Period      Description  ca. 1000 B.C.      Illyrians, descendants of ancient Indo-European peoples,      settled in western part of the Balkan Peninsula.  358 B.C.      Illyrians defeated by Philip II of Macedonia.  312 B.C.      King Glaucius of Illyria expels Greeks from Durrės.  229 B.C. and 219 B.C.      Roman soldiers overrun Illyrian settlements in Neretva River      valley.  165 B.C.      Roman forces capture Illyria's King Gentius at Shkodėr.  FIRST CENTURY A.D.      Christianity comes to Illyrian populated areas.  A.D. 9      Romans, under Emperor Tiberius, subjugate Illyrians and      divide present-day Albania between Dalmatia, Epirus, and      Macedonia.  A.D. 395      Roman Empire's division into eastern and western parts      leaves the lands that now comprise Albania administratively      under the Eastern Empire but ecclesiastically under Rome.  FOURTH CENTURY-SEVENTH CENTURY      Goths, Huns, Avars, Serbs, Croats, and Bulgars successively      invade Illyrian lands in present-day Albania.  732      Illyrian people subordinated to the patriarchate of      Constantinople by the Byzantine emperor, Leo the Isaurian.  1054      Christianity divides into Catholic and Orthodox churches,      leaving Christians in southern Albania under ecumenical      patriarch of Constantinople and those in northern Albania      under pope in Rome.  1081      Albania and Albanians mentioned, for the first time in a      historical record, by Byzantine emperor.  TWELFTH CENTURY      Serbs occupy parts of northern and eastern Albania.  1204      Venice wins control over most of Albania, but Byzantines      regain control of southern portion and establish Despotate      of Epirus.  1272  ĶĶĶĶĶĶĶ    Forces of the King of Naples occupy Durrės and establish an      Albanian kingdom.  1385      Albanian ruler of Durrės invites Ottoman forces to intervene      against a rival  subsequently, Albanian clans pay tribute      and swear fealty to Ottomans.  1389      At Kosovo Polje, Albanians join Serbian-led Balkan army that      is crushed by Ottoman forces  coordinated resistance to      Ottoman westward progress evaporates.  1403      Gjergj Kastrioti born, later becomes Albanian national hero      known as Skanderbeg.  1443      After losing a battle near Nis, Skanderbeg defects from      Ottoman Empire, reembraces Roman Catholicism, and begins      holy war against the Ottomans.  1444      Skanderbeg proclaimed chief of Albanian resistance.  1449      Albanians, under Skanderbeg, rout Ottoman forces under      Sultan Murad II.  1468      Skanderbeg dies.  1478      Krujė falls to Ottoman Turks  Shkodėr falls a year later.      Subsequently, many Albanians flee to southern Italy, Greece,      Egypt, and elsewhere  many remaining are forced to convert      to Islam.  EARLY SEVENTEENTH CENTURY      Some Albanians who convert to Islam find careers in Ottoman      Empire's government and military service.  SEVENTEENTH CENTURY-EIGHTEENTH CENTURY      About two-thirds of Albanians convert to Islam.  1785      Kara Mahmud Bushati, chief of Albanian tribe based in    
   Sh
   Shkodėr, attacks Montenegrin territory  subsequently named      governor of Shkodėr by Ottoman authorities.  NINETEENTH AND TWENTIETH CENTURIES  1822      Albanian leader Ali Pasha of Tepelenė assassinated by      Ottoman agents for promoting an autonomous state.  1830      1000 Albanian leaders invited to meet with Ottoman general      who kills about half of them.  1835      Ottoman Sublime Porte divides Albanian-populated lands into      vilayets of Janina and Rumelia with Ottoman      administrators.  1861      First school known to use Albanian language in modern times      opens in Shkodėr.  1877-78      Russia's defeat of Ottoman Empire seriously weakens Ottoman      power over Albanian-populated areas.  1878      Treaty of San Stefano, signed after the Russo-Turkish War,      assigned Albanian-populated lands to Bulgaria, Montenegro,      and Serbia  but Austria-Hungary and Britain block the      treaty's implementation. Albanian leaders meet in Prizren,      Kosovo, to form the Prizren League, initially advocating a      unified Albania under Ottoman suzerainty. During the      Congress of Berlin, the Great Powers overturn the Treaty of      San Stefano and divide Albanian lands among several states.      The Prizren League begins to organize resistance to the      Treaty of Berlin's provisions that affect Albanians.  1879      Society for Printing of Albanian Writings, composed of Roman      Catholic, Muslim, and Orthodox Albanians, founded in      Constantinople.  1881      Ottoman forces crush Albanian resistance fighters at      Prizren. Prizren League's leaders and families arrested and      deported.  