August 9-December 31, 1999 - Acting Prime Minister of Russia.
December 31, 1999 - Is appointed acting president after Boris Yeltsin's resignation.
March 26, 2000 - Is elected president of the Russian Federation.
May 7, 2000 - Officially becomes Russia's second president after being sworn in at St. Andrew's Hall in the Kremlin.
May 24, 2002 - Signs the Moscow Treaty on Strategic Offensive Reductions with President George W. Bush, which requires each country to reduce and limit its strategic nuclear warheads to 1700-2200 by December 31, 2012.
March 15, 2004 - Is re-elected in a landslide victory, running as an independent.
May 7, 2004 - Putin is sworn in for his second term.
April 27, 2005 - Becomes the first Russian leader to ever visit Israel.
October 5, 2005 - Meets with British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and announces increased cooperation between Russia and Britain to fight terrorism.
September 5, 2006 - Becomes the first Russian leader to visit sub-Saharan Africa, when he meets with South African President Thabo Mbeki.
March 13, 2007 - Pope Benedict XVI receives Putin at the Vatican. It is the first meeting between the two since Benedict's elevation to Pope.
December 19, 2007 - Named Time Person of the Year.
March 2, 2008 - Dmitry Medvedev is elected president of Russia. He takes office in May.
May 7, 2008 - Just two hours after being sworn in, new Russian president Medvedev names Putin as his prime minister.
September 24, 2011 - President Dmitry Medvedev calls on the ruling United Russia party to endorse Prime Minister Vladimir Putin for president in 2012. Putin in turn suggests that Medvedev should take over the role of prime minister if the party wins parliamentary elections in December.
March 4, 2012 - Russia's presidential elections are held amid complaints of fraud. Putin wins the presidential election, with just under 65% of the vote. This will be his third term as president (not consecutive).
May 7, 2012 - Putin is sworn in under tight security amid protests of fraud. His new prime minister is the former president Dmitry Medvedev.
December 28, 2012 - Putin signs into law a bill that effectively bans U.S. citizens from adopting Russian children. The law also bans U.S.-funded civic groups from operating in Russia.
