Nigeria's Celestine Babayaro celebrates his goal against Argentina during their 1996 Olympics gold medal match.

Travel through our timeline of major events in Nigeria's history.

500 B.C. - 200 A.D.:
Nok culture flourishes. The Nok create clay figurines of human heads and animals, which are prized today.

1472:
Portuguese settlers become the first Europeans to live in Nigeria. Other Europeans follow.

1800s:
The Muslim Fulani empire rules the region.

1903:
Britain takes control of Nigeria, creating a system of indirect rule through local kings and chiefs.

1914:
Britain unites the northern and southern regions, forming the Colony of Nigeria.

1958:
Nigerian Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart is published.

1960:
Nigeria gains independence from Britain and joins the United Nations. A new constitution and government are adopted.

1966:
The military takes control of the government.

1967-1970:
The eastern region of Nigeria secedes and proclaims itself the Republic of Biafra. This leads to a civil war that kills about 1 million people.

1970s:
An oil boom occurs. A great surge in world oil prices boosts Nigeria's economy.

1979:
Nigeria briefly returns to civilian government rule. The military takes over again in 1983.

1986:
Wole Soyinka is the first African to be honored with the Nobel Prize for literature.

1996:
Nigeria wins the gold medal in soccer in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia.

1999:
Military rule ends. Nigerians vote in free presidential elections.

2003:
Olusegun Obasanjo is elected president, marking the first civilian transfer of power in Nigeria's history. Still, election observers express concern over irregularities in voting.