This is a timeline of Burmese history. It is by no means comprehensive. Please help contribute.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1500 BCE | Earliest evidence of copper and bronze works, rice growing, domesticating chickens and pigs in Irrawaddy valley[1] |
| 500 BCE | Iron-working settlements south of present day Mandalay[1] |
| 1st century BCE | Pyu people enter the Irrawaddy valley from north |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 2nd-4th centuries | The Pyu convert to Buddhism |
| 6th?-9th centuries | Mon migrations to Lower Burma from Haribhunjaya and Dvaravati (present-day Thailand) |
| 638 | The Pyu at Prome launch Burmese calendar |
| 825 | The Mon found city of Pegu |
| 832–835 | Pyu city-states destroyed by Nanzhao raids Burman migrations to Upper Burma begin en masse |
| 849 | The Burmans found city of Pagan, and Pagan Kingdom |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1044 | Anawrahta ascends to Pagan throne |
| 1056 | Anawrahta converted to Theravada Buddhism by Shin Arahan |
| 1057 | Pagan conquers Thaton Kingdom, starts Theravada tradition in Pagan |
| 1050s–1060s | Anawrahta founds Pagan Empire including, Thaton, near Shan States, North Arakan, Tenasserim |
| 1058 | Earliest (experimental) inscription in Burmese |
| 1071 | Anawrahta helps restart Theravada Buddhism in Ceylon |
| 1084 | Mon rebellion |
| 1090 | Kyansittha builds Ananda Temple |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1102 | Earliest inscription of the word Mranma (Myanmar) (in Mon script)[2] |
| 1106 | Burmese embassy to Song China |
| 1113 | Myazedi inscription, earliest evidence of a more settled Burmese script |
| 1118 | Pagan restores Letyaminnan to north Arakanese throne |
| 1144 | Alaungsithu builds Thatbyinnyu Temple |
| 1173 | Narapatisithu founds the Royal Palace Guards |
| 1170s | Affirmation of Burman leadership of Pagan: Burmese script becomes the primary script, replacing Mon and Pyu scripts |
| 1180 | Ceylonese raids to Bassein (Pathein) |
| 1180s | Schism develops in Burmese Buddhism; majority of monks shift to Mahavihara school |
| 1190 | The word Mranma first appears in Burmese[2] |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| c. 1200 | Dhamaavisala Dhammathat code of law compiled |
| 1210 | Kyaukse weir built |
| 1218 | Htilominlo builds Htilominlo Temple, the last of the great temples |
| 1273 | Mien (for Mranma) first mentioned in Chinese[2] |
| 1277–1287 | Mongol invasions begin |
| 1280 | City of Toungoo (Taungoo) founded as a Pagan frontier outpost |
| 1281 | Wareru seizes governorship of Martaban (Mottama) |
| 1287 | Pagan Kingdom falls; old kingdom broken into multiple regional power centers Hanthawaddy Kingdom proclaimed in Lower Burma |
| 1294–1298 | Hanthawadddy receives recognition as a tributary of Sukhothai Kingdom and the Mongols |
| 1298 | Myinsaing Kingdom founded, replacing Pagan as power center in Upper Burma |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1301 | Last Mongol invasion fails to topple Myinsaing |
| 1303 | Mongols evacuate Tagaung, retreat to Yunnan |
| 1310 | Thihathu kills his brother and co-regent Athinhkaya and becomes sole ruler of Myinsaing |
| 1313 | 11 February: Thihathu moves capital to Pinya |
| 1315 | Myinsaing Kingdom splits into Sagaing Kingdom and Pinya Kingdom |
| 1331 | Hanthawaddy defeats Sukhothai; throws off nominal allegiance to Sukhothai |
| 1359 | Massive Shan raids into Upper Burma begin |
| 1362 | Binnya U raises the height of the Shwedagon Pagoda to 66 feet |
