18th/19th century - Russian Empire swallows up large area of modern-day Georgia

1864 - Abkhazia annexed by Russian Empire

1918 - Georgia declares independence

1921 - Red Army invades and Georgia becomes a Soviet Socialist Republic. Abkhazia named an Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic

1931 - Stalin orders Abkhazia incorporated into the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic

1989 - Around 20 Georgian pro-independence activists killed by Soviet troops in Tbilisi

Georgians and Ossetians clash over demands for greater autonomy for South Ossetia

1990 - Nationalist politician Zviad Gamsakhurdia takes power in Georgia

1991 - Georgian people vote overwhelmingly for independence in a referendum. Georgia leaves Soviet Union. Gamsakhurdia elected president

1992 - Fighting breaks out in Tbilisi between government and opposition troops. Gamsakhurdia deposed and Eduard Shevardnadze takes power. Separatist troops in Abkhazia engage Georgian forces

1993 - Georgian troops driven out of Abkhazia after fierce fighting

1994 - Ceasefire signed between Tbilisi and Abkhaz separatists. Russian peacekeepers begin to patrol the disputed region

2001 - Georgia and Abkhazia sign an agreement against the use of force in their dispute, but series of skirmishes take place later in the year

2003 - Shevardnadze ousted in peaceful "Rose Revolution"

2004

Jan - Mikheil Saakashvili wins presidential elections. Result not recognised by the autonomous southwestern area of Ajaria, whose leader Aslan Abashidze reacts by destroying bridges connecting the area to the rest of Georgia. Saakashvili orders Abashidze to disarm his forces or face removal. Abashidze resigns

May - Tbilisi refuses to recognise parliamentary elections held by South Ossetia. Tensions rise after Georgian troops take part in anti-smuggling manoeuvres in the disputed area

Aug - Clashes between Georgian and South Ossetian soldiers. Abkhazia also holds elections, which are again unrecognised by Tbilisi

2005 - South Ossetia rejects Georgian offer of autonomy. Saakashvili tells Abkhazia that no similar offer will be considered unless Georgian refugees are allowed to resettle in their former homes

2006

Jan - Main pipeline delivering Russian gas to Georgia damaged by explosion on the Russian side of the border. Saakashvili blames Moscow and later accepts gas from Iran

Feb - Georgian parliament votes unanimously for international peacekeepers to replace Russian forces in South Ossetia

Mar - Georgia announces compensation packages for displaced people who lost their property during South Ossetia crisis

May - Georgian and Abkhaz officials hold first meeting of the U.N.-chaired joint Coordinating Council in Tbilisi since 2001. During the meeting, the Abkhaz side hands a new peace plan to Georgian side. Georgians submit their own Abkhaz peace plan to parliament

Jun - International donor conference in Brussels pledges 10 million euros ($12.6 million) toward rebuilding infrastructure in Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone and adjacent areas

Nov - South Ossetia holds referendum intended to reaffirm independence from Georgia. West calls vote illegal, but Russia says it should be respected

2007

Mar - Abkhazia holds parliamentary election, again condemned by Tbilisi as illegal. The results of the poll are inconclusive, electing only 18 members of the 35-seat parliament

Nov - Saakashvili orders police to crush anti-government protests, then declares state of emergency

2008

Jan - Saakashvili wins snap presidential election. Opposition groups say vote was unfair

Apr - Abkhazian and Georgian troops come close to war

Jul - Heightened tension between Georgia and Russia, with several explosions in Abkhazia

Aug - Georgian troops and warplanes pound separatist forces in South Ossetia in bid to re-take control. Russia sends in troops. Two countries wage brief war. Russia signs peace deal and withdraws troops from Georgia. Moscow recognises South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent

Oct - EU monitors start patrolling buffer zones around conflict areas. Russia withdraws troops from areas outside South Ossetia and Abkhazia, leaving 7,600 troops in the breakaway regions

Nov - Shots fired at car carrying President Saakashvili and Polish President Lech Kaczynski near South Ossetia border

2009

Jan - Human Rights Watch says Russian and Georgian troops violated laws of war and South Ossetian forces carried out ethnic cleansing of Georgian villages during August 2008 conflict

Mar - Russia maintains its troops in breakaway regions, in violation of peace deal, and confirms it is establishing military bases in both areas

Apr - Tensions rise between Georgia and Russia

May - South Ossetia holds parliamentary elections, denounced by Tbilisi as illegal. NATO exercises begin in Georgia. U.N. report recommends 12 km demilitarised security zones on both sides of ceasefire line. Russia vetoes plan for new Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) monitors

Jun - Russia holds annual military exercise in North Caucasus