Robert Nesta Marley is born at Nine Miles, St. Ann's, Jamaica. Son of Norval Sinclair Marley, a fifty-something Liverpool-born captain in the British Army, and the teenage Cedalla Booker.  This birthdate is believed to be the correct although no birth certificate has ever been found.

December 1962
Marley, having left school at 14, and trained as a welder, is concentrating on music.  He records two singles, 'Judge Not (Unless you Judge Yourself)' and 'One Cup of Coffee' at a local studio by Leslie Kong , owner of the Beverley's label.

1963
Forms the Wailing Rudeboys (later becoming The Wailin' Wailers) with Trenchtown pals, peter Tosh and Bunny Livingston; they are joined by Junior Braithwaite and female vocalists Beverly Kelso and Cherry Green.  The group undergoes extensive tuition with vocalists Joe Higgs and drummer Alvin 'Secco' Patterson, and records some 70-80 tracks for the Studio One label with Coxsone Dodd.

Debut Wailers album "Soul Rebel" released.

1972
After a difficult, though creative period, The Wailers, finding themselves alone in London and effectively left to their own devices by Johnny Nash and Danny Sims, sign with Island Records's boss Chris Blackwell.

The new Wailers play two classic dates at the Lyceum London, immortalised later that year on the album "Live!" from which a liver version of 'No Woman No Cry' is also released.  The band has been enhanced by Junior Marvin (guitar), Tyrone Downie (keyboards, replacing Harvey) and Alvin 'Secco' Patterson on percussion, Marley's original rhythm tutor from the early sixties.

The Wailers play the Roxy, Los Angeles-a concert later listed in Rolling Stone's 1987 feature Live! Twenty concerts that changed rock'n'roll.  "Rastaman Vibrations" released.

Bob Marley And the Wailers headline a festival in Wales-20,000 people are expected, but because of heavy rain only 2,000 turn up.  Most shelter inside terraces so the group ends up playing to only around 100 people in the field.

Gunmen break in to Marley's home in Kingston during the Jamaican general election campaign.  present are Marley, Rita, their manager Don Taylor, other friends and five children.  All the adults are shot and wounded-Marley is shot in his upper body and arm, Rita receives a head wound, friend Lewis Griffith is seriously wounded as is Don Taylor, but all survive.  Marley hides out in Jamaica's Blue Mountains after release from hospital.  Four days later he performs at the 'Smile Jamaica' festival, although he is unable to play guitar due to his wounds.  Rita sings, with her head in bandages.  The couple then take a break of eighteen months away from Jamaica.

The Wailers are based in London, on and off, for three months while working on their next album, during which time Marley and Aston Barret are arrested and fined for possession of herb.

"Exodus" is released-it reaches Number 8 in the UK album charts, later hitting Number 20 in the States.

In Miami, a cancerous growth is diagnosed on one of Marley's toes-the press is informed that it is a foot injury received while playing soccer.

The album "Kaya" is recorded in England: the single 'Is This Love' reaches the UK Top Ten.

Bob Marley And The Wailers play the One Love Peace concert at Kingston's National Arena-an attempt to link Jamaica's feuding political parties; Marley symbolically joins hands of bitter rivals Michael Manley and Edward Seaga.

Marley makes first, short trip to Rastafarianism's spiritual homeland Ethiopia.  The second Wailers live album "Babylon By Bus" is released.

The Wailers are the first reggae act to play at Harlem's famous Apollo Theater, in front of a backdrop featuring an Ethiopian flag, a portrait of Haile Selassie, and a collage of Marcus Garvey and other black freedom fighters.

Marley performs at Zimbabwe's Independence Day celebrations, before undertaking a major European tour, which includes a headlining appearance at the 'Summer Garden Party' at the Crystal Palace Bowl.

The single "Could You Be Loved", taken from the album  "Uprising", reaches UK Number 5.

During dates at Madison Square Garden, New York, supporting the Commodores, Marley collapses while jogging. Cancer is detected.

November 1980
Marley is baptized at Kingston's Ethiopian Orthodox Church, marking his conversion to Christian Rastafarianism: he takes the name Berhane Selassie.  The following month he flies to the Bavarian clinic of Dr. Josef  Issels.

Marley dies at Miami's Cedars of Lebanon Hospital, days after arriving. He is buried on 21 May after lying in state at the National Arena, Kingston.

A re-release of 'No Woman, No Cry' charts in the UK.

A tribute to Marley in Montego Bay, Jamaica, forms part of the Fourth International Reggae Sunsplash Festival, including an appearance by the Melody Makers-four of Marley's children.

The "Legend" compilation is released: it spends 12 weeks in total at Number 1 in the UK album charts, and also becomes a permanent fixture in the US album charts.

The Marley Museum opens in Kingston on the site of his home, headquarters of Tuff Gong Records.

6 February is declared a national holiday in Jamaica.