| 1364 | Maw Shans of Mogaung topple Pinya and Sagaing kingdoms Thadominbya founds Ava Kingdom circa August 1364 |
| 1365 | 26 February: Capital of Ava founded |
| 1369 | Capital of Hanthawaddy moved to Pegu (Bago) |
| 1371 | Shan State of Kale becomes tributary of Ava |
| 1374 | North Arakan asks for a Burmese regent |
| 1385 | Forty Years' War between Ava and Hanthawaddy Pegu begins |
| 1389 | Razadarit consolidates all three Mon-speaking regions in Lower Burma |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1406–1430 | Arakan vassal to Ava or Hanthawaddy Pegu (To Ava: 1406–1407, 1412–1413; To Pegu 1407–1412; 1413–1422/(1430?) |
| 1406 | Ava conquers Shan States of Mohnyin, Mogaung, Hsipaw |
| 1417 | Minyekyawswa killed in action; Forty Years' War peters out |
| 1430 | Narameikhla founds Mrauk U Kingdom |
| 1433 | City of Mrauk U founded |
| 1437 | Mrauk U conquers Thandwe, unifying the entire Arakan coast for the first time |
| 1459 | Mrauk U conquers Chittagong |
| 1446 | Chinese invade Upper Burma, demanding surrender of a runaway Shan chief. His dead body was given up. |
| 1450 | Binnya Kyan increases the height of the Shwedagon Pagoda to 302 feet |
| 1450s | Rise of early Burmese vernacular literature |
| 1481–1490s | Multiple rebellions by its vassals against Ava's rule Prome, Yamethin and Mohnyin break away |
| 1482 | Thado Minsaw successfully breaks away from Ava, founds Prome Kingdom |
| 1486 | Mingyinyo becomes ruler of Toungoo; stays loyal to Ava |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1503 | Ava cedes Kyaukse to Toungoo to buy its loyalty, and cedes Shwebo District to Mohnyin |
| 1510 | Toungoo declares independence from Ava |
| 1527 | Confederation of Shan States conquer Ava, installs its nominee to Ava throne |
| 1539 | Tabinshwehti captures Pegu; capital of Toungoo Kingdom moved to Pegu |
| 1541–1544 | Tabinshwehti consolidates Lower Burma and captures Upper Burma up to Pagan |
| 1547 | Min Bin repels Burmese invasion of Arakan |
| 1548 | Burmese invasion of Siam fails |
| 1555–1559 | Bayinnaung annexes Upper Burma (1555), the Shan States (1557), Lan Na (1558), Manipur (1559) |
| 1557 | Bayinnaung abolishes animal sacrifice at Popa Hill and human sacrifice at Shan Hills |
| 1564 | Siam becomes Burmese vassal following the Burmese-Siamese War (1563–1564) |
| 1569 | Burmese–Siamese War (1568–1569) restores Burmese rule in Siam after the Siamese revolted in 1568 |
| 1574 | Burma conquers Lan Xang |
| 1584–1593 | Siam declares independence; Repeated Burmese invasions fail to reconquer Siam |
| 1593–1594 | Lan Xang, Manipur and Lan Na throw off allegiance to Burmese throne Siam regains Tenasserim coast up to Tavoy |
| 1597 | All regions of the kingdom now in open revolt |
| 1599 | Fall of First Toungoo Empire after Pegu sacked by the Arakanese and Toungoo (city) forces Siam captures the entire Tenasserim coast to Martaban Arakanese capture delta ports; appoint Portuguese mercenary de Brito governor of Syriam |
| 1599–1605 | Siamese invasions take Martaban (1599) and Lan Na (1602) |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1600–1606 | Nyaungyan restores central rule to Upper Burma and Shan States |
| 1603–1605 | De Brito declares independence from Arakan, repels Arakanese attacks |
| 1609 | Portuguese mercenary Tibao captures Sandwip in East Bengal, northernmost Arakanese territory |
| 1613 | Anaukpetlun captures Syriam |
| 1615 | Anaukpetlun recaptures the Tenasserim coast down to Tavoy, and all of Lan Na |
| 1617 | Min Khamaung recovers Sandwip Beginning of Arakanese raids on Dakha |
| 1619 | English East India Company sends a representative to Pegu |
