1915:
US invades Haiti following black-mulatto friction, which it thought endangered its property and investments in the country. [1]
1934:
US withdraws troops from Haiti, but maintains fiscal control until 1947. [1]
1956:
Voodoo physician Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier seizes power in military coup and is elected president a year later. [1]
1964:
Duvalier declares himself president-for-life and establishes a dictatorship with the help of the Tontons Macoute militia. [1]
1971:
Duvalier dies and is succeeded by his 19-year-old son, Jean-Claude, or "Baby Doc", who also declares himself president-for-life. [1]
1986:
Baby Doc flees Haiti in the wake of mounting popular discontent and is replaced by Lieutenant-General Henri Namphy as head of a governing council. [1]
1988:
Leslie Manigat becomes president, but is ousted in a coup led by Brigadier-General Prosper Avril, who installs a civilian government under military control. [1]
1990:
Jean-Bertrand Aristide elected president with two thirds of the vote. This is Haiti's first democratic election. [2]
1991:
Aristide ousted in a coup led by Brigadier-General Raoul Cedras. This coup is backed by the US. Organisation of American States (OAS) emposes embargo and sanctions, but US declares 800 US firms exempt so that US trade actually increases by 50%. [3] [6]
1991-1994:
Military rule with many human rights attrocities. Paramilitary deathsquad FRAPH funded by US. [3] [4]
1993:
UN imposes sanctions after the Haitian military regime rejected an accord facilitating Aristide's return. [1]
1994:
Haitian military regime relinquishes power in the face of an imminent US invasion. US returns Aristide to power, but forces him to accept structural adjustment favourable to US corporations operating in Haiti. [5] US also removed documents connecting it with FRAPH. [4]
1995:
UN peacekeepers begin to replace US troops; Aristide supporters win parliamentary elections; Rene Preval elected in December to replace Aristide as president. [1]
1996:
Preval sworn in as president. [1]
1997-99:
Serious political deadlock; new government named. [1]
1999:
Preval declares that parliament's term has expired and begins ruling by decree following a series of disagreements with deputies. [1]
2000:
November - Aristide elected president for a second non-consecutive term, with more than 90% of the vote. OAS declares the election as flawed, but the International Coalition of Independent Observers says they were fair. President Clinton declares embargo. [7]
2001:
July - Presidential spokesman accuses former army officers of trying to overthrow the government after armed men attack three locations, killing four police officers. [1]
December - 30 armed men try to seize the National Palace in an apparent coup attempt; 12 people are killed in the raid, which the government blames on former army members. [1]
2002:
July - Haiti is approved as a full member of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) trade bloc. [1]
2003:
April - Voodoo recognised as a religion, on a par with other faiths. [1]
July - Inter-American Development Bank resumes loan programme, raising hopes for further international support. [1]
2004:
January - Celebrations marking 200 years of independence marred by violence and protests against President Aristide's rule. [1]
February - Uprising against Mr Aristide intensifies. Rebels seize a number of towns and cities. Dozens are killed in escalating violence. Mr Aristide goes into exile. Coup was again supported by the US, using former FRAPH members to execute it. Aristide claims he was forced to leave by the US. [3] [8] [9] [10] [11]