Timeline: Tonga

A chronology of key events:

1616 - Dutch explorers are the first Europeans to visit Tonga.

Royal funeral: The king's second son was buried in 2004

1773-77 - British explorer Captain James Cook visits Tonga three times.

1820s - Wesleyan Methodist missionaries arrive from England.

1830s - Wesleyan missionaries convert paramount chief Taufa'ahau Tupou who in turn converts fellow islanders.

British protectorate

1875 - Taufa'ahau Tupou assumes the name of George Tupou I and establishes Tongan monarchy.

1900 - Tonga becomes a British protected state but is not formally colonised.

1918-65 - Reign of Queen Salote Tupou III.

1953 - Queen Saltote visits Britain for the coronation of Elizabeth II as Queen.

1958 - Tonga acquires greater autonomy from Britain.

1965 - Taufa'ahau Tupou becomes king following his mother's death.

Independence

1970 - Tonga ceases to be a British protectorate and becomes fully independent within the British Commonwealth.

JESTER SCANDAL Tonga alleged Jesse Bogdonoff mismanaged trust fund 2004: Tonga court jester to pay $1m

1988 - Tonga signs agreement allowing US nuclear warships to pass through its waters.

1992 - Pro-Democracy Movement founded.

1994 - Tonga's first political party, the Tonga Democratic Party - subsequently renamed the People's Party - founded by Pro-Democracy Movement.

1999 - Pro-democracy movement organises convention to discuss new, more democratic constitution.

2000 January - King's youngest son, Prince 'Ulukalala Lavaka Ata, appointed prime minister.

Scandal

2001 October - Financial scandal rocks the islands after $26 million of state money is lost in investments made by the king's official court jester, a US businessman.

2003 October - Changes to the constitution are made, giving greater powers to the king and increasing state control of the media.

Campaigners for political reform took to the streets in 2005

2004

February - Former court jester agrees to pay $1m to settle legal dispute with Tonga.

2004 May - National airline, Royal Tongan Airlines, closes after running out of cash for repairs.

2005 March - Elected MPs enter the cabinet for the first time. Cabinet members had previously been picked by the royal family.

Protest

2005 July-August - Prolonged strike by public sector workers is accompanied by violence in the capital.

2005 September - Thousands of people march through the capital, demanding democratic reform.

2005 December - World Trade Organisation (WTO) agrees to admit Tonga as its 150th member. Negotiations had been ongoing for a decade.

Pro-democracy rioting destroyed much of the capital's business district 2006: In pictures - Tonga riots aftermath

2006 March - Fred Sevele becomes PM - the first elected commoner to do so - following the resignation of Prince 'Ulukalala Lavaka Ata.

2006 July - Two Tongan royals - Prince Tu'ipelehake and his wife Princess Kaimana - are killed in a car crash in the US.

2006 September - King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV dies after a long illness. He is succeeded by his eldest son Crown Prince Tupouto'a.

2006 November - Rioting erupts in the capital Nuku'alofa, apparently in protest at the lack of democratic reforms. Eight people are killed and much of the business district is destroyed. State of emergency is declared.

2007 February - State of emergency is extended; reconstruction of business district is being planned with the help of foreign aid.

2007 July - Tonga becomes the 151st member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), 12 years after applying to join.

2008 April - In last elections held under the old constitution, pro-democracy candidates win all nine of the elected seats in the nation's parliament.The government has proposed reforms for 2010, when the majority of representatives in parliament will be popularly elected.

2008 July - King Tupou V says he will relinquish the near-absolute power held by the monarchy, fulfilling a longstanding pledge to introduce democratic reforms.

2008 August - King Tupou V is officially crowned in a lavish ceremony.