August 20, 1941: Born in Pozarevac, in central Serbia.

1964: Graduates from Belgrade Law School, joins the Communist Party. 1984: Appointed party leader in the capital, Belgrade, by his friend Ivan Stambolic, who had been promoted to head the Serbian Communist Party.

1986: Succeeds Stambolic as Serbian Communist boss after Stambolic is elevated to president of Serbia. April 1987: Delivers inflammatory speech in Kosovo to Serbs demanding protection from ethnic Albanian majority in province. Speech catapults Milosevic to prominence.

September 1987: Milosevic accuses Stambolic and others of anti-communist and anti-Serbian policies during a live telecast of party meeting, forcing their resignations.

1989: Milosevic becomes president of Serbia, strips Kosovo of autonomy. More than 20 killed in protests.

1990: Yugoslavia sends in troops to impose control. Serbia dissolves Kosovo’s government.

1991: Croatia and Slovenia declare independence from Yugoslavia. Milosevic sends tanks to Slovenian borders, triggering a brief war that ended in Slovenia’s secession. Milosevic encourages Serbs in Croatia to take up arms.

1992: UN-patrolled cease-fire in Croatia takes effect in January. In March, Bosnia-Herzegovina declares its independence. Milosevic bankrolls Bosnian Serb rebellion.

1995: Milosevic agrees to settlement of Bosnian war at US-sponsored peace talks in Dayton, Ohio, with presidents of Croatia and Bosnia. NATO authorises deploying 60,000 troops.

November-December 1996: Milosevic allies win elections for federal parliament, but opposition coalition appears to win run-offs in most local elections, including Belgrade.

January 1997: Milosevic concedes defeat and allows opposition to take control of several cities.

July 1997: Prevented by constitution from seeking re-election, Milosevic has parliament name him president of Yugoslavia, comprising only the republics of Serbia and Montenegro.

February 1998: Milosevic sends troops to crush new ethnic Albanian uprising in Kosovo.

September 1998: UN Security Council adopts resolution calling for immediate cease-fire and political dialogue.

October 1998: NATO allies authorise airstrikes against Serb military targets. Milosevic agrees to withdraw troops, allow return of refugees and 2,000 unarmed monitors to verify compliance. Attacks continue.

March 1999: Kosovo Albanians sign peace deal calling for broad interim autonomy and 28,000 NATO troops. Serb delegation refuses and talks suspended.

March 24, 1999: NATO airstrikes begin.

May 1999: Milosevic and four subordinates are indicted by UN war crimes tribunal on charges of crimes against humanity – murder, deportation and persecutions – and violations of the laws and customs of war.

October 5, 1999: Milosevic ousted after huge mobs rampage through Belgrade, driving security forces from streets and seizing parliament, TV network, police stations.

April 1, 2001: Milosevic arrested in his villa after 26-hour standoff with police.

June 28, 2001: Milosevic flown to The Hague, Netherlands, to face trial on war crimes charges at UN tribunal.

January 2004: Prosecution closes its case after calling 294 witnesses.

June 2004: Milosevic, defending himself, names nearly 1,400 people he wants to call in his defence.

December 2005: Trial adjourned for six weeks due to Milosevic’s ill health.

January 2006: Trial reopens, with tribunal urging Milosevic to wrap up defence by April, with verdict to be issued later in the year.

February 24, 2006: UN war crimes tribunal rejects Milosevic’s request to go to Russia for medical treatment.

March 11, 2006: Milosevic found dead in his cell at UN detention centre near The Hague.