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Independence
April 27 1961: Sierra Leone, formerly a British colony, gains independence.
April 29 1992: Captain Valentine Strasser, aged 26, ousts President Joseph Momoh in a military coup, months after the country voted in a referendum for the creation of a multi-party system. In response to international pressure, Captain Strasser announces plans for the first multi-party elections since 1967.
February 1996: Elections, organised by the military junta that toppled Captain Strasser in a palace coup, results in victory for Ahmed Tejan Kabbah's Sierra Leone People's Party.
May 25 1997: Major General Johnny Paul Koroma deposes President Kabbah in a military coup, suspends the constitution, bans demonstrations, and abolishes political parties. Kabbah flees to Guinea to mobilise international support.
July 1997: The Commonwealth suspends Sierra Leone.
President reinstated
8 October 1997: The United Nations Security Council imposes sanctions against Sierra Leone, barring the supply of arms and petroleum products. A British company, Sandline, nonetheless supplies "logistical support", including rifles, to Kabbah allies.
February 1998: The Nigerian-led West African intervention force, Ecomog, storms Freetown.
10 March 1998: President Kabbah makes a triumphant return to Freetown amid scenes of public rejoicing.
January 1999: Rebels backing Foday Sankoh seize parts of Freetown from Ecomog. After weeks of bitter fighting they are driven out, leaving behind a devastated city.
February 1999: An inquiry in the UK into the supply of weapons to Kabbah supporters by the British company, Sandline - at the time of a UN embargo - is highly critical of civil servants and ministers.
Fragile peace
May 18 1999: A ceasefire is greeted with cautious optimism in Freetown. In hospitals and amputee camps, victims of rebel atrocities express hope that eight years of civil war may soon be over.
17 July 1999: Six weeks of talks in the Togolese capital, Lome, result in a peace agreement, under which the rebels receive posts in government and assurances that they will not be prosecuted for war crimes.
UN under attack
November/December 1999:UN troops arrive to police the peace agreement - but one rebel leader, Sam Bokari, says they are not welcome. Meanwhile, Ecomog troops are attacked outside Freetown.
January 2000: The UN faces difficulties deploying troops in the north of the country, and rebel chief Foday Sankoh says the UN has no business in Sierra Leone - a remark which causes amazement in the UN mission.
February 2000: A UN report says rebel atrocities are continuing, with abduction, rape and house-burning an almost daily occurrence.
April/May 2000: UN forces come under attack in the east of the country, but far worse is in store when first 50, then 300 UN troops are abducted.
Rebels retreat
May 2000: The rebels are once again forced onto the defensive as leader Foday Sankoh is captured, Britain announces a military assistance plan for the government, and the captured UN soldiers are released.
June-July 2000: The British military task-force sent to help restore order departs, leaving behind a training force and UN troops surrounded by rebels are freed in a dramatic rescue effort.
August 2000:The UN agree to pursue rebels through an international tribunal, the government say detained rebel leader Foday Sankoh has been replaced by a young commander and 11 British troops are captured by a renegade militia group.
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