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Britain Liberates Burma
Britain liberates Burma from Japanese occupation with help from the AFPFL, led by Aung San. -
Members of interim government assassinated
Aung San and six members of his interim government assassinated by political opponents led by U Saw, a nationalist rival of Aung San's. U Nu, foreign minister in Ba Maw's government, which ruled Burma during the Japanese occupation, asked to head the AFPFL and the government. -
Burma becomes independent
Burma becomes independent with U Nu as prime minister -
Caretaker government formed
Caretaker government, led by army Chief of Staff General Ne Win, formed following a split in the ruling AFPFL party. -
U Nu's party wins elections
U Nu's party faction wins decisive victory in elections, but his promotion of Buddhism as the state religion and his tolerance of separatism angers the military -
Federal system abolished
U Nu's faction ousted in military coup led by Gen Ne Win, who abolishes the federal system and inaugurates "the Burmese Way to Socialism" - nationalising the economy, forming a single-party state with the Socialist Programme Party as the sole political party, and banning independent newspapers. -
New Constitution effective
New constitution comes into effect, transferring power from the armed forces to a People's Assembly headed by Ne Win and other former military leaders; body of former United Nations secretary-general U Thant returned to Burma for burial. -
Opposition National Democratic Front made
Opposition National Democratic Front formed by regionally-based minority groups, who mounted guerrilla insurgencies. -
San Yu becomes president
Ne Win relinquishes the presidency to San Yu, a retired general, but continues as chairman of the ruling Socialist Programme Party. -
Law made banning people from public office
Law designating people of non-indigenous background as "associate citizens" in effect bars such people from public office. -
Currency deflation
Currency devaluation wipes out many people's savings and triggers anti-government riots -
People killed in anti government riots
Thousands of people are killed in anti-government riots. The State Law and Order Restoration Council (Slorc) is formed. -
Slorc declares martial law
Slorc declares martial law, arrests thousands of people, including advocates of democracy and human rights, renames Burma Myanmar, with the capital, Rangoon, becoming Yangon. NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi, the daughter of Aung San, is put under house arrest. -
NLD win victory
Opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) wins landslide victory in general election, but the result is ignored by the military. -
Kyi awarded Nobel Peace Prize
Aung San Suu Kyi awarded Nobel Peace Prize for her commitment to peaceful change -
Than Shwe replaces Saw Maung
Than Shwe replaces Saw Maung as Slorc chairman, prime minister and defence minister. Several political prisoners freed in bid to improve Burma's international image. -
Kyi released from house arrest
Aung San Suu Kyi is released from house arrest after six years. -
Slorc arrests party congress delegates
Aung San Suu Kyi attends first NLD congress since her release; Slorc arrests more than 200 delegates on their way to party congress. -
Burma admitted to Asean
Burma admitted to Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean); Slorc renamed State Peace and Development Council (SPDC). -
NLD members released from prison
300 NLD members released from prison; ruling council refuses to comply with NLD deadline for convening of parliament; student demonstrations broken up. -
Council lifts restrictions on NLD members
Ruling council lifts restrictions on movements of Aung San Suu Kyi and senior NLD members. -
Activists released
Ruling council releases some 200 pro-democracy activists. Government says releases reflect progress in talks with opposition NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi who remains under house arrest -
Khin Nyunt becomes Prime Minister
Khin Nyunt becomes prime minister. He proposes to hold convention in 2004 on drafting new constitution as part of "road map" to democracy. -
Constitutional Convention begins
Constitutional convention begins, despite boycott by National League for Democracy (NLD) whose leader Aung San Suu Kyi remains under house arrest. The convention adjourns in July -
Tsunami hits Indonesian coast
Giant waves, generated by an undersea earthquake off the Indonesian coast, hit the coast. The prime minister says 59 people were killed and more than 3,000 left homeless. -
Explosion occurs
Three near-simultaneous explosions go off in shopping districts in the capital; the government puts the death toll at 23 -
Burma turns down ASEAN chairmanship and moves gov. to Pyinmana
Asean announces that Burma has turned down the 2006 chairmanship of the regional grouping and Burma says its seat of government is moving to a new site near the central town of Pyinmana. -
Urge Burma to stop persecution
China and Russia veto a draft US resolution at the UN Security Council urging Burma to stop persecuting minority and opposition groups. -
ICRC accuses the gov. of abusing Burmese people's rights
In a rare departure from its normally neutral stance, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) accuses the government of abusing the Burmese people's rights. -
Bomb hits country
A series of bomb blasts hits the country. State media blame "insurgent destructionists", including the Karen National Union (KNU), a group fighting for greater autonomy for the ethnic Karen people. -
Cyclone Nargis hits Irrawaddy delta
Cyclone Nargis hits the low-lying Irrawaddy delta. Some estimates put the death toll as high as 134,000. -
NLD offers to partake in planned elections
The National League for Democracy (NLD) main opposition group offers to take part in planned elections if the government frees all political prisoners, changes the constitution and allows in international observers. -
Muslim minority expelled from Thailand
Thailand expels hundreds of members of Burma's Muslim Rohingya minority who appeared off its coast. Burma denies the minority's existence. Several hundred Rohingyas are subsequently rescued from boats off the coast of Indonesia. -
Gov. election laws passed
Government announces that long-awaited election laws have been passed, with provisions for an electoral commission hand-picked by the junta. -
Kyi starts secret talks
Aung San Suu Kyi begins secret talks with ruling council.