| 1534 |
Jacques Cartier plants a cross on Gaspé peninsula and claims it for France. |
| 1608 |
Samuel de Champlain founds Québec. |
| 1634 |
Founding of Trois-Rivières by Sieur de Laviolette. |
| 1642 |
Paul de Chomedey de Maisonneuve founds Ville-Marie, which later becomes Montréal. |
| 1759 |
French troops are defeated in battle on the plaines d'Abraham. |
| 1763 |
The Treaty of Paris cedes New France to the British Crown. |
| 1774 |
The Québec Act of 1774 recognizes Québec's language, religion, and law. |
| 1791 |
The Constitutional Act creates two provinces: Upper Canada and Lower Canada. |
| 1837 |
Patriot Rebellions led by Louis-Joseph Papineau. |
| 1840 |
The Union Act of 1840 unites Upper and Lower Canada in one province. |
| 1867 |
The British North America Act unites the provinces of Ontario, Québec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick into a federation. |
| 1921 |
The Parliament of Québec creates its first public healthcare regime. |
| 1940 |
Women gain the right to vote in provincial elections. |
| 1943 |
School attendance becomes mandatory, and primary school is free. |
| 1944 |
Hydro-Québec is created. |
| 1944 |
Maurice Duplessis, founder and leader of the highly conservative Union Nationale, is first elected. Also described as ultranationalist, he held power during 15 years until his death in 1959. |
| 1948 |
Proclamation of the fleur de lis as the official flag of Québec, thus replacing the Union Jack. |
| 1960 |
The Quiet Revolution, a period of major social reforms, begins. |
| 1970 |
October Crisis. The Front de libération du Québec members kidnap British Trade Commissioner James Cross and Québec minister of Labour, Pierre Laporte. |
| 1974 |
The Liberal government adopts Bill 22, the Official Language Act language legislation declaring French the official language of Québec. |
| 1975 |
The Charter of human rights and freedoms is adopted by the Québec National Assembly. |
| 1976 |
Nationalism lying behind the quiet revolution leads to the election of René Lévesque's Parti québécois. |
| 1977 |
The Charter of the French Language, known as Bill 101, becomes law. |
| 1980 |
In a referendum vote, Quebecers reject a Parti québécois government proposal to negotiate sovereignty-association between Québec and the rest of Canada. |
| 1982 |
The Canadian government patriates the Canadian constitution from the United Kingdom without Québec's consent. |
| 1992 |
In a referendum vote, Quebecers reject a proposal to reform Canada's Constitution. |
| 1995 |
In a referendum vote, Quebecers reject a Parti québécois government proposal for Québec sovereignty and a partnership offer with the rest of Canada. |
| 2002 |
The gouvernement du Québec and the Cree Nation sign an historic agreement called the Peace of the Brave. |
| 2008 |
400th anniversary of the foundation by Samuel de Champlain of the city of Québec. |
