c.3000BC Evidence of first settlement around the Acropolis
1400BC The Acropolis becomes a royal fortress
620BC Draco formalises the laws of Athens and Attica
594-593BC The birth of democracy under the constitution of Solon
490BC The Battle of Marathon. Athens defeats the Persians
480BC Persian invasion of Athens
479BC Defeat of the Persians at Plataea by Greek force led by the Spartans
461BC Pericles replaces Cimon as the ruler of Athens
461-429BC The Golden Age under Pericles. Construction of the Parthenon and other Classical buildings
431BC Start of the Peloponnesian War against Sparta
430-428BC Plague wipes out a quarter of Athens' population including Pericles (429BC)
404BC Peloponnesian War with Sparta ends in defeat
338BC Philip II of Macedon conquers Athens and other Greek states
336BC Murder of Philip and succession of his son, Alexander the Great
336-323BC Expansion of the Macedonian Empire under Alexander through the Mediterranean and Middle East as far as India
146BC Roman Empire subjugates Macedonian rulers; Athens is incorporated into the province of Achaia
200BC-AD300 Roman rule in Greece
AD50 Paul the Apostle visits Athens to preach
AD330 Foundation of the Byzantine Empire by Constantine I as successor to the Roman Empire
AD395 Athens captured by Visigoths
AD529 Schools of Neo-Platonic philosophy closed by Justinian I, temples reconsecrated as Christian churches
1204 Franks and Venetians capture Constantinople and divide Greece between them
1456-1821 Athens under Ottoman rule from Constantinople
1687 Venetians besiege the Acropolis
1821 Hellenic rebellion against Turkish occupation
1821-29 The Greek War of Independence
1832 Prince Otto of Bavaria is selected by Western powers as king of the modern Greek state
1834 Capital of modern Greece transfers from Náfplio in the Peloponnese to Athens
1896 First modern Olympic Games held in Athens
1917 Greece joins the Allied forces and enters World War I
1920-23 Greece at war with Turkey
1923 End of Greek–Turkish war sees massive influx of Greek refugees from Asia Minor to Athens and Piraeus
1940 General Metaxas refuses Mussolini's fleet access to Greek ports in a now famous one word rebuttal – 'Óhi' (no)
1941 40,000 Athenians die in severe food shortages caused by the German and Italian occupation
1944 Liberation of Greece
1944-49 Greek Civil War
1967 Military coup results in the exile of King Constantine I. Greece ruled by Colonel Papadopoulos
1974 Overthrow of the military junta
1975 Republican constitution inaugurated
1981 Greece joins the European Union
1985 Athens becomes Europe's first Cultural Capital
1998 Devaluation of the drachma to prepare for European monetary union
2004 Athens hosts the Olympic Games