60BC Julius Caesar makes Olisipo (present-day Lisbon) the western capital of the Roman Empire
AD711-16 Moors invade the Iberian peninsula, eventually capturing Lisbon; under their rule, 'Lishbuna' gradually becomes an important town
1147 Afonso Henriques expels the Moors with help from the crusaders after the Siege of Lisbon
1150 The Sé (Cathedral) is founded
1260 Alfonso III moves Portugal's capital from Coimbra to Lisbon
1494 Treaty of Tordesillas is signed, dividing the 'new world' between Spain and Portugal
1495-1521 Reign of Manuel I – Portugal's Golden Age of wealth and power
1496 Jews are expelled by Manuel I
1497 Vasco da Gama discovers sea route to India
1500 Portugal discovers Brazil
1580 Spanish take possession of Portugal; Philip II of Spain is crowned Felipe I of Portugal
1 Dec 1640 Portuguese nobles revolt against the Spanish
1640-56 King João IV, first of the Bragança dynasty, rules Portugal
1668 Spain accepts Portugal's independence under the Treaty of Lisbon
1 Nov 1755 The Great Earthquake; subsequent fires and tidal wave destroy most of the city centre
1755-56 Marquês de Pombal sets about rebuilding Lisbon and modernising the Government
1807 Napoleon's army enters Lisbon; the royal family escapes to Brazil, leaving Portugal under the protection of Wellington and Beresford
1811 Napoleon's forces are driven out of Lisbon
1821 King João VI returns from Brazil
1901 Lisbon's trams begin operating
1908 Dictatorial king Dom Carlos is assassinated, but the Republican coup fails
1910 The monarchy is overthrown and King Manuel II takes exile in Britain
1932-68 Dr António de Oliveira Salazar rules what is essentially a police state as prime minister
Apr 1974 Major Otelo Saraiva de Carvalho leads the Movimento das Forças Armadas in a bloodless coup
1974 New government gives colonies independence; a partial result is a huge influx of refugees
1986 Portugal joins the European Community
1988 Fire destroys much of the Chiado district
1994 Lisbon is elected European City of Culture
1998 Lisbon hosts Expo98 (The Oceans, a Heritage for the Future)
1 Jan 1999 Portugal joins the European Monetary Union
2004 Lisbon hosts the European Football Championships