500 BCPossibly the first settles arrive on the islands.

1152 ADConversion to Islam; start of the sultanate.

1558The Maldivian nation enters a dark era under the Portuguese that lasts for approximately 15 years.

1573Portuguese rule comes to an end after a successful Maldivian uprising.

1752The Ali Rajas attack the archipelago, kidnap the sultan and take over the islands. Their victory is short-lived and after a few weeks the Maldivians gain their independence again.

1887Maldives becomes a British protectorate.

1932The first constitution is drawn but discarded in 1939.

1953Maldives becomes a republic after abolishing the sultanate, but the country reverts back to the sultanate shortly afterwards.

1956The British lease the island of Gan in the southern-most atoll of Seenu (Addu).

1957Ibrahim Nasir is elected prime minister. He changes the conditions of the lease on Gan and demands that the British stop employing local labour.

1959Objecting to Nasir’s changes, the inhabitants of the three southernmost atolls protest against the government. They form the United Suvadive Islands and elect a president, Abdulla Afif Didi.

1962Nasir dispatches gunboats to end the rebellion in the southern atolls. Afif Didi other leaders are banished to different islands.

1965The British relinquish protectorate status. Maldives becomes independent.

1968The second republic is formed with Ibrahim Nasir as president.

1972The country is opened to tourism.

1974On 24th June a crowd gathers to protest against the rising food prices. Nasir orders the police to open fire.

1978Fearing for his life, Nasir retires to Singapore. Abdul Gayyoom is elected the new president. He denounces Nasir’s regime and banishes its corrupt members.

1980An attempted coup against coup Gayyoom fails and more people are banished including foreign mercenaries.

1988Gayyoom is re-elected for his third term of office. A few months later local businessmen, aided by Sri Lankan mercenaries, try to overthrow the government. The National Security Service manages to apprehend the perpetrators.

1993President Abdul Gayyoom is re-elected for the fourth term.

1998President Abdul Gayyoom is re-elected for the fifth term.

2003President Abdul Gayyoom is re-elected for the sixth term.