| DATE | BRIEF DESCRIPTION |
| 1870 | Born April 22 in Simbirsk, Russia |
| 1887 | Elder brother hanged for plotting to assassinate Tsar Alexander III. Enrols at Kazan University, but expelled for revolutionary activity. Becomes acquainted with works of Marx |
| 1893 | Moves to St Petersburg |
| 1895 | Helps create St Petersburg Union for the Struggle for the Emancipation of the Working Class |
| 1896 | Imprisoned for involvement with the Union, then exiled in Siberia until 1900. Exile in Europe follows |
| 1902 | What is to be Done? lays out his plans for revolution |
| 1903 | Russian Social Democratic Labour Party splits-Lenin's is the larger, ''Bolshevik'', faction |
| 1905 | Returns to Russia during the Revolution |
| 1907 | Backlash against the 1905 Revolution forces him to flee abroad again |
| 1914 | Opposes World War I-the grounds for his opposition are given in Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism (1917) |
| 1917 | March Revolution overthrows tsarist regime. Returns to Petrograd (St Petersburg) and argues for "All Power to the Soviets". State and Revolution published. November Revolution establishes the world's first socialist state. Elected head of government |
| 1918-1921 | Civil War in Russia |
| 1921 | Issues the New Economic Policy |
| 1922 | Suffers first of three debilitating strokes |
| 1924 | Dies January 21 |
