150 AD First mention of Niš under the name Naissus, in the book, 'Geography' by Claudio Ptolomei. Quoted as the biggest town in Dardania. 

274 AD Birth of the famous Roman emperor and military commander, Flavius Valerius Constantine (Constantine the Great).

441 - 448 Niš almost burnt down during Attila's campaign and ravaged by the Huns, as noted by Byzantine diplomat, Priscus. 

500 Portrait made of Byzantine empress (only known specimen of its kind in this part of the Balkans).

1166 Stefan Nemanja asserts himself as the Grand Prince of Serbs, creates an independent Serbian state and founds Nemanjić dynasty. He is crowned king of Serbs by the Pope. Niš subsequently becomes an integral part of the new state.

1219 Serbian Orthodox Church gains independence.

1386 - 1878 Niš conquered and ruled by the Turks, with a short interruption by Austrian conquest in the 17th Century. During the Ottoman era, Niš was the seat of the military and administrative authorities in this part of the Balkans.

1443 In the so-called Long Campaign, Christian armies, led by the Hungarian military leader Janos Hunyadi (known as Sibinjanin Janko in Serbian folk poetry) together with Serbian Despot Đurađ Branković, defeated the Turks and repelled them to Sofia. An important battle was fought near Niš, which remained a free city for a whole year after that.

1570 The Dubrovnik colony in Niš was mentioned by German diplomat, Rime, in his travelogues.

1723 Niš Fortress was built. It is one of the best-preserved and the most beautiful edifices in the Balkans, erected during Turkish rule.

1766 Metropolitan Gavrilo published 'Sinđelija', the first book published here.

1809 The beginning of the Serbian campaign against the Turks. Stevan Sinđelic, Karađorđe's voivoda, led the Niš Campaign army which fought the Turks at Čegar Hill near Niš, and was eventually defeated.

1830 Turkey grants autonomy to Serbia. Miloš Obrenović is acknowledged as hereditary Prince. He founds Obrenović dynasty.

January 11th 1878 Niš was liberated from the Turks. Later, the formal independence of Serbia was recognized at the Congress of Berlin.

1878 "Project for the Regulation of Niš", designed by Winter started being applied in Niš town planning. The first Grammar School (Gimnazija) was founded.

1881 1881 The first bank was opened in Niš.

1884 The Niš - Belgrade railway line was opened to traffic. The first issue of the local newspapers "Niški vjesnik" was published.

1887 "Sinđelic", the first local theatre, was founded in Niš.

1887 - 1914 Period of sustained development. Education and the arts flourished. A hydro-electric power station was built on the Nišava.

1914 The Niš Declaration: the National Assembly issued a declaration, explaining the aims of the liberation war and announcing the constitution of a new state, in which all the South-Slav peoples would be united.

1915 - 1918 During World War I, Niš was occupied by the German and Bulgarian armies. It was liberated in October 1918.

1941 World War II. Niš was occupied by the Germans, who set up the Red Cross Concentration Camp in a Niš suburb. More than 12000 prisoners were killed during the war, most of them shot on Bubanj Hill near the city. Niš was liberated from the Germans in October 1944.

1945 Toll of war was 1,700,000 deaths, chiefly among Serbs. The monarchy was abolished, the Federal People’s Republic of Yugoslavia was proclaimed and Josip Broz Tito was officially installed in power. 

1965 The University of Niš was founded.

1966 An important cultural festival established in Niš: Yugoslav Film Festival of Actors' Achievements.

1969 1969 Another cultural event established in Niš: Yugoslav Choral Festival (YCF), the International Festival of Amateur Choirs.

1980 Josip Broz Tito died. Yugoslavia was then governed by “Presidency” comprised of 8 members (6 from the republics and 2 from Serbian provinces).

1991 Ethnic and political divisions led to the collapse of Yugoslavia. Slovenia and Croatia declared independence, civil war erupted.

1992 European Community recognised Croatia and Bosnia. Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was proclaimed. UN Security Council imposed economic embargo on Yugoslavia over its support to Serbs in Croatia and Bosnia, who wanted to unify with the federal Yugoslavia.

1995 In the aftermath of Croatian war, around 300,000 Serb refugees left Croatia for Serbia.

1996 After the local elections, and the attempted fraud by the supporters of the ruling party, the citizens of Niš stood up in peaceful protest. It took the citizens 100 days of protest rallies to force the regime to accept the election results.

1998 The Consulate of the Hellenic Republic was officially opened in Niš. This was the first time in Serbian history that a diplomatic office was opened in a Serbian city other than the capital.

1999 Slobodan Milošević was accused of crimes against humanity during the wars of Yugoslav succession. In June, following a peace agreement, NATO troops were stationed in Kosovo and Metohija. Around 200,000 Kosovo Serbs found refuge in Serbia.

2000 Slobodan Milošević was ousted amidst huge demonstrations over electoral fraud. Relations with European countries and the US improved.

2003 Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was replaced by State Union of Serbia and Montenegro. Serbian Prime Minister, Zoran Đinđić, was assassinated by a criminal clan.

2006 State Union of Serbia and Montenegro ceased to exist. Serbia was again an independent state. 

2007 Negotiations began between Serbia and Kosovo Albanians about the status of Kosovo. Serbia was offering broad autonomy, Albanians desired nothing less than independence. The international community was divided over this issue.

2008  With support of the USA and some EU countries, Albanians from Kosovo and the Metohija province of Serbia declared independence from Serbia. The international community is still divided over this issue - some countries have recognised Kosovo's independence, some are against it. Serbian leadership does not want an armed conflict and is striving to prevent the secession of its province through diplomatic and political means.

19th December 2009 Serbs allowed to travel in the Schengen zone without a visa for up to 90 days.