60,000-40,000 B.C.:
People from Southeast Asia settle in Australia. Their descendants are the Aboriginal people.

8000 B.C.:
Aborigines invent the boomerang. This wooden weapon, which is used for hunting, returns to its thrower.

1770 A.D.:
Britain claims Australia. It settles the first of six colonies in 1788.

1850s:
Gold is found in southern Australia. Entire settlements are deserted as folks rush to the gold mines.

1901:
The six colonies join to form the Commonwealth of Australia. It has a democratic government. Britain's royalty has only a ceremonial role.

1927:
Canberra officially replaces Melbourne as the nation's capital.

1962:
Aborigines are given the right to vote. Five years later, they're recognized as citizens.

1976:
The Aboriginal Land Rights Act is passed. It is a legal turning point for Aborigines, giving them the right to make claims on their ancestral land in the Northern Territory. Nine years later, Uluru is returned to Aborigines.

2000:
Sydney hosts the Summer Olympic Games.

2008:
The Australian parliament formally apologizes for past wrongs committed against the Aboriginal people.