1789
- May 5: The Estates General opens at Versailles.
- June 17: The Third Estate under the leadership of Sieyes declares itself the National Assembly.
- June 20: The Tennis Court Oath.
- July 14: Storming of the Bastille.Lafayette named the commander of the "National Guard" (the sans-culotte).
- Late July: The Great Fear.
- August 4: End of Feudalism and Church tithes.
- August 27: Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen.
- October 5-6: Women's March.
1790
- July 12: Civil Constitution of the Clergy adopted.
- July 14: The king accepts a new constitution.
1791
- June 20-24: Louis XVI and his family attempt to flee France and are stopped at Varennes.
- August 27: The Declaration of Pillnitz (Austria and Prussia plan to invade France to restore Louis to his throne. No immediate action happens).
- October 1: The Legislative Assembly meets.
1792
- April 20: France declares war on Austria. Lafayette sent to the front.
- August 10: The Tuileries palace is stormed by Danton's mob, and Louis XVI takes refuge with the Legislative Assembly.
- September 2-7: The September Massacres.
- September 20: France wins the battle of Valmy and pushes Prussia out of France.
- September 21: The monarchy is abolished.
1793
- January 21: Louis XVI is executed
- February 1: France declares war on Great Britain
- March: Counterrevolution breaks out in the Vendee
- April: The Committee of Public Safety is formed (the Reign of Terror begins)
- June 22: The Constitution of 1793 is adopted. It is not put into effect.
- August 23: Levee en masse (conscription) proclaimed.
- September 17: Maximum prices set on food and other commodities.
- October 16: Queen Marie Antoinette is executed.
- November 10: The Cult of Reason is proclaimed. The revolutionary calendar is adopted.
- December: Napoleon Bonaparte's artillery unit helps to recapture Toulon from the British.
1794
- March 24: Execution of the Hebertist leaders of the sans-culottes.
- April 6: Execution of Danton.
- May 7: Cult of the Supreme Being proclaimed.
- June 8: Robespierre leads the celebration of the Festival of the Supreme Being.
- June 10: The Law Of 22 Prairial is adopted.
- July 27: The Ninth of Thermidor and the fall of Robespierre.
- July 28: Robespierre is executed (End of the Terror).
1795
- August 22: The Constitution of the Year Ill is adopted, establishing the Directory.
- October 5: Napoleon defends the Directory and quashes the Paris uprising.
1796
- March 9: Napoleon marries Josephine de Beauharnais
- March 27: Napoleon invades Italy.
- November: Napoleon defeats the Austrian reinforcements in Northern Italy.
1797
- February 2: Napoleon captures Mantua from the Austrians.
- March 17: Napoleon defeats Archduke Charles and invades Austria.
- May 17: Napoleon conquers Venice.
- October 18: The Treaty of Campo Formio ends the War of the First Coalition with extensive French holdings in Italy, the Netherlands, and Germany. The Venetian Republic is abolished. Great Britain remains at war with France.
- December 29: The Second Coalition is formed against France by Great Britain.
1798
- July 1: Napoleon invades Egypt.
- July 21: Battle of the Pyramids.
- August 2: Nelson destroys Napoleon's fleet at the Battle of the Nile.
1799
- November 9-10: Napoleon overthrows the Directory with help from Sieyes and Talleyrand.
- December 12: Napoleon becomes First Consul of France.
1800
- June 14: Napoleon defeats the Austrians at Marengo in Northern Italy.
1801
- Concordat with the Pope
1802
- March 25: Treaty of Amiens with the United Kingdom.
- August 2: Napoleon elected "Consul for Life".
1803
- May 3: James Monroe purchases Louisiana from Napoleon.
- May 18: The United Kingdom declares war on France.
1804
- March 21: Napoleon promulgates "Code Napoleon".
- May 18: Napoleon proclaimed "Emperor of France".
- December 2: Napoleon crowns himself Emperor.
1805
- August 9: Pitt the Younger forms the Third Coalition of Britain, Austria, and Russia.
- October 21: Nelson destroys the Franco-Spanish Fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar.
- December 2: Napoleon defeats Czar Alexander I of Russia and Emperor Francis I of Austria at the Battle of Austerlitz.
1806
- January 23: William Pitt the Younger dies.
- March 30: Joseph Bonaparte appointed by Napoleon as King of Naples.
- July 12: Confederation of the Rhine replaces the Holy Roman Empire.
- July: Prussia, Russia, and Britain form the Fourth Coalition.
- October 14: Napoleon defeats Prussia at the Battle of Jena.
- November 12: Napoleon declares the "Continental System".
1807
- July 9: Napoleon concludes the Treaty of Tilsit with Alexander. Talleyrand betrays Napoleon by coaching Alexander at night.
- November 30: Napoleon and Spain invade Portugal.
1808
- May 2: Spanish uprising against Napoleon's seizure of the Spanish monarchy.
- July 7: Joseph Bonaparte proclaimed King of Spain by Napoleon.
- August: The British Army under the command of the Duke of Wellington invade Portugal.
- December 13: Napoleon himself retakes Madrid for Joseph.
1809
- April 6: Metternich forms the Fifth Coalition of Britain, Austria, and rebel Spain.
- July 6: Napoleon defeats Austrian Archduke Charles at the Battle of Wagram.
- December 15: Napoleon divorces Josephine.
1810
- February 17: Napoleon annexes Rome.
- April 1: Napoleon marries Marie Louise of Austria.
- December 31: Alexander leaves the Continental System.
1811
- March 20: Napoleon II born.
1812
- June 24: Napoleon invades Russia with over 400,000 troops.
- September 7: Napoleon defeats the Russians at the Battle of Borodino.
- September 14: Napoleon enters Moscow.
- October 19: Napoleon begins the retreat from Moscow.
1813
- March 16: Prussia joins the Sixth Coalition against Napoleon with Sweden, Russia, and Britain.
- August 12: Metternich brings Austria into the Sixth Coalition after unsuccessful negotiations with Napoleon.
- October 16-19: The Sixth Coalition defeats Napoleon at the Battle of Leipzig (Battle of Nations).
1814
- March 21: Paris surrenders to the Allies.
- April 3: Talleyrand convinces the French Senate to depose Napoleon.
- April 11: Napoleon abdicates.
- May 1: Louis XVIII proclaimed King of France.
- May 4: Napoleon exiled to Elba.
- September: Metternich begins the Congress of Vienna. Talleyrand convinces the Allies to allow France to be a part of the negotiations.
1815
- February 20: Napoleon escapes from Elba beginning the "Hundred Days".
- March 1: Napoleon lands in southern France.
- March 13: Britain, Russia, Prussia, and Austria form the Seventh Coalition. Talleyrand convinces them to declare Napoleon an outlaw.
- March 14: Marshal Ney defects to Napoleon with 6,000 troops.
- March 20: Napoleon enters Paris.
- June 18: Wellington defeats Napoleon at Waterloo.
- June 22: Napoleon abdicates again.
- October 16: Napoleon exiled to Saint Helena.