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| 0966 | Miesko I |  |
| Founds a centralized state ruled by "ducal law" |
| 1505 | Alexander | |
| Beginning of the period known as "Nobles' Democracy" or "Nobles' Commonwealth" (Rzeczpospolita szlachecka) |
| The Nihil novi act adopted by the Polish Diet transfers all legislative power from the king to the Diet |
| 1567 | Sigismund II Augustus | |
| 4th July Lublin Sigismund II Augustus signs the Act of Lublin |
| 1569 | Sigismund II Augustus | |
| 1st July Lublin The Commonwealth is ruled by an elected monarch carrying out the duties of Polish King & Grand Duke of Lithuania |
| 1st July Lublin Under the Union of Lublin the Monarch will govern with a common Senate and parliament (the Sejm) |
| 1572 | Zamojski, Jan | |
| Turns Poland into a royal republic |
| 1573 | Henry | |
| 28th Jan Warsaw Warsaw Confederation is incorporated into the Henrician Articles & becomes the Pacta Conventa |
| 1791 | Stanislaw II | |
| 3rd May Stanislaw II transforms Poland into a unitary state |
| 3rd May The Union of Lublin is superseded by the Constitution of the Third May |
| 1794 | Kosciuszko, Tadeusz | |
| Proclaims a provisional constitution & dictatorial powers |
| 1916 | Pilsudski, Josef Klemens | |
| 5th Nov The Central Powers establish Poland as a semi-autonomous client state |
| 1918 | Wroblewski, Ladislaw | |
| Nov The Republic is based upon the Polish Commonwealth dissolved in 1795 |
| Nov The Republic of Poland is founded |
| 1921 | Pilsudski, Josef Klemens | |
| Mar The powers of the President are cut back & Pilsudski refuses to stand for election |
| 1926 | Pilsudski, Josef Klemens | |
| 1st June Pilsudski assumes dictatorial powers |
| 1952 | Beirut, Boleslaw | |
| A constitution modeled on the Soviet constitution is adopted |
| 1981 | Jaruzelski, Wojciech | |
| 12th June Proposes a major reconstruction of the government to tackle economic problems |
| 1985 | Jaruzelski, Wojciech | |
| Indpendent parties in elections are allowed |
| 1989 | Jaruzelski, Wojciech | |
| 5th April Jaruzelski creates a 2nd Senate Chamber to be freely elected |
| 1990 | Jaruzelski, Wojciech | |
| The PUWP is dissolved & renamed Social Democrcy of Republic of Poland |
| 1990 | Mazowiecki, Tadeusz | |
| The PUWP is dissolved & renamed Social Democrcy of Republic of Poland |
| 1997 | Buzek, Jerzy | |
| 16th Oct A new constitution comes into effect |
| 1997 | Kwasniewski, Aleksander | |
| Poland adopts a new constitution |