| 1625 | Arakanese sack Dakha |
| 1627 | English and Dutch East India companies open branches in Burma |
| 1635 | Capital moved to Ava from Pegu |
| 1638 | Thalun's revenue inquest |
| 1660 | Arakanese use coined currency |
| 1662 | Surrender of the Yongli Emperor to the invading Qing forces |
| 1662–1665 | Siamese invasion of Lan Na and Tenasserim repelled |
| 1666 | Mogul Empire defeats Arakan and captures Chittagong Province |
| 1677 | English and Dutch East India companies close branches in Burma |
| 1683 | Dutch East India Company closes its branch in Arakan |
| 1688 | French East India Company opens a branch in Syriam |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1709 | English open a branch in Syriam |
| 1724–1750 | The Manipuris raid Upper Burma |
| 1725 | Lan Na successfully revolts |
| 1730s | China annexes northern Shan States |
| 1740 | The Mon of Lower Burma break away, found Restored Hanthawaddy Kingdom |
| 1740–1752 | Restored Hanthawaddy gradually pushes upcountry and captures Ava, ending the Tougnoo Dynasty The Siamese move up their control up the Tenasserim coast, taking Tavoy and then Martaban by 1751 |
| 1752 | Alaungpaya founds the Konbaung Dynasty; start of Konbaung-Hanthawaddy War |
| 1753 | English seize Negrais |
| 1755 | Alaungpaya captures the Irrawaddy delta, founds Rangoon (Yangon) |
| 1756 | Alaungpaya defeats the French at Syriam Alaungpaya sends a punitive expedition to Manipur |
| 1757 | Pegu captured; end of Restored Hanthawaddy |
| 1758–1759 | Konbaung armies overrun Manipur, reassert Burmese authority in northern Shan States which had been annexed by the Chinese in the 1730s |
| 1759 | English driven out at Negrais |
| 1760 | Burmese invasion of Siam falls short; regains the Tenasserim coast to Tavoy |
| 1764 | Hsinbyushin puts down a rebellion in Manipur |
| 1765 | Burmese armies capture Laotian states Start of another Burmese invasion of Siam Start of Chinese invasions (1765–1769) |
| 1767 | Burmese armies sack Ayutthaya; end of Ayutthaya Kingdom |
| 1768–1769 | Burmese armies withdrawn from Siam and redeployed to the Chinese front Burmese defenses against the Chinese invasions held Siam recaptures all of its territories (except Tenasserim) |
| 1770 | A rebellion in Manipur put down |
| 1774 | Lan Na (Chiang Mai) revolts, seeks and receives Siamese help Hsinbyushin raises the Shwedagon Pagoda to its present height |
| 1775–1776 | Another Burmese invasion of Siam fails; Southern Lan Na becomes Siamese vassal |
| 1778 | Laotian states Luang Prabang and Vientiene stop paying tribute, switch sides to Siam |
| 1783 | Capital moved to Amarapura |
| 1784 | Thado Minsaw conquers Arakan, ending five centuries of Arakanese independence Bodawpaya's revenue inquest |
| 1785–1786 | Bodawpaya's invasion of Siam fails; Lan Na now firmly in Siamese camp |
| 1787 | Defeats Siamese invasion of Tenasserim |
| 1790 | Resumes diplomatic relationship with China |
| 1792 | Defeats another Siamese invasion of Tenasserim |
| 1797 | Burmese invasion of Lan Na and Luang Prabang fails |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1802 | Ceylonese monks seek ordination at Amarapura |
| 1803–1804 | Siamese invasion of Kengtung fails |
| 1809–1812 | Burmese invasion of Junkceylon (Phuket) fails |
| 1813 | Burma annexes Manipur |
| 1817 | Assam becomes tributary to Burma |
| 1819 | Burmese put down rebellions in Assam and Manipur |
| 1821–1822 | Burmese put down another rebellion in Assam, and make it a Burmese province |
| 1824–1826 | First Anglo-Burmese War; Burma cedes Arakan, Assam, Manipur and Tenasserim per Treaty of Yandabo |
