1955 - Greek Cypriots begin guerrilla war against British rule. The guerrilla movement, the National Organisation of Cypriot Combatants (EOKA), wants enosis (unification) with Greece. 1956 - Archbishop Makarios, head of enosis campaign, deported to the Seychelles. 1959 - Archbishop Makarios returns and is elected president. Independence 1960 - Cyprus gains independence after Greek and Turkish communities reach agreement on a constitution. Britain retains sovereignty over two military bases. 1963 - Makarios raises Turkish fears by proposing constitutional changes which would abrogate power-sharing arrangements. Inter-communal violence erupts. Turkish side withdraws from power-sharing. 1964 - United Nations peacekeeping force set up. 1974 - Military junta in Greece backs coup against Makarios, who escapes. Within days Turkish troops land in north. Greek Cypriots flee their homes. Coup collapses. Turkish forces occupy third of the island, enforce partition between north and south. Glafcos Clerides, president of the House of Representatives, becomes president until Makarios returns in December. 1975 - Turkish Cypriots establish independent administration, with Rauf Denktash as president. 1977 - Makarios dies. Succeeded by Spyros Kyprianou. 1980 - UN-sponsored peace talks resume. 1983 - Denktash suspends talks and proclaims Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). It is recognised only by Turkey. 1985 - No agreement at talks between Denktash and Kyprianou. 1988 - Georgios Vassiliou elected Greek Cypriot president. 1989 - Vassiliou-Denktash talks abandoned. 1992 - Talks resume and collapse again. 1993 - Glafcos Clerides replaces Vassiliou as president. 1994 - European Court of Justice rules that all direct trade between northern Cyprus and European Union is illegal. 1996 - Increased tension, violence along buffer zone. 1997 - Failure of UN-mediated peace talks between Clerides and Denktash. 1998 - Clerides re-elected to a second term by narrow margin. EU lists Cyprus as potential member. Clerides' government threatens to install Russian-made anti-aircraft missiles. Turkey threatens military action. Clerides decides not to deploy missiles in Cyprus. 2001 June - UN Security Council renews its 36-year mission. Some 2,400 peacekeepers patrol the buffer zone between Greek and Turkish Cypriots. Turkey keeps 35,000 troops in the north. 2001 July - Dozens of police officers are injured as protesters attack a British military base at Akrotiri over plans to build telecommunications masts alleged to pose a health hazard. 2001 November - Turkey threatens to annex the north if the Republic of Cyprus joins the European Union before a settlement is reached. 2002 January - Clerides and Denktash begin UN-sponsored negotiations. Minds are concentrated by EU membership aspirations. 2002 November - UN Secretary General Kofi Annan presents a comprehensive peace plan for Cyprus which envisages a federation with two constituent parts, presided over by a rotating presidency. 2002 December - EU summit in Copenhagen invites Cyprus to join in 2004 provided the two communities agree to UN plan by early spring 2003. Without reunification, only the internationally recognised Greek Cypriot part of the island will gain membership. 2003 February - Tassos Papadopoulos defeats Clerides in presidential elections . 2003 March - UN deadline for agreement on reunification plan passes. Secretary-General Kofi Annan acknowledges that the plan has failed. 2003 April - Turkish and Greek Cypriots cross island's dividing "green line" for first time in 30 years after Turkish Cypriot authorities ease restrictions. Twin referendums on whether to accept UN reunification plan in last-minute bid to achieve united EU entry. Plan is endorsed by Turkish side but overwhelmingly rejected by Greek Cypriots. EU accession 2004 1 May - Cyprus is one of 10 new states to join the EU, but does so as a divided island. 2004 December - Turkey agrees that it will recognise Cyprus as an EU member before the start of its own accession talks scheduled for October 2005. 2005 April - Mehmet Ali Talat elected Turkish Cypriot president. 2005 May - Greek Cypriot and UN officials begin exploratory talks on prospects for new diplomatic peace effort. 2005 June - Parliament ratifies proposed EU constitution. 2005 August - Cypriot airliner crashes near Athens, Greece, killing all 121 passengers and crew. It is the island's worst peacetime disaster. 2006 May - Greek Cypriots back ruling coalition in parliamentary elections, endorsing its opposition to reunification efforts. 2006 July - UN-sponsored talks between President Papadopolous and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat agree a series of confidence-building measures and contacts between the two communities. 2006 November - EU-Turkey talks on Cyprus break down over Turkey's continued refusal to open its ports to traffic from Cyprus. Time Line Of Cyprus History Provided By BBC.co.uk | 