1897      Ottoman authorities disband a reactivated Prizren League,      execute its leader later, then ban Albanian language books.  1906      Albanians begin joining the Committee of Union and Progress      (Young Turks), which formed in Constantinople, hoping to      gain autonomy for their nation within the Ottoman Empire.  1908      Albanian intellectuals meet in Bitola and choose the Latin      alphabet as standard script rather than Arabic or Cyrillic.  1912 May      Albanians rise against the Ottoman authorities and seize      Skopje.   October      First Balkan War begins, and Albanian leaders affirm Albania      as an independent state.   November      Muslim and Christian delegates at Vlorė declare Albania      independent and establish a provisional government.   December      Ambassadorial conference opens in London and discusses      Albania's fate.  1913  May      Treaty of London ends First Balkan War. Second Balkan War      begins.   August      Treaty of Bucharest ends Second Balkan War. Great Powers      recognize an independent Albanian state ruled by a      constitutional monarchy.  1914 March      Prince Wilhelm, German army captain, installed as head of      the new Albanian state by the International Control      Commission, arrives in Albania.   September      New Albanian state collapses following outbreak of World War      I  Prince Wilhelm is stripped of authority and departs from      Albania.  1918 November      World War I ends, with Italian army occupying most of      Albania and Serbian, Greek and French force occupying      remainder. Italian and Yugoslav powers begin struggle for      dominance over Albanians.   December      Albanian leaders meet at Durrės to discuss presentation of      Albania's interests at the Paris Peace Conference.  1919 January      Serbs attack Albania's inhabited cities. Albanians adopt      guerrilla warfare.   June      Albania denied official representation at the Paris Peace      Conference  British, French, and Greek negotiators later      decide to divide Albania among Greece, Italy, and      Yugoslavia.  1920 January      Albanian leaders meeting at Lushnjė reject the partitioning      of Albania by the Treaty of Paris, warn that Albanians will      take up arms in defense of their territory, and create a      bicameral parliament.   February      Albanian government moves to Tiranė, which becomes the      capital.   September      Albania forces Italy to withdraw its troops and abandon      territorial claims to almost all Albanian territory.   December      Albania admitted to League of Nations as sovereign and      independent state.  1921 November      Yugoslav troops invade Albanian territories they had not      previously occupied  League of Nations commission forces      Yugoslav withdrawal and reaffirms Albania's 1913 borders.   December      Popular Party, headed by Xhafer Ypi, forms government with      Ahmed Zogu, the future King Zog, as internal affairs      minister.  1922 August      Ecumenical patriarch in Constantinople recognizes the      Autocephalous Albanian Orthodox Church.   September      Zogu assumes position of prime minister of government       opposition to him becomes formidable.  1923      Albania's Sunni Muslims break last ties with Constantinople      and pledge primary allegiance to native country.  1924 March      Zogu's party wins elections for National Assembly, but Zogu      steps down after financial scandal and an assassination      attempt.   July      A peasant-backed insurgency wins control of Tiranė  Fan S.      Noli becomes prime minister  Zogu flees to Yugoslavia.   December      Zogu, backed by Yugoslav army, returns to power and begins      to smother parliamentary democracy  Noli flees to Italy.  1925 May      Italy, under Mussolini, begins penetration of Albanian      public and economic life.  1926 November      Italy and Albania sign First Treaty of Tiranė, which      guarantees Zogu's political position and Albania's      boundaries.  1928 August      Zogu pressures the parliament to dissolve itself  a new      constituent assembly declares Albania a kingdom and Zogu      becomes Zog I, "King of the Albanians."  1931      Zog, standing up to Italians, refuses to renew the First      Treaty of Tiranė  Italians continue political and economic      pressure.  1934      After Albania signs trade agreements with Greece and      Yugoslavia, Italy suspends economic support, then attempts      to threaten Albania.  1935      Mussolini presents a gift of 3,000,000 gold francs to      Albania  other economic aid follows.  1939 March      Mussolini delivers ultimatum to Albania.   April      Mussolini's troops invade and occupy Albania  Albanian      parliament votes to unite country with Italy  Zog flees to      Greece  Italy's King Victor Emmanual III assumes Albanian      crown.  