8th century Kingdom of the Svear, based near Uppsala, extended its rule across much of southern Sweden.
9th–11th centuries Swedish Vikings raided and settled along the rivers of Russia.
c. 1000 Olaf Skötkonung, king of the Svear, adopted Christianity and united much of Sweden (except south and west coasts, which remained Danish until 17th century).
11th–13th centuries Sweden existed as isolated kingdom under the Stenkil, Sverker, and Folkung dynasties; series of crusades incorporated Finland.
1397 Union of Kalmar: Sweden, Denmark, and Norway united under single monarch; Sweden effectively ruled by succession of regents.
1448 Breach with Denmark: Sweden alone elected Charles VIII as king.
1523 Gustavus Vasa, leader of insurgents, became king of fully independent Sweden.
1527 Swedish Reformation: Gustavus confiscated Church property and encouraged Lutherans.
1544 Swedish crown became hereditary in House of Vasa.
1592–1604 Sigismund Vasa, a Catholic, was king of both Sweden and Poland until ousted from Swedish throne by his Lutheran uncle Charles IX.
17th century Sweden, a great military power under Gustavus Adolphus 1611–32, Charles X 1654–60, and Charles XI 1660–97, fought lengthy wars with Denmark, Russia, Poland, and Holy Roman Empire.
1720 Limited monarchy established; political power passed to Riksdag (parliament) dominated by nobles.
1721 Great Northern War ended with Sweden losing nearly all its conquests of the previous century.
1741–43 Sweden defeated in disastrous war with Russia; further conflict 1788–90.
1771–92 Gustavus III increased royal power and introduced wide-ranging reforms.
1809 Russian invaders annexed Finland; Swedish nobles staged coup and restored powers of Riksdag.
1810 Napoleonic marshal, Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, elected crown prince of Sweden, as Charles XIII had no heir.
1812 Bernadotte allied Sweden with Russia against France.

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