• March 18, 1856 - The Treaty of Paris. Based on the treaty ad-hoc assemblies of the Romanian Principalities of Moldova and Wallachia were convened and approved a plan to unify the two principalities under the rule of a foreign prince. The Principalities were under the Turkish suzerainty at that time.
• January 4, 1859 - The Romanian Principalities were unified under the rule of Alexandru Ioan Cuza, a Romanian fighter during the 1848 revolution.
• February 11 toward 12, 1866 - Cuza was overthrown and a regency council was formed to take his place. The members of the council began the process of finding a foreign prince to rule the United Principalities.
• March 30, 1866 - After Philip of Flanders refused the throne of the Principalities, the Romanian nobles published a proclamation recommending the election of Prince Karl of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen as Prince of Romania. He was to be known as Carol I.
• May 10, 1866 - Carol I arrived in Bucharest, the Romanian capital, and swore the oath of office in Parliament. May 10th was celebrated as the national day of the Kingdom of Romania until 1947.
• June 29, 1866 - The new Constitution was based on the principles of constitutional monarchy, with a separation of powers.
• November 3, 1869 - Prince Carol married the German Princess Elizabeth of Wied.
• August 20, 1870 - The couple’s daughter, Maria, is born. In 1877 she died of scarlet fever. She was their only child.
• April 12, 1877 - The Russian-Turkish War began. Romania gave permission to the Russian troops to pass through it’s territory to attack the Turks, resulting in Turkish bombardments of Romanian towns on the Danube.
• April 26, 1877 - The Romanians responded at Calafat, opening fire on the city of Vidin, on the opposite bank of the Danube.
• May 10, 1877 - After parliamentary deliberations the previous day, Carol I proclaimed Romania’s independence. After 1947, the communists tried to erase any reminder of the monarchy from Romania’s history by "moving" the day celebrating independence to May 9th.
• August 16, 1877 - Carol I met Russia’s Tsar Alexander II and the Grand Duke Nicholas. Carol I took over the leadership of the united Romanian and Russian troops. After difficult battles the Turks asked for an armistice.
• February 19, 1878 - The Peace of San Stefano. The Russians refused Romania’s participation at the negotiations. They also occupied several counties in southern Bessarabia, which was Romanian territory.
• March 14, 1881 - The beginning of the process of approving the law which made the Principality of Romania into a Kingdom, and proclaimed Carol the King of Romania.
• May 10, 1881 - Romania was proclaimed a Kingdom.
• April 19, 1889 - King Carol’s nephew, Prince Ferdinand, arrived in Romania as the designated heir to the throne.
• December 29, 1892 - Prince Ferdinand married the English Princess Mary (Romanian: Maria). She was the daughter of the Duke of Edinburgh and the granddaughter of Queen Victoria of Great Britain.
• October 15, 1893 - The birth of Ferdinand and Maria’s first son, the future King Carol II. Five other children followed: Elizabeth, the future Queen of Greece, Maria ("Mignon"), the future Queen of Yugoslavia, Nicholas (Romanian Nicolae), Ileana (a.k.a. Mother Alexandra after becoming a nun), and Mircea, who died of typhoid fever at age four, during the First World War.
• June 16, 1913 - The Second Balkan War began. By June 27th, Romania declared war on Bulgaria. At a end of the war Romania gained the southern part of the Dobrogrea (also known as Cadrilater) region.
• 1914 - The First World War began. As an ally of Austro-Hungaria and Prussia, Romania should have entered the war on the side of the Central Powers.
• July 21, 1914 - The Crown Council declared Romanian neutrality. Although faithful to his agreements with the Central Powers, King Carol accepted the decision of the Crown Council.
• September 27, 1914 - The 75 years old King Carol I died. (His wife, Queen Elizabeth, died two years later.) Prince Ferdinand became King.
• September 28, 1914 - King Ferdinand took the oath and promised to be a good Romanian, which meant he would not oppose Romania’s entry in the war against Austro-Hungaria and Prussia.
• August 14, 1916 - The Crown Council decided to enter the war joining the Triple Entente. It declared war on the Austro-Hungarian empire and Romanian troops entered Transylvania. The Central Powers responded with overwhelming force.
• November 1916 - As the tide turned against Romania, the King and the government moved north to Iasi in Moldavia. Bucharest and most of Wallachia were occupied by German forces.
• Summer 1917 - Romanian troops put up a heroic defense at Marasesti, Oituz, and Marasti, and obtained memorable victories that stopped the occupation of the entire country.
• October-November 1917 - After its Bolshevik Revolution Russia withdrew from the war.
• March 27, 1918 - The Ruling Council at Chisinau, the capital of Bessarabia the province occupied by the Russians one century before, proclaimed its union with the Kingdom of Romania.
• April 24, 1918 - A partial peace between Romania and the Central Powers was signed. King Ferdinand however did not ratify that treaty which nullified it.
• November 15, 1918 - Bucovina, a part of Moldavia occupied by Austria in the XIXth century, became reunited with Romania.
• December 1, 1918 - The Assembly of Alba Iulia declared Transylvania’s union with the Kingdom of Romania. The treaties negotiated at the end of the war validated these unions.
