1846: Rana family gains power and entrenched itself through hereditary prime ministers, and reduced the monarch to a figure head.

1950: King Tribhuvan flees to India; sets off revolution against the Rana regime

1955: King Mahendra issued a new constitution and first democratic elections

1962: King Mahendra declared new constitution and made Koirala’s govt void

1979: Amid student revolutions, a referendum was called for.  Panchayat System won a narrow victory

1990: ‘Movement to Restore Democracy’ began and over 50 people died.  In April of that year King Birendra dissolved panchayat system

April 20, 1990: An interim government led by PM Krishna Prasad Bhattarai was formed

1990: November, new constitution drafted by new government which enshrined human rights and declared Nepal as a parliamentary democracy under a constitutional Monarch

May 1991: Elections free and fair where Nepali Congress Party won

Mid 1994: Parliament dissolved due to dissension within the congress party

November 15 ,1994: General elections held without any consequential victory resulting in formation of a minority government led by Communist Party of Nepal.

February 1996: Maoist United People's Front began a violent insurgency, waged through killings, torture, bombings, kidnappings, extortion, and intimidation against civilians, police, and public officials in more than 50 of the country's 75 districts.

May 1999: General elections held where Nepali Congress once again won and headed the Parliamnet with a 113 seats out of 205. But the pattern of short-lived governments persisted. There were three Nepali Congress Party Prime Ministers after the 1999 elections: K.P. Bhattarai (5/31/99-3/17/00); G. P. Koirala (3/20/00-7/19/01); and Sher Bahadur Deuba (7/23/01-10/04/02).

June 1, 2001: Crown Prince Dipendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev reportedly shot and killed his father King Birendra, his mother Queen Aishwarya, his brother, his sister, his father's younger brother Prince Dhirendra, and several aunts before turning the gun on himself. After his death two days later, the late King's surviving brother Gyanendra was proclaimed King.

May 2, 2002: King Gyanendra dissolved parliament on recommendation of PM Sher Bahadur Deuba

October 4, 2002: King Gyanendra removed PM Sher Bahadur Deuba and assumed executive power

October 11, 2002: King Gyanendra appoints Lokendra Bahadur Chand as PM

January 29, 2003: Maoists declare seize fire under Chand.  This would be the first in their row of 3 declared seize fires so far

June 30, 2003: PM Chand resigns due to massive political pressure and lack of support after only 7 months in power

June 4, 2003: King declared Surya Bahadur Thapa as PM amidst opposition from all other political parties

August 27, 2003: Maoists break seize fire

June 2004: King reinstated formerly sacked PM Sher Bahadur Deuba

February 1, 2005: Citing a steady deterioration of conditions in the country, King Gyanendra dismissed the Cabinet and constituted a Council of Ministers under his own chairmanship

February 2, 2005: His new government was sworn in.  The Council of Ministers under the King's chairmanship was reshuffled twice during the King's 15 months of direct rule.

April 2006:  The major political parties, in cooperation with the Maoists, organized massive countrywide demonstrations for the restoration of democracy, forcing the King to relinquish power

April 24, 2006: King Gyanendra reinstated the 1999 Parliament. Former Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala of the Nepali Congress Party was selected by the Seven-Party Alliance (SPA) of political parties to again lead the government.

April 26, 2006: Maoists declare unilateral seize fire

May 3, 2006: The new Koirala government announced its own unilateral cease-fire and plans for peace talks with the Maoist insurgents

November 2006: A comprehensive peace agreement to end the decade-long insurgency between Maoists and government signed

January 15, 2007: A 329-member interim Parliament, including 83 Maoist representatives and other party representatives, was constituted.

April 1, 2007: The ruling eight-party government formed an interim Council of Ministers through political consensus, including five Maoist ministers