6th  — 7th centuries	Penetration of Slavs into the territory of future Belarus
862	First mention of Polotsk in the chronicle “Tale of the Bygone Years”
10th century	The city of Polotsk becomes the predominant center of power on Belarusian territory, competing with Novgorod and Kiev
988	Christianisation of Kiev by Prince Vladimir
1044–1066	Erection in Polotsk of St. Sophia Cathedral as a symbol of independent power
1067	The bloody battle on the Nemiga River. First mention of the city of Minsk — now Belarus’ capital
1020 — 1173	Life of St. Euphrosinia, granddaughter of Prince Vseslav; enlightener & God defender of Belarus
1161	The jeweller Lazar Bogsha, creates the Cross for Euphrosinia which is treated as the most respected Belarusian object of worship
1240 — 1263	Rule of Duke Mindovg, who consolidates east Lithuanian & west Belarusian territories into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (GDL) with the capital in Novogrudok
1315 — 1341	Rule of Grand Duke Gedemin, who transfers the capital of GDL to Vilnya (Vilnius) in 1323. Grand Duke Jagaylo concludes a personal union with Poland by marring the Polish queen & promising to catholicise Lithuania
1392	Grand Duke Vitovt is recognized by King Jagaylo as the independent ruler of the Grand Duchy
1410	The Great Battle of Gruenwald, during which the united armies of Poland and the Grand Duchy crushed the Germans of the Teutonic Order
1432, 1434, 1447	Royal Charters establish equality of feudal lords of both Catholic & Orthodox confessions
1468	King Kazimir’s Code of Laws (Statute of Kazimir), the first code of criminal & procedural laws of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (written in Belarusian) in which punishment is individualized
1498	The city of Polotsk is granted the Magdeburg Law of Rule
1499	The city of Minsk is granted the Magdeburg Law of Rule
Early 16th century	First Belarusian printing shop in Vilnya
1517	Luther’s “95 Theses” precipitate the Protestant Reformation
1517 — 1519	Francisk Skorina of Polotsk translates & publishes the Bible in Belarusian in Prague
1569	Political union of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania with Poland establishing the Commonwealth of Poland. Arrival of the first Jesuits in Vilnya; start of the Counter–Reformation in the Grand Duchy
1577	The city of Mogilev is granted the Magdeburg Law of Rule
1581	The city of Pinsk is granted the Magdeburg Law of Rule
1597	The city of Vitebsk is granted the Magdeburg Law of Rule
1654 — 1667	War of the Commonwealth with Russia
1668	Russo–Polish “Eternal Peace”
1696	By a decision of the Warsaw General Confederation, the Russian (old Belarusian) language is replaced by Polish in official documents of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
1772, 1793, 1795	Three partitions of the Polish Commonwealth among Russia, Prussia & Austria. All of Belarus is incorporated into the Russian Empire
1776	Most Belarusian cities & towns are deprived of their Magdeburg Law of Rule
1794	Anti–Russian uprising led by Tadeush Kosciusko
1812	Napoleon’s march into Russia
1861	Abolition of serfdom in Russia
1863 — 1864	Massive anti–tsarist uprising in Poland, Belarus & Lithuania led in Belarus by Kastus Kalinovsky
1882–1942	life of Yanka Kupala, people’s poet & national prophet of Belarus
1882–1956	life of Yakub Kolas, one of the greatest poet of future Belarus & public
1914	The beginning of the World War I
1917, April	The Russian Revolution causes Tsar Nickolay II to abdicate
1917	Great October Socialist Revolution
1919, January	The Foundation of the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic
1922, January	The Foundation of the USSR
1939, September	The beginning of the World War II
1941 — 1944	The German Occupation Of Belarus results in the deaths of 2.2 mln people, the destruction of 209 cities & township & 9,200 villages and uncounted material losers
1945, April	Belarus becomes one of the United Nation’s member
1991, August 25	Belarus declared independence
1991, December 8	Russia, Belarus & Ukraine form the Commonwealth of the Independent States. The USSR comes to a virtual end
1994, July 10	Alexander Lukashenko becomes the First President of the Republic of Belarus
1996, November 24	The new editing of the 1994 Constitution is adopted
1997, April	The treaty to form the Union Russia–Belarus is signed
1999, December 8	The President of the Republic of Belarus Lukashenko A.G. & the President of Russia Eltsyn B.N. sign the treaty about the formation of the Common State.
2000, January 26	Belarus & the Russian Federation exchange deeds about ratifying the Treaty about the formation of the Common State
2001, September 9	Lukashenko A.G. for the second time becomes the President of the Republic of Belarus