Key Dates in Myanmar History

1000 BC - 1500s AD
•    (1000BC) Tharay Kittarar (Srikittra) Pyu City State founded 
•    (518BC) Kingdom of Waytharlee founded 
•    (107 AD) Bagan Dynasty began as a city-state 
•    (1044 - 1077) King Anawrahtar organized the entire country into a single                 sovereign nation - the founding of the First Myanmar Empire 
•    (1044 - 1077) King Anawrahtar founded first unified Burmese state at Pagan,           Theravada Buddhism was adopted 
•    (1287) Bagan Dynasty fell. Many pagodas in Bagan were destroyed to use the         bricks to build forts in defense against Genghis Khan's Mongolian troops 
•    (1287) Second Myanmar Empire founded, the Hantharwaddy (Bago) Dynasty 
•    (1309) Pinya Dynasty founded 
•    (1315) Sagaing Dynasty founded 
•    (1364) Innwa Dynasty founded 
•    (1486) TaungNgoo Dynasty founded 
•    (1531) During Toungoo Dynasty, Portuguese helped reunite Burma 

1700 - 1800 
•    (1752) Third Myanmar Empire, the Konbaung Dynasty, founded 
•    (1824 - 1826) First Anglo-Burmese War 
•    (1826) Treaty of Yandabo ended the war. Burma ceded Arakan coastal strip to         British India 
•    (1852) Second Anglo-Burmese War 
•    (1852) Britain annexed lower Burma 
•    (1852) King Mindon nationalized petroleum production 
•    (1853 - 1878) During King Mindon's reign, the industrial revolution occurred 
•    (1885) In the Third Anglo-Burmese War, Britain captured all of Myanmar,                 made it a province of British India 

1900s
•    (1937) Britain separated Burma from India, made it a crown colony 
•    (1942) Japan invaded, occupied Burma 
•    (1945) Burma liberated from occupation by British and the Anti-Fascist                     People's Freedom League (AFPFL), led by Aung San 
•    (1947) Aung San and six members of his government assassinated by political         opponents led by U Saw
•    (1948) Burma became independent, U Nu became prime minister
•    (1958 - 1960) Chief of Staff General Ne Win formed caretaker government                following a split in the ruling party
•    (1960) U Nu's party won elections. Military angered by his promotion of                   Buddhism as the state religion
•    (1962) U Nu ousted in a coup led by General Ne Win
•    (1962) General Ne Win abolished federal system, inaugurated "Burmese Way          to Socialism", nationalized the economy, formed single-party state with                  Socialist Programme Party as a sole political party, banned independent                  newspapers 
•    (1974) New constitution came into effect. Power transferred from armed                 forces to People's Assembly headed by Ne Win, other military leaders 
•    (1975) Guerilla insurgencies mounted by Opposition National Democratic               Front 
•    (1982) Ne Win relinquished the presidency to San Yu 
•    (1987) Devaluation of currency wiped out people's savings, caused anti-                   government riots 
•    (1988) Thousands killed in anti-government riots 
•    (1988) State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) formed 
•    (1989) SLORC declared martial law, arrested thousands, named Burma                     Myanmar, capital Rangoon changed to Yangon 
•    (1989) Aung San Suu Kyi, NLD leader and daughter of Aung San, put under               house arrest 
•    (1990) Opposition National League for Democracy won a victory in general             elections 
•    (1991) Aung San Suu Kyi awarded Nobel Peace Prize for commitment to                   peaceful change 
•    (1992) Than Shwe replaced Saw Maung as SLORC chairman, prime minister,           defense minister
•    (1992) To improve Burma's international image, several political prisoners               were freed 
•    (1995) After six years, Aung San Suu Kyi released from house arrest 
•    (1996) Aung San Suu Kyi attended first NLD congress since her arrest 
•    (1997) Burma admitted to the Association of South East Asian Nations                     (ASEAN) 
•    (1997) SLORC renamed to State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) 
•    (1998) Ruling council refused to comply with the NLD deadline for convening          Parliament 

2000s
•    (2000) Aung San Suu Kyi began secret talks with the ruling council 
•    (2001) Shan rebels clashed with the Burmese army on the Thai border 
•    (2001) President of China, Jiang Zemin visited, urged economic reform 
•    (2002) Aung San Suu Kyi released after 20 months of house arrest, taken into         protective custody after clashes between her supporters and the                               government
•    (2003) Khin Nyunt became prime minister, proposed drafting a new                           constitution
•    (2004) Constitutional convention began, Aung San Suu Kyi's NLD party                     boycotted
•    (2004) Khin Nyunt replaced as prime minister, placed under house arrest
•    (2005) Seat of government moved to a new site near Pyinmana
•    (2007) Burma and North Korea restored diplomatic ties after 24 years 
•    (2007) Aung San Suu Kyi's house arrest extended for another year 
•    (2007) Fuel price hikes caused public dissent, dozens arrested
•    (2007) National Convention closed after 14 years of constitutional talks 
•    (2007) Aung San Suu Kyi allowed to leave the house to greet Buddhist monks         protesting in Rangoon against government 
•    (2008) Series of bomb blasts hit the country 
•    (2008) New constitution allocated one-quarter of seats in parliament to the           military and banned Aung San Suu Kyi from holding office 
•    (2008) 134,000 died after Cyclone Nargis hit Irrawaddy delta 
•    (2008) Aung San Suu Kyi's house arrested renewed 
•    (2008) Despite protests, the government signed consortium to pipe natural             gas into China 
•    (2009) Thailand expelled hundreds of members of Burma's Muslim Rohingya 
•    (2009) NLD offered to participate in planned elections if the government                 freed all political prisoners, changed the constitution and allowed                             international observers 
•    (2009) Aung San Suu Kyi convicted of breaching terms of house arrest,                     sentenced to additional 18 months house arrest 
•    (2009) Aung San Suu Kyi began talks with military leaders, allowed to meet             with Western diplomats 
•    (2010) Government changed the country's flag, national anthem, and official         name
•    (2010) Military-backed party, Union Solidarity and Development Party won in         the first election held in 20 years 
•    (2010) Aung San Suu Kyi released from house arrest 
•    (2011) Thein Sein sworn in as president 
•    (2011) President Thein Sein suspended construction of controversial                         hydroelectric dam 
•    (2011) Some political prisoners freed 
•    (2011) New laws allowing labor unions passed 
•    (2011) Aung San Suu Kyi announced she would stand in the election to                     parliament
•    (2011) President Thein Sein signed a law allowing peaceful demonstrations 
•    (2011) NLD re-registered as a political party in advance of 2012 elections 
•    (2012) Aung San Suu Kyi elected to parliament
•    (2012) In a series of prisoner amnesties, most important dissidents were                 released
•    (2012) NLD boycotted parliament due to oath of office for MPs, UN's                         Secretary-General urged President Thein Sein and Aung San Suu Kyi to work           as partners on the path to change
•    (2012) Indian Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, signed 12 agreements to               strengthen trade and diplomatic ties, provided for border area development,         the establishment of Indian credit line
•    (2012) Pre-publication censorship abolished
•    (2012) European Commission offered more than $100 million in                                 development aid to Myanmar
•    (2013) Burmese army launched an attack on Kachin rebels near the Chinese           border, breaking the ceasefire
•    (2013) 12 people were killed in riots between Muslims and Buddhists south           of Mandalay, several mosques were burned down 
•    (2013) President Thein Sein announced that all political prisoners would be             released by the end of the year
•    (2014) Protesters in Yangon called for the abolition of repressive laws, end to         political arrests