9th century
- The Prague Castle is founded around 880 by prince Borivoj of the Premyslid
- dynasty. Prague is established.
- Some members of the Premyslid dynasty embrace Christianity brought to the
- Czech lands by Cyril and Methodius, the "apostles of the Slavs".
10th century
- Foundations are laid to St. Vitus Rotunda and the Vyšehrad Castle.
- The Prague bishopric is founded in 973.
11th century
- Vratislav II becomes the first Czech king in 1085 but remains subordinate
to
- the Holy Roman Empire and the German king.
12th century
- The first stone bridge over the Vltava, Judith Bridge, is built in 1172.
13th century
- The Old Town (Staré mesto) is founded in 1231.
- The Lesser Town (Malá Strana) is founded in 1257.
14th century - Prague's Golden Age
- John of Luxembourg rules the country (1310-1346).
- The Prague Castle Area (Hradcany) is founded around 1320.
- The Old Town Hall is founded in 1338.
- Judith Bridge collapses in a flood in 1342.
- Charles IV rules the country (1346-1378) and will be remembered as the most
- beloved Czech king. Prague becomes one of the most prosperous cities in
- Europe and the cultural capital of Central Europe.
- The Prague bishopric is upgraded to an archbishopric.
- Construction of St. Vitus cathedral begins.
- The New Town (Nové mesto) is founded in 1348.
- Charles University is established in 1348 and becomes the first university
- in Central Europe.
- Charles IV elected Holy Roman Emperor in 1355; Prague becomes the
- capital of the Holy Roman Empire.
- Construction of Charles Bridge begins in 1357.
15th century
- The Hussite wars are sweeping the country from 1419 to 1437 as a result of
- the religious conflicts between the Hussites and the Roman Catholic Church.
- Many historical artifacts are destroyed and the Prague Castle deteriorates.
16th century and Prague's Second Golden Age
- The reign of the Hapsburg dynasty begins in 1526 and the seat of power moves
- to Vienna.
- Prague Castle is reconstructed in the Renaissance style and a number of
- recreational sites are added (the Royal Garden, the Belvedere, the Ballgame
- Hall, etc.)
- Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor, is crowned the Czech king in 1575 and moves
- his court back to Prague in 1583. Prague becomes the center of science and
- alchemy and earns the nickname "Magic Prague". Many famous scientists
are
- attracted to Prague, such as astronomers Tycho de Brahe and Johannes Kepler.
17th century
- The Protestant uprising begins in 1618.
- Protestants are severely defeated in the Battle of the White Mountain (bitva
na
- Bílé hore) in 1620. The Dark Age of the Czech history (doba
temna) begins.
- Prague loses importance and the Prague Castle deteriorates.
18th century
- The four independent urban areas of Prague (Old Town, Malá Strana,
Hradcany,
- New Town) are united by Joseph II in 1784.
- A Czech nationalist movement called the National Revival (národní
obrození)
- begins in 1784. The Czech language, culture and national identity are being
- brought back to life.
- Joseph II issues the Edict of Tolerance in 1781, granting political and religious
- rights to religious minorities.
19th century
- The Industrial Revolution begins.
- A railway between Vienna and Prague opens in 1845.
- The growing industry results in an increase of Prague's Czech population
- as people move to the city from the countryside.
- Josefov is added to Prague's historical center in 1850.
- The National Revival continues. Czech institutions are established to celebrate
- the Czech history and culture: the National Theater opens in 1868, the
- National Museum opens in 1890.
20th century
- The Austro-Hungarian empire falls in 1918 and Prague becomes the capital
- of independent Czechoslovakia.
- Prague Castle becomes the seat of the first president of Czechoslovakia,
- Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk.
- Prague becomes close to Paris between WWI and WWII.
- Prague and the rest of the country are occupied by Nazi Germany during
- World War II (1939-1945).
- The Prague Uprising and liberation by the Soviet Red Army end World War II
- in 1945.
- The Communist Party seizes power after the February 25, 1948 coup d'etat.
- Alexander Dubcek, secretary of the Communist Party, attempts to create
- "socialism with a human face", culminating in the spring of 1968
("Prague
- Spring").
- "Prague Spring" fails and five Warsaw Pact member countries invade
- Czechoslovakia on August 21, 1968.
- The Velvet Revolution starts in Prague on November 17, 1989 and brings an
- end to communism. Czechoslovakia becomes a democratic country.
- Václav Havel, former dissident, is elected president in the country's
first
- democratic elections in January 1990.
- Czechoslovakia splits into two independent countries, Czech Republic and
- Slovakia on January 1, 1993. Prague becomes the capital of the Czech Republic.
- Václav Havel is elected first president of the Czech Republic in January
1993.
- The Czech Republic joins NATO in 1999.
- In 2002, the Czech Republic is approved to become a member of the European
- Union on May 1, 2004.
An extended overview of Czech history is available here.