1922: Partition: Six counties in the north of the island opt to stay in the United Kingdom when the rest of Ireland becomes independent and later a republic. Many of the inhabitants are descended from Protestant settlers brought in by James I in the 17th century, although there is still a large Catholic minority, just as there continues to be a significant Protestant minority in the Republic.
1968: The civil rights movement: Catholics complain of unfair treatment at the hands of a largely Protestant political establishment, saying among other things that electoral boundaries are rigged to ensure Protestant majorities. On October 5, a civil rights march is stopped by the police. Rioting follows and the province's government agrees to undertake reforms.
1969: The battle of the Bogside: A loyalist parade passing through the nationalist Bogside area of Derry on August 12 sparks two days of rioting. As sporadic violence spreads across the province, troops are called in. At first they are welcomed by the Catholic community, but sectarian violence continues. The Provisional IRA becomes more active, and the army increasingly concentrates on fighting it.
1971 - 1975: Internment: Nearly 2,000 people are arrested and held without trial on suspicion of involvement in terrorism.
1972: Bloody Sunday: A protest against internment in Derry on January 30 is fired upon by British troops. Thirteen people are shot dead and another dies later. Troops say they were fired upon first.
1972: Direct rule: Edward Heath suspends the Northern Ireland parliament on March 24 and introduces direct rule from Westminster.
1970s - 1990s: Paramilitary groups on both sides continue to commit atrocities, including bombing bars, killing politicians and administering "punishment beatings" to members of their own communities.
1993: As momentum towards a negotiated settlement builds, it becomes apparent that the British government has been in secret contact with the IRA for years. In a Downing Street statement on December 15, the British prime minister, John Major, and the Irish taoiseach, Albert Reynolds, agree in principle on talks on the future of Northern Ireland. Any party that "renounces violence" is invited to take part.
1994: The IRA announces a ceasefire in August and Loyalist groups follow suit in October. The first formal talks between the British government and Sinn Féin begin in December.
1996: IRA declares an end to its ceasefire at about 7am on February 9, after the Major government insists that decommissioning occur as a precondition of talks. A few moments later the IRA explodes a bomb at Canary Wharf, killing two people and causing millions of pounds worth of damage.
1997: The IRA announces a second ceasefire in July. Tony Blair, now British prime minister, announces that decommissioning will take place in parallel with talks from September. Talks begin at Stormont, but it takes until October 7 to convince the unionists to sit down at the table with Sinn Féin. The talks are hampered by paramilitary killings on both sides. At one point the Ulster Democratic party walks out rather than be suspended for its links to the Ulster Freedom Fighters, at another Sinn Féin is suspended for a month, but talks continue until April 1998.
1998: US senator George Mitchell sets a deadline of April 9 for the parties to reach an agreement. Discussion continues through the night of April 9, Maundy Thursday, and finally result in the Good Friday Agreement on April 10. The deal includes the restoration of a devolved assembly at Stormont Castle, and a role for the Republic of Ireland in the affairs of the north. A referendum later approves the deal.
