1924: Greeks vote for abolition of monarchy, country becomes republic.

1935: Monarchy restored.

1936: General Metaxas appointed prime minister by king, establishes right-wing dictatorship.

1940: Mussolini's forces attack Greece from Italian-held Albania, but are repelled.

1941: Metaxas dies. Greece falls to Germany. More than 100,000 die in famine. King George II and government flee to Egypt.

1942-1944: Fierce resistance to the occupation by communist and royalist factions alike.

1944: British and Greek forces combine to force Nazi withdrawal. With backing from Britaib, Georgios Papandreou becomes primeminister. Communists protest. Tensions rise and there is sporadic violence.

1946-1949: Royalist parties win elections, restore monarchy. Ensuing civil war ends with defeat of communist forces.

1952: New constitution declares Greece a parliamentary democracy with a monarch as head of state. Greece joins NATO.

1955: Konstantinos Karamanlis becomes prime minister.

1964: King Constantine II succeeds his father, Paul.

1967: Group of army officers seize power in military coup. Elections are postponed indefinitely and Col. Georgios Papadopoulos takes office as prime minister. Hundreds of political activists are arrested under a regime characterized by brutality and repression.

1973: Greece declared a republic, the monarchy is abolished and Papadopoulos assumes the presidency. Opposition to military rule leads to increasing unrest. Papadopoulos overthrown in bloodless coup by Brigadier-General Demetrios Ioannidis, commander of the military police. He partially restores civilian rule but retains large measure of power.

1974: An Athens-backed coup against President Makarios of Cyprus is followed by Turkish invasion and occupation of north of the island.Ioannidis government collapses. Exiled Karamanlis recalled and sworn in as prime minister. Referendum rejects restoration of monarchy.

1975: New constitution declares Greece a parliamentary republic with some executive powers vested in a president.

1980: Karamanlis elected president.

1981: Greece joins EU. Andreas Papandreou's Socialist Party (Pasok) wins elections.

1985: Karamanlis resigns in protest at government plans to reduce powers of president. Christow Sartzetakis becomes head of state.

1986: Constitutional amendment transfers some of president's powers to the legislature.

1990: Centre-right New Democracy party forms government under party leader Constantine Mitzotakis.

1991: Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia declares independence. Greece objects to name and flag of Republic of Macedonia on grounds they imply territorial claims to the Greek province of Macedonia.

1993: Election returns Papandreou to power.

1995: Relations with Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYRoM) normalized.

1996: Tension flares between Greece and Turkey over disputed Aegean islet.

1999: Earthquake hits Athens - dozens killed, thousands left homeless.

2000: Greek Supreme Court upholds ruling that Germany must pay around $27m dollars in damages to survivors and relatives of victims of Nazi massacre of civilians at village of Distomo in 1944. It also permits confiscation of German state property in Greece if Berlin fails to pay. Germany appeals, saying it paid compensation in the 1960s to victims of the occupation. Senior British diplomat, Brigadier Stephen Saunders, shot dead in Athens by left-wing guerrilla group November 17.

2001: On a visit to Greece, Pope John Paul II asks for forgiveness for sins committed by Roman Catholics against the Orthodox faith. The Pope mentions in particular the sacking of Constantinople (present-day Istanbul) by Catholic crusaders in 1204.

2002-: Euro replaces drachma.Greek and Turkish governments sign an agreement to build a gas pipeline along which Turkey will supply Greece with gas.Suspected leader and several suspected members of November 17 terror group arrested after one of them is injured, allegedly by his own bomb, and agrees to provide information to police. Trial of suspected November 17 terror group opens.