| 1000. | Leif Ericson discovers Vinland (New England). |
| 1492. | October 12. Columbus discovers the New World. |
| 1497. | The Cabots discover the continent of North America. |
| 1498. | Columbus on third voyage discovers South America. |
| 1506. | Columbus dies at Valladolid. |
| 1507. | New World named after Americus Vespucius. |
| 1513. | Balboa discovers the Pacific Ocean and Ponce de Leon discovers Florida. |
| 1519-1521. | Cortez conquers Mexico. Magellan sails round the world. |
| 1524. | Verrazano and Gomez explore New England coast. |
| 1528. | Cabeza do Vaca explores southern United States. |
| 1533. | Pizarro conquers Peru. |
| 1534. | Cartier sails to the Gulf of St. Lawrence. |
| 1541. | Do Soto discovers the Mississippi River. |
| 1565. | Founding of St. Augustine. |
| 1576. | Frobisher discovers northwest passage, Frobisher Strait. |
| 1579. | Drake explores coast of California. |
| 1584. | Raleigh sends first expedition to America. |
| 1588. | Defeat of the Spanish Armada. |
| 1604. | Acadia settled by the French. |
| 1607. | May 12. Founding of Jamestown, Virginia. |
| 1608. | Founding of Quebec by Champlain. |
| 1609. | Hudson discovers the Hudson River. |
| 1619. | First assembly meets at Jamestown. Slaves first sold in Virginia. |
| 1620. | Coming of the Pilgrims in the Mayflower. |
| 1623. | Settlements at New Amsterdam. First settlements in New Hampshire. |
| 1630. | The great emigration to Massachusetts. The founding of Boston. |
| 1634. | Maryland first settled by Calvert. |
| 1635. | Connecticut settled by emigrants from Massachusetts. |
| 1636. | Founding of Providence by Roger Williams. Harvard College founded. |
| 1637. | War with Pequot Indians. First negro slaves in New England. |
| 1638. | Swedes first settle in Delaware. |
| 1639. | First constitution in America adopted by Connecticut. |
| 1643. | May 30. New England Confederation formed. |
| 1649. | Toleration Act in Maryland. |
| 1655. | Stuyvesant conquers the Swedes in Delaware. |
| 1656. | Quakers expelled from Massachusetts. |
| 1662. | Connecticut charter granted. |
| 1663. | Charter granted to Rhode Island.
Charter for the Carolinas granted. |
| 1664. | September 8. The English conquer New Amsterdam. New Jersey given by King Charles II to his brother, the Duke of York. |
| 1667. | Fundamental Constitutions drawn up for the Carolinas. |
| 1673. | Marquette explores the Mississippi. |
| 1676. | Bacon's Rebellion in Virginia. King Philip's War in New England. |
| 1681. | Penn receives charter for Pennsylvania. |
| 1682. | Penn founds Philadelphia and makes treaty with the Indians. La Salle explores Louisiana and takes possession for France. |
| 1686. | Edmund Andros made governor of all New England. |
| 1689. | Rebellion against Andros; his fall and arrest. |
| 1692. | Salem witchcraft delusion. |
| 1700. | Iberville plants colony in Louisiana. |
| 1713. | Treaty of Utrecht, ending Queen Anne's War, which began in 1702. |
| 1733. | Georgia settled by Oglethorpe. |
| 1748. | Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, ending King George's War, which began in 1744. |
| 1754. | Colonial Congress at Albany; Franklin's plan of union. |
| 1755. | Braddock's defeat. |
| 1756. | French and Indian War formally begun. |
| 1759. | Wolfe captures Quebec. |
| 1763. | Treaty of Paris; end of the war. Conspiracy of Pontiac. |
