1547 Storehouse on Jyllingham Water rented to King Henry VIII.
1567 Anchorage area named Chatham.
1570 Mast pond, storehouses and forge built.
1580 Queen Elizabeth entertains foreign dignitaries at Chatham.
1586 The SUNNE, a pinnace of 40 tons, launched.
1588 Battle of Gravelines disperses Spanish Armada: Damaged ships return to Chatham for repair.
1648 Cromwell views capture of Rochester, from the Dockyard.
1660 Charles II inherits fleet of 229 vessels.
1667 Dutch raid Medway; 8 British ships sunk, 7 burned, 2 captured.
1674 Peace with Netherlands brings period of decline.
1685 Modernisation programme includes 2 dry docks and 21 storehouses.
1688-1698 Shipbuilding programme confirms Chatham as premier dockyard.
1695 Experimental ship with man-powered side paddles built at Chatham.
1698 Yacht built for Peter the Great.
1704 Commissioner's House built at Chatham.
1753-1758 Mast Houses and Mould Loft built.
1765 Launch of VICTORY.
1770 Nelson joins his first ship at Chatham.
1786 Present Ropery built on site of previous building.
1800-1803 VICTORY rebuilt at Chatham.
1805 Battle of Trafalgar.
1810 Marc Brunel built steam-powered saw-mill at Chatham.
1817-1823 John Dickens (father of Charles) clerk in Pay Office.
1846 The TEAZER, Chatham's first screw vessel, launched.
1862 Modernisation plan adds 380 acres to the existing 97.
1863 World's largest ship, the 'ironclad' ACHILLES launched.
1905 Last battleship, HMS AFRICA, built at Chatham.
1908 Secret launch of submarine C17.
1918 End of World War I starts period of decline.
1933 New shipbuilding programme begins.
1934 The cruiser, HMS ARETHUSA, launched.
1945 End of World War II leads to cancelled orders.
1957 Major submarine building programme begins.
1962 HMS Ocelot, last submarine built for the Royal Navy, launched.
1966 Last submarine, HMCS OKANAGAN, launched.
1968 Nuclear submarine complex opened.
1981 Closure of Dockyard announced.
1984 Final closure of Dockyard. The Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust formed to secure the oldest part of the Dockyard.
English Estates take over responsibility for regeneration of Chatham Maritime.
1986 English Partnerships take over responsibility for regeneration of Chatham Maritime.
First Houses built on St. Mary's Island.
1996 Opening of Medway Tunnel.
1999 SEEDA take over responsibility of regeneration of Chatham Maritime.
2003 Opening of Factory Outlet Centre.
2004 Restoration of listed buildings completed, Pumphouse Number 5, Machine Shop Number 8, Drill Hall, Canteen and Bell Mast.
2005 Opening of Chatham Maritime Marina.
2006 Opening of New University Building.
1 million sq. ft. of new office building completed.
