May 1, 2008 - Named one of Time's 100 Most Influential People.
September 12, 2008 - Corruption charges against Zuma are tossed out by the court a second time, this time on procedural grounds. Prosecutors announce an appeal on September 17.
January 12, 2009 - The Supreme Court of Appeal overturns the lower court ruling that threw out corruption charges against Zuma, stating that the ruling was riddled with errors. This new ruling means that the National Prosecuting Authority can press new charges against Zuma, pertaining to bribes he allegedly accepted from the French arms company Thint Holdings.
April 6, 2009 - Prosecutors drop all corruption charges against Zuma.
April 26, 2009 - The African National Congress wins a majority of votes in South African elections, ensuring that its leader, Jacob Zuma, will be the country's next president.
May 9, 2009 - Inaugurated as President of South Africa.
February 2010 - Zuma admits to fathering a child out of wedlock with Sonono Khoza, daughter of the head of South Africa's World Cup organizing committee.
December 2010 - Zuma files a $700,000 defamation lawsuit over a 2008 political cartoon which portrays him raping a female figure symbolizing justice.
March 20, 2012 - The Supreme Court of Appeal rules that the Democratic Alliance (an opposition party) can challenge a previous court's decision to drop corruption charges against Zuma.
August 22, 2012 - In an interview with a national government television station, Zuma controversially says "I know that people today think being single is nice. It's actually not right. That's a distortion. You've got to have kids. Kids are important to a woman because they actually give an extra training to a woman, to be a mother."
December 18, 2012 - Zuma is re-elected as head of the ANC. Cyril Ramaphosa is elected as his deputy.
December 26, 2012 - At a rally, Zuma tells supporters that owning a dog as a pet is part of "white culture" and not African culture. He later clarified those comments through his spokesman saying he was trying to warn people against loving pets more than humans
