By Tim Lambert
2,000 BC The Balts arrive in Lithuania
1240 AD Mindaugas unites the Lithuanian tribes
1316 Gediminas becomes Grand Duke of Lithuania
1377 Jogaila becomes Grand Duke of Lithuania
1386 Jogaila becomes King of Poland and accepts Christianity
1410 The Lithuanians crush the Teutonic Knights at the Battle of Tannenberg
1512 The Russians take the Lithuanian city of Smolensk
1569 Lithuania and Poland are bound together by the treaty of Lublin
1773 Russia takes part of Lithuania
1793 Russia takes more territory
1795 Lithuania and Poland cease to exist as independent states
1832 Lithuania rebels against Russia
1863 Lithuanians rebel against the Russians again. After the rebellion is crushed the Russians introduce a more repressive regime.
1915 The Germans occupy Lithuania
1917 The Lithuanians are allowed to form an assembly called the Taryba
1918 Lithuania declares its independence
1920 Russia recognises Lithuanian independence
1926 After an army coup Antanas Smetona becomes dictator of Lithuania
1940 Russia conquers Lithuania
1941 The Germans capture Lithuania
1944 Russia recaptures Lithuania
1945-52 Farms in Lithuania are collectivised
1988 An organisation called Sajudis is formed
1990 Lithuania becomes independent
1991 Lithuania joins the UN
1993 The last Russian soldiers leave Lithuania
2004 Lithuania joins NATO and the EU
2009 Dalia Grybauskaite is elected the first woman president of Lithuania
