A Timeline of Lithuania

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

1772 Russia takes part of Lithuania

1793 Russia takes more Lithuanian 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

Vilnius