c 19,000 BC		First humans arrive in Canada from across the Bering Straits land bridge.
c 13,000 BC		More settlers arrive in Canada from Europe via the northern ice sheet.
c 1000 AD		Vikings from Greenland explore Newfoundland and establish a short-lived colony.
1481		British fishermen known to be fishing off Newfoundland.
1497		British-based navigator John Cabot explores and names Newfoundland.
1534		French explorers discover the Gulf of St Lawrence and claim it for France.
1583		Newfoundland becomes England's first overseas colony.
1600		Native Indian and Inuit population numbers about 200,000.
1605		First permament settlement founded by the French at Port Royal. Colonised territories in eastern Canada soon named Arcadia.
1608		Quebec City founded.
1610		Hudson Bay discovered.
1627		Company of New France founded to exploit French colonies in North America.
1663		French government takes direct control of French colonies in Canada.
1670		Hudson Bay Company founded in England to promote colonisation and trade in Canada.
11 April 1713		Peace of Utrecht sees Britain acquire most of Arcadia, Newfoundland and the territory around Hudson Bay.
1755		French Arcadians in Nova Scotia deported for refusing a oath of loyalty to the king.
1756		Start of global Seven Years War between Britain and France. Each side recruited Native Indian troops as local allies in the French and Indian War.
1759		Quebec seized by British forces. Montreal captured the following year.
10 Feb 1763		Treaty of Paris ends Seven Years War and sees all French territory in Canada passed to Britain. New France becomes Quebec.
22 June 1774		Quebec Act establishes permament government in Canada and grants legal and religous concessions to French speakers.
1775		Canada remains loyal during American War of Independence.
1776-1783		40,000 United Empire Loyalists emigrate from USA to Canada.
1812		War of 1812 between Britain and USA. Several invasions of Canada repulsed.
20 Oct 1818		Convention of 1818 establishes the 49th parallel as USA-Canada border west of the Great Lakes.
1841		Upper and Lower Canada united as United Province of Canada.
1846-1850		Economic depression hits Canada.
1854		First US-Canada trade treaty agreed.
1 July 1867		Canadian provinces united as self-governing Dominion of Canada.
1885		Canadian Pacific Railway completed - linking east and west coasts.
1890		European immigrants begin arriving in large numbers.
1897		Klondike gold rush begins in Yukon Territory.
August 1914		Canada joins First World War on the side of Britain and France.
11 December 1931		Canada becomes a sovereign state within the British Commonwealth.
September 1939		Canada joins World War Two on the side of the Allies.
4 April 1949		Canada becomes a founder member of NATO.
1950		Canadian forces support the United Nations in the Korean War.
1965		Maple Leaf flag adopted as the national flag.
June 1980		Quebec votes against separatism.
17 April 1982		UK transfers final legal powers relating to Canada. New constitution adopted.
1 January 1989		Free Trade Agreement with USA comes into effect.
1991		Canada participates on First Gulf War.
1994		North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) comes into effect.
1995		Further referendum in Quebec rejects independence by only 1%.
January 2002		Canada becomes third-largest contributor to forces for invasion of Afghanistan.
March 2003		Canada chooses not to join USA in Second Gulf War.