- 1861-03-10 West African political leader El Hadj Umar Tall seizes the city of Segou, destroying the Bambara Empire of Mali
- 1958-11-24 Mali becomes an autonomous state within French Community
- 1959-04-04 Mali Federation founded, consisting of Senegal & French Sudan (dissolved 1960)
- 1960-06-20 Federation of Mali and Senegal become independent of France
- 1960-08-20 Senegal breaks from Mali federation, declaring independence
- 1960-09-22 Mali (formerly French Sudan) declares independence from France
- 1968-11-19 Military coup in Mali, president Modibo Keita flees
- 1973-01-01 West African Economic Community formed (Benin, Ivory Coast, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Upper Volta)
- 1973-01-05 Mali & Niger break diplomatic relations with Israel
- 1974-06-02 Mali adopts constitution
- 1979-06-19 Mali's constitution goes into effect
- 1991-07-14 Failed military coup in Mali
- 1992-01-12 A new constitution, providing for freedom to form political parties, is approved by a referendum in Mali.
- 2012-03-23 African Union suspends Mali's membership following a coup
- 2012-04-12 Civilian rule in Mali is returned after Dioncounda Traore is sworn in as interim president
- 2012-09-01 Islamist rebels seize Douentza, Mali
- 2012-10-12 The United Nations Security Council unanimously approves of an African-led force to oust Islamist militants in northern Mali
- 2013-02-22 13 Chadian soldiers and 65 Muslim insurgents are killed in conflict in Northern Mali
- 2013-02-24 10 Chadian soldiers and 28 Muslim insurgents are killed in conflict in Adrar des Ifoghas, Mali
- 2013-08-12 Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta is elected President of Mali
- 2014-07-24 116 people are killed after Air Algérie Flight 5017 crashed in Mali
- 1915-06-04 Modibo Keïta, 1st President of Mali (1960-68), born in Bamako Coura, Upper Senegal and Niger (d. 1977)
- 1946-02-02 Alpha Oumar Konaré, Mali politician and historian, President of Mali (1992-2002), born in Kayes, Mali