| 1400s |
Founding of Malacca by Parameswara. |
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| 1409 |
Chinese Admiral Cheng Ho arrives in Malacca. |
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| 1511 |
Malacca falls to the Portuguese. |
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| 1641 |
The Dutch take Malacca from the Portuguese |
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| 1786 |
The British occupy Penang. |
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| 1819 |
British occupy Singapore. |
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1824
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Anglo-Dutch Treaty carves up Malay world into colonial spheres: Dutch cede Malacca to British and keeps Riau. |
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| 1826 |
Singapore, Malacca, Penang and Province Wellesley become Straits Settlements under British control. |
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| 1840s |
The importance of tin increases, bringing an influx of Chinese tin miners to the western coast. |
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| 1841 |
James Brooke established as Rajah of Sarawak. |
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| 1914-18 |
World War I. |
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| 1941-45 |
Japanese conquest and occupation. |
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| 1945 |
British reoccupy Malaya. |
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| 1946 |
Malayan Union scheme introduced but is opposed, formation of United Malay National Organisation (Umno); Sarawak and British North Borneo become Crown colonies. |
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| 1948 |
Malayan Union scheme abandoned; Federation of Malaya inaugurated. |
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| 1948-60 |
Communist uprising - The Emergency. |
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| 1952 |
Municipal elections in Kuala Lumpur; Umno and Malayan Chinese Association (MCA) parties cooperate. |
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| 1953 |
Alliance coalition comprising Umno, MCA and Malayan Indian Congress (MIC) formed. |
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| 1955 |
First general elections in the peninsula; landslide win for the Alliance. |
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| 1956 |
Tunku Abdul Rahman leads Merdeka Mission to London to negotiate for independence. |
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| 1957 |
Malaya becomes independent, and the Union Jack is lowered for the last time. The Tunku, named the Father of Independence, becomes the first prime minister of the Federation of Malaya. |
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| 1960 |
The state of emergency ends. |
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| 1961 |
The Tunku proposes a political association called Malaysia that would include Malaya, Singapore, North Borneo, Sarawak and Brunei. |
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| 1963 |
Creation of Malaysia without Brunei. |
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| 1965 |
Singapore leaves Malaysia and becomes an independent nation. |
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| 1970 |
Tun Abdul Razak takes office as the second Prime Minister of Malaysia, succeeding Abdul Rahman. |
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| 1976 |
Tun Hussein Onn appointed as the third Prime Minister of Malaysia on Jan 15, a day after the passing of Abdul Razak. |
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| 1981 |
Tun Hussein Onn stepped down and appointed Dato’ Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad to take over as Fourth Prime Minister |
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| 2003 |
Malaysia's longest-serving Prime Minister Dr Mahathir retires. He is succeeded by his deputy Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. |
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