BRUNEI'S HISTORY

1405	Brunei’s monarch Sultan Muhammad embraced Islam and founded a dynasty which continues today - making Brunei’s monarchy the oldest unbroken reigning dynasty in the world.
16thC	Sultan Bolkiah of Brunei practically controlled the whole of Borneo (including Sabah and Sarawak) and the Sulu Archipelago
1521	Spanish navigator Juan Sebastian del Cano arrived in Brunei and laid the groundwork for trade with Europeans.
1841	Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin II granted Sarawak to James Brooke (a British army officer) as a reward for aid in quelling a civil war. Brooke thus became Rajah Booke (rajah means king or prince).
1846	Brunei ceded the island of Labuan (in Brunei Bay) to Britain.
1849-54	British destroyed Brunei-supported pirates operating between Singapore and Borneo.
	BRITISH RULE
1888	Brunei became a British protectorate
1890	Rajah Brooke started to expand his territory and annexed Limbang ... dividing Brunei in half.
1906	Brunei administered by a British resident advisor, with the sultan having nominal authority.
1929	Oil extraction began at Seria; commercial production three years later brought much wealth to Brunei.
1941-45	Brunei occupied by the Japanese during World War II.
1950	Omar Ali Saifuddin III inaugurated sultan.
1959	Brunei achieved self-government; Britain remained responsible for defense and foreign policy.
	RULE BY DECREE
1962	Legislative Council election results annulled after leftist Brunei People's Party won all 10 elected seats in the 21-member council; sultan declared state of emergency and ruled by decree.
1963	Brunei invited to join the Malaysian Federation but chose to remain a British dependency.
1967	Sultan Omar abdicated in favour of his eldest son, Hassanal Bolkiah.
	ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) established by the governments of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Thailand.
	INDEPENDENCE
1984	Brunei became independent on January 1, and an Islamic sultanate was proclaimed. The legislative council was suspended and the sultan became prime minister.
1988	Brunei National Democratic Party (BNDP) and Brunei National Solidarity Party (BNSP) banned.
1990	Sultan Bolkiah introduced ideology of Malay Islamic Monarchy which would be administered according to the teachings of Islam.
1991	Brunei pumped its 1 billionth barrel of oil.
	ROYAL SCANDAL
1998	Sultan Bolkiah removed his younger brother, Prince Jefri Bolkiah, as chief of Brunei Investment Agency over concerns about his stewardship of agency.
	Sultan Bolkiah's eldest son, Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah, became heir apparent.
2000	Brunei filed civil suit against Prince Jefri Bolkiah for alleged misuse of state funds. Case was settled out of court. Court documents revealed that he spent $2.7 billion on luxury goods over 10 years.
	In August, Brunei said it would retrain up to 25% of the workforce to diversify the economy away from oil to alternative industries.
2001	Auction was held of more than 10,000 items belonging to Prince Jefri.
	In November, Brunei hosted 7th ASEAN summit.
2004	Legislative council met in September for first time in 20 years with 21 members appointed by the Sultan.
2005	Major cabinet reshuffle in May ushered in younger faces and ministers with private sector experience.
	Sultan dissolved legislative council on 1 September and appointed a new council with 29 members the next day.