1942 World War II: Nazis burn the Czech village of Lidice in reprisal for the killing of Reinhard Heydrich.
1945 End of the Prague uprising, today celebrated as a national holiday in the Czech Republic.
1969 Czech student Jan Palach commits suicide by self-immolation in Prague, in protest against the Soviets' crushing of the Prague Spring the year before.
1992 The Federal Assembly of Czechoslovakia votes to split the country into the Czech Republic and Slovakia from January 1, 1993.
1992 Czechoslovakia is dissolved, resulting in the creation of the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
1993 Dissolution of Czechoslovakia: Czechoslovakia is divided into the Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic.
1993 Czech Republic and Slovakia join the United Nations.
1996 The Czech Republic applies for membership of the European Union.
1997 NATO invites the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland to join the alliance in 1999.
1999 Former Warsaw Pact members the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland join NATO.
2002 Enlargement of the European Union: The European Union announces that Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia will become members from May 1, 2004.
2004 Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia join the European Union, celebrated at the residence of the Irish President in Dublin.