1709: The ancient theatre of Herculaneum was accidently unearthed by a workman during the digging of a well, he finds samples of rare marble. This sparks an interest in from the Austrian Prince d' Elbeuf who decides to excavate and retrieve valuable artifacts.
1738: The King of Naples orders Herculaneum to be excavated by tunnelling.
1748: First excavations in Pompeii, random diggings prove futile.
1750: Excavation starts of the Villa of the Papyri in Herculaneum – statues and a library of carbonised scrolls discovered.
1755: Excavations return to Pompeii, led by military engineer J. Alcubierre. Some artifacts are sent to galleries while others are destroyed out of selfishness.
1763: An inscription is discovered, officially confirming the site as being the ancient town of Pompeii
1780: Excavations at Herculaneum are suspended in favour of work at Pompeii.
1816-77: Both towns are excavated.
1875: Excavation of Herculaneum is abandoned in the face of opposition from landowners.
1924-1961 Major excavations at Pompeii and Herculaneum are led by Amedeo Maiuri.
1943: Pompeii faces damage aftter being bombed by the Allies.
1944: Last eruption of Vesuvius
1980: A major earthquake causes enormous damage to the ruins of Pompeii. Many parts of the town have been closed to the public since this date.
2011: Launch of major initiative to conserve houses in Pompeii