| 1535 | Spanish conquest of Colombia begins and the first permanent settlement in South America was founded at Santa Marta
|
| 1536 | 1536-1538: Spanish conquistador Gonzalo Jimenez de Quesada (1509-1579) leads an expedition into the Andes and obtains massive amounts of emeralds and gold
|
| 1538 | Gonzalo Jimenez de Quesada founds Bogota as the capital of the 'New Kingdom of Granada' |
| 1550 | Gonzalo Jimenez de Quesada was appointed Marshal of New Granada and councillor of Bogotá for life (he died in 1579) |
| 1550 | African slaves shipped to work on Colombian plantations |
| 1564 | The Spanish government appoints a president to govern the Colombian colony |
| 1700s | Spain combines Colombia with neighbouring territories into one large colony called the Viceroyalty of New Granada which consisted of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Panama
Venezuelan General Francisco Gabriel de Miranda (1750-1816) participated in major political events for more than thirty years
|
| 1810 | The territories of the Viceroyalty of New Granada establish their own independent governments |
| 1810 | The King of Spain is overthrown by Napoleon |
| 1814 | Spain sends troops to South America to quell the uprising of the colonists |
| 1819 | August 7: General Simon Bolivar defeats royalist forces in the Battle of Boyaca
|
| 1819 | December 17: The Republic of Colombia (also known as Gran Colombia) is proclaimed consisting of Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador
|
| 1819 | Colombia gains its independence from Spain and Simon Bolivar becomes the first Colombian president
|
| 1830 | Ecuador and Venezuela became totally independent from Gran Colombia |
| 1853 | Colombia adopts a constitution which abolishes slavery |
| 1899 | 1899-1902: Civil War - The War of the Thousand Days |
| 1903 | Panama seceded from Colombia with US backing and allows US control over the land now known as the Panama Canal zone
|
| 1922 | The USA paid Colombia $25 million for the loss of Panama |
| 1939 | 1939-1945 Colombia helped the USA to keep the Panama Canal open during World War 2 |
| 1989 | USA began to supply the Colombian government with military equipment to help rid Colombia of drug dealers |
