13th century - Settlements of foreign Muslims and local Islamic communities flourish on Sulu island

1450 - First sultan of Sulu comes to power

1515 - Sharif Kabunsuan arrives in Mindanao and later founds Maguindanao sultanate

1565 - Arrival of General Legaspi marks the beginning of three centuries of Spanish rule in the Philippines

1898 - Spain relinquishes the Philippines to the United States

1946 - Philippine independence

1965 - Ferdinand Marcos comes to power, winning a huge election victory over President Diosdado Macapagal

1968 - Political organisations wage campaigns for the recognition of the rights of Philippine Muslims, or Moros.

Late 1960s - Nur Misuari, a university professor, forms the Mindanao Independence Movement, a Muslim advocacy group

1969 - A military wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, Marxist-Leninist (CPP-ML) - the New People's Army - is formed, and starts fighting for a Marxist state

1972 - Misuari transforms his group into an armed rebel organisation, changing its name to the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), to fight for an independent Muslim state in the south

Marcos declares martial law. Simmering communal conflict in the south becomes civil war

1974 - MNLF gains observer status at the Kuala Lumpur meeting of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC). Malaysia allows the group to set up training sites in Sabah on Borneo's northern tip

1975 - OIC recognises the MNLF as the representative of Philippine Muslims. Marcos starts peace negotiations and lobbies OIC members

1976 - Government and MNLF sign Tripoli Agreement, calling for autonomy in 13 provinces and nine cities. After disagreements, Marcos unilaterally implements Tripoli Agreement, setting up two autonomous regions in south. MNLF refuses to recognise them

1978 - Senior MNLF member, Salamat Hashim, breaks away from Misuari, taking most of the Maguindanao-based MNLF with him

1984 - Hashim forms Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)

1986 Feb - Marcos is removed by "people-power" revolution. Corazon Aquino, wife of an assassinated opposition senator, installed as president. Aquino launches "total war" against NPA, which lasts until 1991, displacing 1.2 million

Early 1990s - Emergence of Abu Sayyaf, another MNLF breakaway group, led by Abdurajak Abubakar Janjalani. It says its aim of an independent religious Islamic state in the south can only be achieved through force

1991 - Abu Sayyaf begins four-year wave of small-scale bombings and kidnappings

1992 - Fidel Ramos, a former army chief-of-staff and national defence secretary, elected president

1995 - Abu Sayyaf's first big assault, in Ipil, a Christian town in Mindanao

1996 - Ramos and MNLF finally settle all questions about implementation of Tripoli Agreement. Ramos then begins talks with the MILF, which drops its demand for an autonomous state

1998 - Joseph Estrada elected president. Leader of Abu Sayyaf killed, and his younger brother succeeds him

Mar - Estrada declares "all-out war" policy aimed at dismantling MILF camps. Army overruns 47 camps. MILF declares jihad against government. Nearly 1 million people displaced

Abu Sayyaf kidnaps 58 people from a Basilan school and gains international attention by abducting a group including foreign tourists from a Malaysian diving resort in April

2001

Jan - Estrada ousted in a "people's revolution" and replaced by his vice president, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, daughter of former President Diosdado Macapagal. She declares a unilateral ceasefire and initiates peace talks with MILF

May - Abu Sayyaf kidnaps three U.S. citizens and 17 Filipinos from resort in Palawan

July - 2001 Tripoli Agreement sets framework for negotiations

2002 - U.S. military starts deploying commando teams on Basilan and in Zamboanga to train local units fighting Abu Sayyaf

2003

Feb - War breaks out as government troops take control of MILF headquarters in Buliok, Maguindanao, displacing up to half a million people

Mar-Apr - Bombings at Davao International Aiport and Sasa wharf kill 38

July - MILF leader Salamat Hashim dies and is succeeded by Al-Haj Murad Ebrahim. Peace is agreed. Most displaced return home

2004

Feb - Abu Sayyaf claims responsibility for bombing the Superferry 14 in Manila Bay, which kills at least 100 passengers

Aug - Peace talks with NPA come to standstill after government refuses to help persuade U.S. and Europe to remove NPA from terrorism blacklists

2005

Jan - Government launches months of attacks in MNLF territory in Mindanao, aimed at hunting down Abu Sayyaf. It also clashes with NPA, MNLF and MILF. 160,000 displaced

Feb - Abu Sayyaf kills 12 people in blasts in Manila's financial district and two cities in Mindanao. Government launches military crackdown in Sulu. Fighting between MNLF and government puts 1996 peace deal at risk. 85,000 people displaced

Sep - MNLF leader says he might re-start armed struggle. Government agrees to resume formal peace talks with NPA

Oct - NPA guerrilla activity increases

Nov - Government offensive in Sulu displaces 10,000

2006

Jan - Clashes in Mamasapano, Manguindana, displace 32,000

April - NPA attacks an Australian-controlled copper and gold mining company in the north and raids two local firms in Mindanao

May - NPA vows to step up attacks on mining firms in northern Kalinga mountains

Aug - Troops launch attacks against Abu Sayyaf hideouts on Jolo island

2007

Jan - Army kills senior Abu Sayyaf figure, Abu Sulaiman. Also confirms death of the chief of the rebel group, Khaddafy Janjalani, who had $5 mln U.S. bounty on his head

Feb - U.N. investigation says extra-judicial killings are distressingly high and military appears to be responsible for some of them

Mar - MILF chairman says government has offered Muslims in the south the right of self-determination

May - Government crackdown against MNLF uproots 40,000 civilians on Jolo. Parliamentary and local elections. Jailed MNLF leader Misuari loses bid for Sulu governorship

Jul - MILF kills 14 marines on Basilan island. Philippines asks Malaysia to investigate the attack, which threatens to break 2003 truce

Aug - Government crackdown against MILF uproots 7,000 civilians in Basilan

Nov - Government and MILF agree basis of what some see as landmark peace settlement

Aug - Supreme Court suspends signing of deal following protests from southern Catholic politicians who say they weren't consulted. Fighting escalates. Disgruntled MILF field commanders attack villages. Troops launch offensive. Manila scraps deal

Sep - Manila calls off talks with MILF

Nov - Malaysia pulls out its last peace monitors from south

Dec - Philippines begins to rebuild a peace panel