• August 1919 - Prince Carol renounced his rights to the throne, because during the war he ran to Odessa with Ioana Lambrino. However in February 1920, he changed his mind.
• March 10, 1921 - Prince Carol marries Princess Helen of Greece.
• October 25, 1921 - The birth of Michael (Romanian: Mihai), the son of Prince Carol and Princess Helen, and the future King of Romania.
• October 15, 1922 - King Ferdinand and Queen Marie’s coronation took place at the Cathedral in Alba Iulia. They were crowned as sovereigns of Greater Romania.
• March 28, 1923 - King Ferdinand announced the "Constitution of 1923," one of the most democratic constitutions at that time, which provided the universal and equal right to vote. The agrarian reform promised by the King was also passed after the war.
• December 30, 1925 - King Ferdinand convened the Crown Council which declared Michael the Crown Prince and heir to the throne, after Prince Carol exiled himself to Paris with his mistress Elena Lupescu, and again renounced his rights to the throne.
• July 20 1927 - King Ferdinand died after only thirteen years of glorious rule. Prince Michael became King for the first time, under the guidance of the regency of Patriarch Miron Cristea, Prince Nicholas, Carol’s younger brother, and George Buzdugan.
• June 6, 1930 - Carol returned to Romania and after two days was declared King Carol II. After a short time his mistress returned also.
• November 1, 1932 - Carol and Helen divorced. Thus Prince Michael’s mother had to leave Romania.
• February 10, 1938 - King Carol II abolished the Constitution of 1923 and installed a "royal dictatorship."
• September 1, 1939 - The Second World War began.
• June 26, 1940 - The Soviets ultimatum to Romania to turn over the province of Bessarabia. Two days later Romania had no choice but to cede Bessarabia to the Soviet Union.
• August 19-21, 1940 - After deliberations Romania was forced to cede southern Dobrogea to Bulgaria.
• August 30, 1940 - The Vienna Dictate. Romania lost to Hungary the North-Western part of Transylvania, a territory inhabited mainly by Romanians.
• September 5, 1940 - In response to the troubles in Romania, Carol II ceded most of his powers to General Antonescu.
• September 6, 1940 - King Carol II abdicated in favor of his son, Prince Michael who became King for the second time. But the King was left with a purely symbolic role as an Iron Guard (a right extremist movement) government was formed under the leadership of Horia Sima and General Ion Antonescu.
• January 20-27, 1941 - The Iron Guard rebellion. After defeating the Iron Guard, General Ion Antonescu established his own military dictatorship.
• June 22, 1941 - Romania entered World War II on Germany’s side, and against the Soviet Union to get back Bessarabia.
• January 1, 1943 - In his new year’s message King Michael talked against the war, which infuriated the Germans, and lead to diplomatic confrontations with the Nazies.
• 1943-1944 - As the Romanian Army was losing to the Red Army, King Michael along with opposition parties began secret negotiations with representatives of the Allies.
• March 1944 - Soviet troops entered Romanian territory.
• August 23, 1944 - As General Antonescu refused to negotiate with the Allies, King Michael overthrew him and appointed a military government let by General Sanatescu and assisted by the democratic parties, and the minuscule communist party. That evening in a radio address the King announced to the people an armistice with the Allies. After fierce fighting between the Romanians and the Germans the capital of Romania was liberated without any help from the Soviets.
• August 30, 1944 - Soviet troops arrived in Bucharest, which was already liberated from the Germans by the Romanian troops.
• September 12, 1944 - The armistice was signed in Moscow.
• October 25, 1944 - Transylvania was liberated on King Michael’s birthday. Since then, October 25 is celebrated as the Romanian Army’s Day.
• December 2, 1944 - Sanatescu resigned as Premier and General Nicholas Radescu was named the new leader of the Romanian Government.
• March 6, 1945 - Forced by Soviet threats and tanks in Bucharest, a pro-communist government led by Petru Groza had to be accepted by the Romanians.
• August 20, 1945 - Supported by Iuliu Maniu and Constantin Bratianu, the leaders of the democratic parties, King Michael asked for the resignation of the pro-communist government. With Soviet support, Petru Groza refused to resign and continued as premier.
• August 21, 1945 - The King refused to collaborate with the pro-communist government and started the "royal strike." The King stopped signing the laws passed by the government, and without his signature they were not legal. The strike lasted until January 1946.
• November 8, 1945 - During the official day celebrating King Michael’s name day there was a great pro-monarchist and anti-communist rally in Bucharest, one of the greatest meetings to take place in the Romanian Capital. The communist government opened fire on the crowd and made many arrests.
• January 1946 - Lack of support from the United States and Britain caused the King to end his strike, but he appointed two members of the democratic parties to the pro-communist government.
• November 1946 - Parliamentary elections. After the undoubted large margin victory of the democratic parties led by Maniu and Bratianu, the pro-communist government rigged the elections and announced themselves the winners.
• July 29 - November 4, 1947 - Iuliu Maniu and other democratic leaders were arrested under false charges, tried and condemned. Maniu was given life in prison.
