1975    East Timor: Governor Mário Lemos Pires of Portuguese Timor abandons the capital Dili, following a coup by the Timorese Democratic Union (UDT) and the outbreak of civil war between UDT and Fretilin.

1975    The Balibo Five, a group of Australian television journalists based in the town of Balibo in the then Portuguese Timor (now East Timor), are killed by Indonesian troops.

1975    East Timor declares its independence from Portugal.

1975    Indonesia invades East Timor.

1976    History of East Timor: East Timor is annexed, and becomes the 27th province of Indonesia.

1991    Dili Massacre, Indonesian forces open fire on a crowd of student protesters in Dili, East Timor.

1999    Indonesia announces it will allow international peace-keepers into East Timor.

2002    The independence of East Timor is recognized by Portugal, formally ending 23 years of Indonesian rule and 3 years of provisional UN administration (Portugal itself is the former colonizer of East Timor until 1976).

2002    Timor-Leste (East Timor) joins the United Nations.