By Tim Lambert
Early Bulgaria
400 BC The Thracians live in parts of Bulgaria
100 AD The Romans rule Bulgaria
395 Bulgaria becomes part of the Eastern Roman Empire when the empire splits in two
c. 500 The Slavs settle in Bulgaria
680 The Bulgars invade Bulgaria
813 The Bulgars besiege Constantinople
846 The Bulgars are converted to Christianity
971 The Byzantines capture eastern Bulgaria
1018 Bulgaria is absorbed into the Byzantine Empire
1185 Bulgaria rises in rebellion
1330 The Bulgars are defeated by the Serbs at the battle of Velbuzd
1396 The Turks conquer Bulgaria
1688 Some Bulgarians rise in rebellion against the Turks but they are defeated. Bulgaria remains under Turkish rule.
1876 The Bulgarians rise in rebellion again but they are crushed
1878 The Treaty of Berlin splits Bulgaria in two. The two parts are given limited autonomy.
Modern Bulgaria
1908 Bulgaria becomes completely independent and united
1918 Bulgaria surrenders after the First World War
1919 Bulgaria loses some of her territory
1923 Army officers in Bulgaria stage a coup
1931 Elections are held in Bulgaria
1934 Army officers stage another coup in Bulgaria
1938 Elections are held in Bulgaria again
1941 The king allows German troops to travel through Bulgaria
1944 The Russians occupy Bulgaria. Gradually a Communist regime is introduced.
1956 The Communist Party purges its own members
1981 Bulgaria launches its first satellite
1989 The Communist regime in Bulgaria collapses
2004 Bulgaria joins NATO
2007 Bulgaria joins the EU