• November 1947 - King Michael attended the wedding of Princess Elizabeth, today’s Queen of England. He tried to obtain support for his actions against the communists and the Soviets, from the western leaders. King Michael became engaged with Princess Anne of Bourbon-Parma, whom he married later in exile. The communists hoped that the King would not return from the West, but Michael returned to Romania and informed the government of his wedding plans.
• December 30, 1947 - The Royal Palace in Bucharest was surrounded by Soviet troops and a few Romanian units loyal to the communists. The Prime Minister threatened to kill the students arrested during pro-monarchist meetings if Michael did not abdicate. The King was forced by Petru Groza, with Soviet backing, to sign an abdication document or face a bloody civil war.. The communists quickly declared Romania a People’s Republic.
• January 3, 1948 - King Michael along with his mother Queen Helen, left Romania by train.
• March 1948 - In London, King Michael explained that his abdication was not a voluntary one, but one forced upon him and therefore invalid. The communist government then dispossessed the King of his Romanian citizenship, as well as the other members of the royal family. They also confiscated all royal properties.
• 1948 - 1989 - After living in England for a while, the King chose Switzerland as his residence. There he supervised the activities of the Romanian National Committee, the principal organization of the exiled Romanians. The Committee was led by former Prime Minister Nicolae Radescu, and later by former Foreign Minister, C. Visoianu. Every year King Michael transmitted radio messages to Romania, and kept in touch with Romanian refugees.
• January 24, 1988 - King Michael and Queen Anne celebrated the 129th anniversary of the union Moldavia and Walachia in Los Angeles. Invited by the Romanian community in Southern California they met with thousands of Romanian immigrants at several ceremonies.
• December 22, 1989 - Nicolae Ceausescu, Romania’s dictator was overthrown by the revolution started by the people of Timisoara, followed by Bucharest and other cities. After Ceausescu’s fall, a provisional government formed by a group of communists led by Ion Iliescu, took over.
• January 1990 - King Michael asked the provisional government to reinstall the democratic constitution of 1923. They refuse it, and did not permit the King to return to Romania for Easter.
• May 20, 1990 - The elections were won by the so-called National Salvation Front (NSF, rom. FSN). Iliescu remained president and the government continued to be led by Petre Roman, son of a well known Romanian stalinist.
• December 24, 1990 - Although granted a visa to enter Romania, the government led by Iliescu and Roman changed its mind and ordered the King to be deported. On the highway between Bucharest and Pitesti the King was stopped by the police, forced to return to the Otopeni airport and leave the country.
• April 23, 1992 - King Michael was allowed to return to Romania for Easter celebrations. The King drew very large crowds where ever he went. In Bucharest (according to CNN) over a million people showed up to see the King. This was considered to be the biggest meeting ever to take place in Bucharest. After such a triumphal welcome by the people, the government refused to allow any other visit by the King, afraid of the popularity of the monarchy and that of the opposition parties.
• September 1992 - New elections were won by Ion Iliescu and his NSF.
• November 11, 1995 - Corneliu Coposu dies. Coposu, the President of the National Peasant Christian Democratic Party, was the creator of the coalition of the democratic opposition parties. Earlier he had been secretary to Iuliu Maniu until 1947, and after the communists came to power he was a political prisoner languishing for seventeen years in communist prisons. Corneliu Coposu was a strong supporter and collaborator of King Michael.
• 1992 - 1996 - The King was systematically refused to enter Romania.
• November 17, 1996 - Presidential elections were won by Emil Constantinescu, the candidate of the Democratic Convention. Parliamentary elections were also won by the Democratic Convention, the coalition of democratic parties established by Corneliu Coposu.
• February 28, 1997 - After receiving a Romanian passport, King Michael returned from exile. The King was met and welcomed by tens of thousands of Romanians where ever he traveled around the country.
• May - July 1997 - King Michael lobbied for Romania’s integration into NATO. He traveled to Denmark, Belgium, Norway, Britain, Luxembourg, Spain and Holland, met with high government officials in those countries and eloquently presented Romania’s case for becoming a NATO member.
• December 1997 - King Michael, Queen Anne, their daughters and grandchildren spent several weeks in Romania. It was for the first time after the King was forced to abdicate that the Romanian Royal Family spent the Christmas back home.

Notes:

1. The dates up to and including 1918, are according to the Julian calendar used in Romania in that period. After 1918 the dates are according to the Gregorian calendar and thus correspond to the dates used in Western Europe.

2. This chronology is based on the books "The History of the Romanians from Their Origins to the Present" by Vlad Georgescu, Humanitas Publishers, Bucharest 1992; and "The Monarchy in Romania 1866-1949" by Ioan Scurtu, Danubius Publishers, Bucharest 1991; and on Romanian newspapers after 1989.

3. For more recent events please visit the News section.

 
Translated from Romanian by Camelia Siminescu