1940 October      Italian army attacks Greece through Albania.  1941 April      Germany, with support of Italy and other allies defeat      Greece and Yugoslavia.   October      Josip Broz Tito, Yugoslav communist leader, directs      organizing of Albanian communists.   November      Albanian Communist Party founded  Enver Hoxha becomes first      secretary.  1942 September      Communist party organizes the National Liberation Movement,      a popular front resistance organization.   October      Noncommunist nationalist groups form to resist the Italian      occupation.  1943 August      Italy's surrender to Allied forces weakens Italian hold on      Albania  Albanian resistance fighters overwhelm five Italian      divisions.   September      German forces invade and occupy Albania.  1944 January      Communist partisans, supplied with British weapons, gain      control of southern Albania.   May      Communists meet to organize an Albanian government  Hoxha      becomes chairman of executive committee and supreme      commander of the Army of National Liberation.   July      Communist forces enter central and northern Albania.   October      Communists establish provisional government with Hoxha as      prime minister.   November      Germans withdraw from Tiranė, communists move into the      capital.   December      Communist provisional government adopts laws allowing state      regulation of commercial enterprises, foreign and domestic      trade.  1945 January      Communist provisional government agrees to restore Kosovo to      Yugoslavia as an autonomous region  tribunals begin to      condemn thousands of "war crimi
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 nals" and "enemies of the      people" to death or to prison. Communist regime begins to      nationalize industry, transportation, forests, pastures.   April      Yugoslavia recognizes communist government in Albania.   August      Sweeping agricultural reforms begin  about half of arable      land eventually redistributed to peasants from large      landowners  most church properties nationalized. United      Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration begins      sending supplies to Albania.   November      Soviet Union recognizes provisional government  Britain and      United States make full diplomatic recognition conditional.   December      In elections for the People's Assembly only candidates from      the Democratic Front are on ballot.  1946 January      People's Assembly proclaims Albania a "people's republic"       purges of noncommunists from positions of power in      government begins.   Spring      People's Assembly adopts new constitution, Hoxha becomes      prime minister, foreign minister, defense minister, and      commander-in-chief  Soviet-style central planning begins.   July      Treaty of friendship and cooperation signed with Yugoslavia       Yugoslav advisers and grain begin pouring into Albania.   October      British destroyers hit mines off Albania's coast  United      Nations (UN) and the International Court of Justice      subsequently condemn Albania.   November      Albania breaks diplomatic relations with the United States      after latter withdraws its informal mission.  1947 April      Economic Planning Commission draws up first economic plan      that established production targets for mining,      manufacturing and agricultural enterprises.   May      UN commission concludes that Albania, together with Bulgaria      and Yugoslavia, supports communist guerrillas in Greece       Yugoslav leaders launch verbal offensive against anti-      Yugoslav Albanian communists, including Hoxha  pro-Yugoslav      faction begins to wield power.   July      Albania refuses participation in the Marshall Plan of the      United States.  1948 February-March      Albanian Communist Party leaders vote to merge Albanian and      Yugoslav economies and militaries.   June      Cominform expels Yugoslavia  Albanian leaders launch anti-      Yugoslav propaganda campaign, cut economic ties, and force      Yugoslav advisers to leave  Stalin becomes national hero in      Albania.   September      Hoxha begins purging high-ranking party members accused of      "Titoism"  treaty of friendship with Yugoslavia abrogated by      Albania  Soviet Union begins giving economic aid to Albania      and Soviet advisers replace ousted Yugoslavs.   November      First Party Congress changes name of Albanian Communist      Party to Albanian Party of Labor.  1949 January      Regime issues Decree on Religious Communities.   February      Albania joins Council for Mutual Economic Assistance      (Comecon)  all foreign trade conducted with member      countries.   