| 1849–1854 | Defeats Siamese invasion of Kengtung |
| 1852–1853 | Second Anglo-Burmese War; British seize Lower Burma |
| 1853 | British expand Rangoon (modern-day downtown Yangon) |
| 1859 | Mindon moves capital to newly founded city of Mandalay |
| 1866 | Head of reform movement, Crown Prince Kanaung is assassinated. |
| 1871 | Fifth Buddhist council convenes |
| 1875 | Mindon cedes Karenni States to the British to avoid annexation |
| 1878 | Rangoon College founded |
| 1885 | Third Anglo-Burmese War; end of Burmese monarchy |
| 1886 | 1 January: Burma is proclaimed a British colony February: Burma is proclaimed a province of British India |
| 1886–1890 | British "pacification" of Burma |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1920 | First Rangoon University strike |
| 1921 | The Dyarchy reforms begin |
| 1930 | Nationalist and leftist Dobama Asiayone founded |
| 1930–1932 | Peasants' rebellion |
| 1936 | Second Rangoon University strike |
| 1937 | Burma is separated from British India and becomes a separate colony |
| 1938 | Third Rangoon University strike and nationwide strikes |
| 1941 | Burma Independence Army formed with Japanese help |
| 1942–1945 | Japanese occupation of Burma Thai occupation of Kengtung |
| 1945 | Return of British rule |
| 1947 |
12 February: Panglong Agreement signed by Shan, Kachin, Chin and Burman leaders to gain independence from the British |
| 1948 | 4 January: Burma gains independence from the United Kingdom |
| 1949 | Insurgencies begin |
| 1950–1953 | Burmese Army repels Nationalist Chinese invasion of Shan State |
| 1958–1960 | Gen. Ne Win takes over as caretaker government |
| 1961 | U Thant becomes 3rd Secretary-General of the United Nations Yangon hosts Second Southeast Asian Peninsular Games |
| 1962 | Ne Win overthrows democratically elected government of U Nu, begins military rule |
| 1969 | Yangon hosts Fifth Southeast Asian Peninsular Games |
| 1974 | Ne Win proclaims a new constitution Chin Special Division becomes Chin State; Mon State is created out of Tenasserim Division Government guns down student protesters following U Thant's death |
| 1985–1987 | Repeated demonetization of higher denomination kyat notes; Intensification of economic hardship on general populace |
| 1988 | Nationwide uprising brings down Ne Win's government Military crushes protests, forms a ruling junta, promises elections |
| 1989 | Junta changes the English spellings of geographic names, including the country's name (to Myanmar) |
| 1990 | National League for Democracy wins 82% of the seats in the general election Junta refuses to hand over power, jails NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi |
| 1990s | Western nations and Japan begin economic sanctions against Myanmar |
| 1991 | Aung San Suu Kyi is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize |
| 1997 | Myanmar is admitted to ASEAN |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 2005 | Junta moves the capital to Naypyidaw |
| 2007 | Junta suppresses anti-government protests, killing scores of protesters, including Buddhist monks |
| 2008 | 2008 Constitution reserves 25% of the seats in a bicameral Hluttaw to the military Cyclone Nargis kills nearly 140,000 people and devastates the Irrawaddy delta |
| 2010 | The 2010 general election gives the victory to military-backed USDP |
| 2010 | 13 November 2010, Aung San Suu Kyi is released from house arrest.[3] |
| 2011 | 31 January: The first session of Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (parliament) convenes |