Rice is by now grown in the Indus Valley civilization, in the region of Lothal in modern Pakistan, and in parts of China and Korea

Silla becomes the first of the three kingdoms of Korea, followed by Koguryo in 37 BC and Paekche in 18 BC

A Buddhist image, sent as a gift from Korea, introduces the religion to Japan

Wank Kon changes the name of his kingdom to Koryo, meaning 'high and beautiful', thus providing the rest of the world with the name Korea

The Mongols conquer the Korean peninsula, subsequently using it as a base for two expeditions against Japan

Koreans establish the first type foundry, casting movable type in bronze

Yi Song-gye founds the Yi dynasty, which rules in Korea until the twentieth century

Japan and China go to war over Korea, with disastrous results for China

Japan annexes Korea as a colony, to be controlled by a Japanese governor-general

Kim Il Sung leads a Communist guerrilla campaign against the Japanese occupation of Korea

The Japanese in Korea surrender to the Russians in the north and to the Americans in the south

Kim Il Sung becomes prime minister of North Korea on the withdrawal of the Soviet occupying force

North Korean troops cross the 38th parallel to invade the southern half of the region

North Korean forces press far enough south to capture the South Korean capital of Seoul

UN troops are sent to defend South Korea, as the invasion from the north rolls on

UN troops push north across the 38th parallel in a major Korean counter-offensive

Incursions by UN troops far into North Korea give China the pretext to enter the war

UN and Chinese forces reach a stalemate in Korea, facing each other from fixed positions on either side of the 38th Parallel

An armistice ends the Korean War, leaving several million dead and a country divided either side of a military zone along the 38th parallel

Korean evangelist Sun Myung Moon launches the Unification Church, a mission to unify world Christianity

North Korean dictator Kim Il Sung dies and is succeeded by his son, Kim Jong Il

North Korea test-fires seven missiles, of varying ranges and with varying success

North Korea announces that it has tested a nuclear weapon

North Korea agrees to begin shutting down its nuclear facilities in return for an ongoing programme of fuel aid

South Korea's Ban Ki-moon becomes the UN secretary-general, following the retirement of Kofi Annan