December      Pro-Tito Albanian communists purged.  1950      Britain and United States begin inserting anticommunist      Albanian guerrilla units into Albania  all are unsuccessful.   July      A new constitution is approved by People's Assembly. Hoxha      becomes minister of defense and foreign minister.  1951 February      Albania and Soviet Union sign agreement on mutual economic      assistance.  1954 July      Hoxha relinquishes post of prime minister to Mehmet Shehu      but retains primary power as party leader.  1955 May      Albania becomes a founding member of the Warsaw Pact.  1956 February      After Nikita Khrushchev's "secret speech" exposes Stalin's      crimes, Hoxha defends Stalin  close relations with Soviet      Union become strained.  1959      Large amounts of economic aid from Soviet Union, East      European countries, and China begin pouring into Albania.   May      Khrushchev visits Albania.  1960 June      Albania sides with China in Sino-Soviet ideological dispute       consequently Soviet economic support to Albania is curtailed      and Chinese aid is increased.   November      Hoxha rails against Khrushchev and supports China during an      international communist conference in Moscow.  1961 February      Hoxha harangues against the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia at      Albania's Fourth Party Congress.   December      Soviet Union breaks diplomatic relations  other East      European countries severely reduce contacts but do not break      relations  Albania looks toward China for support.  1962      Albanian regime introduces austerity program in attempt to      compensate for withdrawal of Soviet economic support  China      incapable of delivering sufficient aid  Albania becomes      China's spokesman at UN.  1964      Hoxha hails Khrushchev's removal as leader of the Soviet      Union  diplomatic relations fail to improve.  1966 February      Hoxha initiates Cultural and Ideological Revolution.   March      Albanian Party of Labor "open letter" to the people      establishes egalitarian wage and job structure for all      workers.  1967      Hoxha regime conducts violent campaign to extinguish      religious life in Albania  by year's end over two thousand      religious buildings were closed or converted to other uses.  1968 August      Albania condemns Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia,      subsequently Albania withdraws from Warsaw Pact.  1976 September      Hoxha begins criticizing new Chinese regime after Mao's      death.   December      A new constitution promulgated superceeding the 1950      version  Albania becomes a people's socialist republic.  1977      Top military officials purged after "Chinese conspiracy" is      uncovered.  1978 July      China terminates all economic and military aid to Albania.  1980      Hoxha selects Ramiz Alia as the next party head, bypassing      Shehu.  1981 December      Shehu, after rebuke by Politburo, dies, possibly murdered on      Hoxha's orders.  1982 November      Alia becomes chairman of Presidium of the People's Assembly.  1983      Hoxha begins semiretirement  Alia starts administering      Albania.  1985 April      Hoxha dies.  1986 November      Alia featured as party's and country's undisputed leader at      Ninth Party Congress.  1987 August      Greece ends state of war that existed since World War II.   November      Albania and Greece sign a series of long-term agreements.  1989 September      Alia, addressing the Eighth Plenum of the Central Committee,      signals that radical changes to the economic system are      necessary.  1990 January      Ninth Plenum of the Central Committee  demonstrations at      Shkodėr force authorities to declare state of emergency.   April      Alia declares willingness to establish diplomatic relations      with the Soviet Union and the United States.  May      The Secretary General of the UN visits Albania.  May      Regime announces desire to join the Conference on Security      and Cooperation in Europe. People's Assembly passes laws      liberalizing criminal code, reforming court system, lifting      some restrictions on freedom of worship, and guaranteeing      the right to travel abroad.   Summer      Unemployment throughout the economy increases as a result of      government's reform measures  drought reduces electric-      power production, forcing plant shutdowns.   July      Young people demonstrate against regime in Tiranė, and 5,000      citizens seek refuge in foreign embassies  Central Committee      plenum makes significant changes in leadership of party and      state. Soviet Union and Albania sign protocol normalizing      relations.  August      Government abandons its monopoly on foreign commerce and      begins to open Albania to foreign trade.  September      Alia addresses the UN General Assembly in New York.  October      Tiranė hosts the Balkan Foreign Ministers' Conference, the      first international political meeting in Albania since the      end of World War II. Ismail Kadare, Albania's most prominent      writer, defects to France.   December      University students demonstrate in streets and call for      dicta
