By Tim Lambert
9000 BC Hunter-gatherers live in Latvia
2000 BC The ancestors of modern Latvians arrive
1201 AD German crusaders arrive in Latvia. They found Riga.
1282 Riga joins the Hanseatic League
1365 Valmiera joins the Hanseatic League
1521 The Reformation reaches Latvia
1558 The Russians invade Latvia
1561 The Poles take Southeast Latvia
1621 The Swedes take Northeast Latvia
1685 Ernst Gluck translates the New Testament into Latvian
1689 Gluck translates the Old Testament into Latvian
1710 During a war between Sweden and Russia the Russians take Latvia
1800 Riga has a population of 30,000
1862 The first Latvian newspaper is published
1900 Riga has a population of about 500,000
1918 Latvia becomes independent
1920 The Russians recognise Latvian independence
1921 Latvia joins the League of Nations
1940 Latvia is captured by the Soviet Union
1941 Latvia is captured by the Germans
1944 The Russians capture Latvia again
1990 Latvia declares its independence
1991 The USA and the Soviet Union recognise Latvian independence
1993 A new currency is introduced in Latvia
1994 The last Russian troops leave Latvia
1999 Latvia joins the World Trade Organisation
2004 Latvia joins NATO and the EU