Moldova
1400 - Principality of Moldova established between Carpathian mountains and Dniester river.
1600 - Moldova disputed by Ottoman and Russian empires for 200 years.
1812 - Treaty of Bucharest gave Russia Bessarabia, or eastern Moldova, the area between the River Prut and the west bank of the Dniester. The Ottoman Empire took western Moldova.
1878 - Romania became independent from Ottomans and included western Moldova.
1918 - Bessarabia became independent after the Bolshevik revolution, sought union with Romania.
1920 - Treaty of Paris granted union of Bessarabia with Romania, but not granted by Russia.
1924 - USSR established the Moldovan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic east of the Dniester river within Ukraine.
1939 - Russia and Germany divided Romania, with Bessarabia going to the USSR.
1940 - Russia annexed Bessarabia and combined it with most of the Moldovan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic to form Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic.
1941 - Germany invaded the USSR, created a Romanian puppet regime that included the Moldava.
1986 - Mikhail Gorbachev began era of openness and tolerated Moldovan nationalism.
1989 - Modava made Romanian as the official language, and Latin script replaced the Cyrillic script.
1990 - Moldova declared its sovereignty. The Gagauz people in the southwest declared their independence, followed by the Trans-Dniester region. The central power in Moldova annulled the declarations, but local elections were held nonetheless.
1991 - Moldova declared independence, joined the Commonwealth of Independent States, the successor to the Soviet Union.
1992 - Moldova became a member of the United Nations. An upsurge in fighting in the Trans-Dniester region leads to a state of emergency being re-imposed. Hundreds die in the fighting. Russian peacekeepers are deployed after a ceasefire agreement.
1993 - The leu was introduced to replace the ruble.
1994 - Moldova proclained neutrality in a new constitution proclaims, granted autonomy to Trans-Dniester and the Gagauz region, declared Moldovan the official language.
1996 - Petru Lucinschi elected president.
1997 - Negotiations resumed with Trans-Dniester that held stockpile of Soviet-era weapons. Agreement was signed granting further autonomy and calling for more talks.
1998 - Centrist, reform-minded coalition formed new government, but communists emerging as biggest party.
1999 - OSCE summit in Istanbul set end of 2002 as deadline for withdrawal of Russian troops and ammunition from Trans-Dniester, despite opposition of authorities there.
2001 - In February elections the communists led by Vladimir Voronin won just over 50% of the vote, Voronin became president in April. In December, Trans-Dniester authorities halted withdrawal of Russian arms which had been proceeding in accordance with international agreements.
2002 - In September, Trans-Dniester authorities agreed to allow resumption of Russian withdrawal in exchange for a Russian promise to cut gas debts. The deadline for withdrawal of Russian weapons from Trans-Dniester until was extended into 2004.
2005 - In April, a new parliament returned Vladimir Voronin for second term as president, supported a Ukrainian plan for Trans-Dniester region autonomy within Moldova, and called on Russia to withdraw troops by end of year.
2006 - In September, Dniester referendum vote backed independence from Moldova and a plan eventually to become part of Russia.
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