1607 First successful English colony in Virginia marked start of three centuries of overseas expansion.
1610 James I established plantation of Ulster in Northern Ireland with Protestant settlers from England and Scotland.
1642-52 English Civil War between king and Parliament, with Scottish intervention and Irish rebellion, resulted in victory for Parliament.
1649 Execution of Charles I; Oliver Cromwell appointed Lord Protector in 1653; monarchy restored in 1660.
1689 Glorious Revolution confirmed power of Parliament; replacement of James II by William III resisted by Scottish Highlanders and Catholic Irish.
1707 Act of Union between England and Scotland created United Kingdom of Great Britain, governed by single parliament.
1721-42 Cabinet government developed under Robert Walpole (first prime minister).
1745 The Forty-Five: rebellion of Scottish Highlanders in support of Jacobite pretender to throne; defeated 1746.
c. 1760-1850 Industrial Revolution: Britain became world's first industrial nation.
1775-83 American Revolution: Britain lost 13 American colonies; empire continued to expand in Canada, India, and Australia.
1793-1815 Britain at war with revolutionary France, except for 1802-03.

1800 Act of Union created United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, governed by single parliament; effective 1801.
1832 Great Reform Act extended franchise; further extensions in 1867, 1884, 1918, and 1928.
1846 Repeal of Corn Laws reflected shift of power from landowners to industrialists.
1870 Home Rule Party formed to campaign for restoration of separate Irish parliament.
1880-90s Rapid expansion of British Empire in Africa.
1906-14 Liberal governments introduced social reforms and curbed power of House of Lords.
1914-18 Major UK military involvement in World War I; British Empire expanded in Middle East.
1919-21 Anglo-Irish war ended with secession of southern Ireland as Irish Free State; Ulster remained within United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (with some powers devolved to Northern Irish parliament).
1924 First Labour government led by Ramsay MacDonald.
1926 General strike arose from coal dispute. Equality of status recognized between UK and Dominions of British Commonwealth.
1931 National Government coalition formed in face of growing economic crisis.
1939-45 Major UK military involvement in World War II.
1945-51 Labour government of Clement Attlee created welfare state and nationalized major industries.
1947-71 Decolonization brought about end of British Empire.
1969 Start of civil strife (the Troubles) in Northern Ireland; Northern Irish Parliament suspended in 1972.
1973 UK joined European Community.
1979-90 Conservative government of Margaret Thatcher pursued radical free-market economic policies.
1982 Victory in war with Argentina over disputed sovereignty of Falkland Islands in south Atlantic.
1984-85 Year-long coalminers' strike over pit closures.
1991 British participation in US-led war against Iraq under United Nations mandate to liberate Kuwait from occupation.
early 1990s Economic recession.
1993 Downing Street Declaration on Northern Ireland by British and Irish governments.
1994 IRA and Protestant paramilitaries declared ceasefire in Northern Ireland.
1996 IRA renewed terrorist campaign.
1997 Labour Party led by Tony Blair won landslide general election victory; launch of new Northern Ireland peace initiative; referendums in Scotland and Wales in favour of devolution; Princess Diana killed in car crash.

1998 Historic multiparty Good Friday Agreement reached on future of Northern Ireland; approved in referendums in Northern Ireland and Irish Republic.
1999 Devolved Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly opened. In Northern Ireland IRA agreed to discuss arms decommissioning and power devolved to elected assembly and executive.
2000 Wave of disruptive protests over high fuel prices caused petrol shortage throughout UK.
2001 Outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease affecting farm livestock resulted in slaughter of over 2 million animals. Labour Party under Tony Blair re-elected. In wake of 11 September terrorist attacks on USA, British forces joined US-led military campaign against Islamist Taliban regime in Afghanistan.
2002 Queen Mother died. In Northern Ireland continuing controversy over lack of IRA arms decommissioning led to suspension of devolved administration and reimposition of direct rule by British government.

2003-04 Britain joined US-led military intervention in Iraq to depose Saddam Hussein regime despite domestic and international opposition; controversy over alleged government distortion of intelligence information on security threat posed by Iraq.
2005 Labour Party won third consecutive general election but with reduced majority. British Islamic extremists killed over 50 people in suicide bomb attacks on London transport network. IRA formally announced end to its armed campaign.
2007 Progress in Northern Ireland: unionist and republican politicians reached agreement on restoration of power-sharing devolved government. UK government announced first large withdrawal of British troops from Iraq since invasion in 2003. Tony Blair stood down as prime minister after ten years in office; replaced by former chancellor of Exchequer Gordon Brown.