement is to regain Polish-Lithuanian-Ruthenian Commonwealth from occupation by Russia.
1917 Lithuania declares its independence from Russia.
1918 The Council of Lithuania unanimously adopts the Act of Independence, declaring Lithuania an independent state.
1918 Germany, Austria and Russia sign the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk ending Russia's involvement in World War I, and leading to the independence of Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.
1920 The Soviet–Lithuanian Peace Treaty is signed. Soviet Russia recognises independent Lithuania.
1920 The Suwalki Agreement between Poland and Lithuania is signed.
1923 Lithuania seizes and annexes Memel.
1926 Antanas Smetona assumes power in Lithuania as the 1926 coup d'état is successful.
1939 World War II: Germany takes Memel from Lithuania.
1940 A Communist government is installed in Lithuania.
1940 The three Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania fall under the occupation of the Soviet Union.
1940 The United States' Under Secretary of State Sumner Welles issues a declaration on the U.S. non-recognition policy of the Soviet annexation and incorporation of three Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
1941 June deportation, the first major wave of Soviet mass deportations and murder of Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians, begins.
1949 The extensive deportation campaign known as March deportation is conducted in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to force collectivisation by way of terror. The Soviet authorities deport more than 92,000 people from the Baltics to remote areas of the Soviet Union.
1989 Singing Revolution: two million people from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania stand on the Vilnius-Tallinn road, holding hands (Baltic Way).
1990 300,000 march in favor of Lithuanian independence.
1990 Lithuania declares itself independent from the Soviet Union.
1991 Soviet Union military troops attack Lithuanian independence supporters in Vilnius. Killed 14 people and wounding 1000.
1991 Voters in Lithuania vote for independence.
1991 The European Community recognizes the independence of the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
1991 The United States recognize the independence of the Baltic states: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
1991 The Soviet Union recognizes the independence of the Baltic states: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
1991 Estonia, North Korea, South Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, the Marshall Islands and Micronesia join the United Nations.
1992 Lithuania holds a referendum on its first post-Soviet constitution.
2002 NATO invites Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia to become members.
2002 Enlargement of the European Union: The European Union announces that Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia will become members from May 1, 2004.
2004 Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia join NATO as full members.
2004 Rolandas Paksas becomes the first president of Lithuania to be peacefully removed from office by impeachment.
2004 Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia join the European Union, celebrated at the residence of the Irish President in Dublin.
2009 Dalia Grybauskaitė is elected the first female President of Lithuania.