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 torship to end  Alia meets with students  Thirteenth      Plenum of the Central Committee of the APL authorizes a      multiparty system  Albanian Democratic Party, first      opposition party established  regime authorizes political      pluralism  draft constitution is published  by year's end,      5,000 Albanian refugees had crossed the mountains into      Greece.  1991 January      First opposition newspaper Rilindja Demokratike begins      publishing. Thousands of Albanians seek refuge in Greece.   March      Albania and the United States reestablish diplomatic      relations after a thirty-five year break. Thousands more      Albanians attempt to gain asylum in Italy.   March-April      First multiparty elections held since the 1920s  98.9      percent of voters participated  Albanian Party of Labor wins      over 67 percent of vote for People's Assembly seats       Albanian Democratic Party wins about 30 percent.  April      Communist-dominated People's Assembly reelects Alia to new      presidential term. Ministry of Internal Affairs replaced by      Ministry of Public Order  Frontier Guards and Directorate of      Prison Administration are placed under the Ministry of      Defense and the Ministry of Justice, respectively. People's      Assembly passes Law on Major Constitutional Provisions      providing for fundamental human rights and separation of      powers and invalidates 1976 constitution. People's Assembly      appoints commission to draft new constitution.  June      Prime Minister Nano and rest of cabinet resign after trade      unions call for general strike to protest worsening economic      conditions and killing of opposition demonstrators in      Shkodėr. Coalition government led by Prime Minister Ylli      Buti takes office  Tenth Party Congress of the Albanian      Party of Labor meets and renames party the Socialist Party      of Albania (SPA)  Albania accepted as a full member of CSCE       United States secretary of state, James A. Baker, visits      Albania.  July      Sigurimi, notorious secret police, is abolished and replaced      by National Information Service.  August      Up to 18,000 Albanians cross the Adriatic Sea to seek asylum      in Italy  most are returned. People's Assembly passes law on      economic activity that authorizes private ownership of      property, privatizing of state property, investment by      foreigners, and private employment of workers.  October      United States Embassy opens in Tiranė. Albania joins      International Monetary Fund.  December      Coalition government dissolves when opposition parties      accuse communists of blocking reform and Albanian Democratic      Party withdraws its ministers from the cabinet. Prime      Minister Bufi resigns and Alia names Vilson Ahmeti as prime      minister. Alia sets March 1992 for new elections.  1992  February      Albanian People's Assembly prevents OMONIA, the party      representing Greek Albanians, from fielding candidates in      the elections planned for March.  March      Albanian Democratic Party scores decisive election victory      over the Socialist Party of Albania in the midst of economic      freefall and social chaos.  April      Sali Berisha, a leader of the Albanian Democratic Party,      becomes the first democratically elected president.  June      Albania signs Black Sea economic cooperation part with ten      other countries, including six former Soviet republics.  July      Socialist Party of Albania gains significantly in local      elections.  September      Former President Alia and eighteen other former communist      officials, including Nexhmije Hoxha, arrested and charged      with corruption and other offenses.  December      Albania joins the Organization of the Islamic Conference.  1993  March      Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization      visits Tiranė.  April      Albania recognizes the former Yugoslav Republic of      Macedonia.  September      President Berisha and President Momir Bulatovic of      Montenegro meet in Tiranė to discuss ways of improving      Albanian-Montenegrin relations.  October      Greece recalls its ambassador for consultations after series      of border incidents and alleged human rights abuses in      Albania. 

Data as of April 1992