At a time when the economy and society are undergoing rapid changes, students and citizens in general are increasingly in need of reference points to past events and to our shared history so that they can understand the present and establish their position in a future that concerns each one of us. This chronology was written to provide these reference points and questions for thought, with the constant aim of offering precision but not falling into oversimplification. A series of illustrations helps readers anchor the events and characters in their minds.