1974: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, then an Islamic youth leader, is detained for leading an anti-government protest. He spends 20 months in jail.
1982: He shocks supporters by joining Umno at the invitation of Prime Minister and Umno president Mahathir Mohamad.
1983: Becomes Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, the start of his meteoric rise up the ranks.
1991: Made Minister of Finance.
1993: Promoted to Deputy Prime Minister.
Sept 2, 1998: Sacked from Cabinet posts and later expelled from Umno.
Sept 20, 1998: Tens of thousands of his supporters take to the streets, calling for Tun Dr Mahathir to resign. Mr Anwar is arrested at home.
Sept 29, 1998: Appears in court with a black eye after being beaten by police chief Abdul Rahim Noor. Pleads not guilty to charges of corruption and sodomy, which he says were politically motivated.
April 1999: Sentenced to six years' jail for corruption. His supporters form Parti Keadilan Nasional.
Aug 2000: Sentenced to nine years' jail for sodomy.
Sept 2004: Released after the Federal Court acquits him of the sodomy charge. But his corruption conviction means he is banned from politics for five years.
March 2008: Malaysia's opposition wins five states in the general election and denies Barisan Nasional (BN) its two-thirds majority in Parliament.
June 2008: Former aide Saiful Bukhari Azlan lodges police report claiming Mr Anwar had sodomised him.
Aug 2008: Wins Permatang Pauh by-election after his wife vacates the seat for him to contest. Returns to Parliament as leader of the opposition.
Jan 2012: High Court acquits Mr Anwar of second sodomy charge.
May 2013: Leads Pakatan Rakyat to win 51 per cent of the popular vote in the election. But BN wins more parliamentary seats and retains control.
March 2014: Court of Appeal overturns High Court ruling, sentences Mr Anwar to five years in jail for sodomy.
Feb 2015: Federal Court upholds conviction.
Sept 2016: Mr Anwar and Dr Mahathir meet for the first time since 1998 and mend ties.
July 2017: Mr Anwar is named de facto leader of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition, with Dr Mahathir as chairman.
May 2018: PH wins the general election. King grants Mr Anwar full pardon. He is released from prison.
Oct 2018: Wins Port Dickson by-election, marking his official return to politics. Waits for Prime Minister Mahathir to hand over post as agreed by PH parties.
Feb 2020: PH government collapses. Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia president Muhyiddin Yassin becomes prime minister.
Sept 2020: Mr Anwar announces he has secured a "formidable" majority to form a new government.