Cambodia History Timeline & Facts

600's - 1500's the Khmer civilization
1863 - Cambodia becomes a protectorate of France and became part of French Indo-china
French colonial rule lasts for 90 years
1941 - 1945 - Cambodia is occupied by Japan during World War II
1946 - France re-imposes its protectorate
1953 - Cambodia declares independence from France
1953 - Becomes the Kingdom of Cambodia
1965 - Head of State Sihanouk breaks off relations with the US
1965 - North Vietnamese guerrillas to set up bases in Cambodia to pursue their campaign against the US-backed government in South Vietnam
1970 - Sihanouk is deposed
1975 - The Khmer Rouge, led by Pol Pot, occupy Phnom Penh
1975 - Cambodia is re-named Kampuchea
1976 - The country is re-named Democratic Kampuchea
1977 - Fighting breaks out with Vietnam
1978 - Vietnamese forces invade Cambodia
1979 January - The Vietnamese take Phnom Penh
1979 - Pol Pot and Khmer Rouge forces flee to the borders with Thailand
1979 - The People's Republic of Kampuchea is established
1989 - Vietnamese troops withdraw
1989 - The country is re-named the State of Cambodia
1997 - The Khmer Rouge put Pol Pot on trial and sentence him to life imprisonment
1998 Pol Pot dies.
Source: http://www.facts-about.org.uk/history-and-events-timeline-cambodia.htm