By Tim Lambert
8,000 BC Stone age hunters live in Romania
600 BC The Greeks trade with the people of Romania
105-106 AD The Romans conquer Romania, which they call Dacia
271 The Romans withdraw to south of the Danube Stone age hunters live in Romania. They leave Romania to waves of migrants from the north.
14th Century Radu Negru founds the principality of Wallachia. Most of the peasants become serfs.
16th Century Transylvania becomes part of the Turkish Empire
1595 Michael the Brave ruler of Wallachia defeats the Turks
1687 The Austrian take Transylvania
1785 Serfdom is abolished in Transylvania
1859 Wallachia and Moldavia are united
1862 The new state is named Romania
1877 Romania declares its independence from Turkey (which had previously dominated it)
1881 Romania becomes a kingdom with Carol I as its king
1916 Romania goes to war with Germany and Austria-Hungary
1918 Romania takes Transylvania from Hungary
1927 The Iron Guard is formed in Romania
1938 The king introduces a royal dictatorship in Romania
1940 Romania is forced to cede territory to Russia and Hungary
1941 Romania joins the German invasion of Russia
1944 Romania changes sides and declares war on Germany
1948 The Communists take power in Romania
1958 Russian troops are withdrawn from Romania
1960 Romania adopts an independent foreign policy
1965 Nicolae Ceausescu becomes ruler of Romania
1989 The Communist tyranny in Romania collapses. Ceausescu is shot.
1990 Elections are held
2007 Romania joins the EU
