1415  The first mentioning of the Tatar settlement Kachibey on the spot where Odesa was later founded. Kachibey was ruined by the Turks and later rebuilt under the name of Khadzhybey.

1789  Russian troops and Zaporizhia-based Cossacks capture Khadzhybey.

1794–1795  By an order of Russian Empress Catherine the Great, construction of a new city begins at the sea harbour of Khadzhybey. A Dutch military engineer named Franz de Volan developed the city construction project.  The first architects of the city were considered to be V. Suvorov and J. de Ribas. Khadzhybey was renamed into Odesa after the name of Greek town that existed during ancient times on the Black Sea coast.

1805  Odesa gets the status of an administrative centre of the Novorossiysk Province, which was headed by the French duke de Richelieu. Odesa’s inhabitants still gratefully recall their first mayor. Due to his high culture, personal decency and wise government Odesa ranks on par with the most developed European cities. 

1819–1859  On getting the status of Porto Franco (a free port regime), Odesa witnessed unprecedented development of business life and expansion of foreign commerce. During that period, by the volume of its turnover, Odesa occupies the 2nd place in the Russian Empire after St. Petersburg. 

1854   During the Crimean War, the city was bombarded by an Anglo-French squadron. However, Odesa put up a stubborn defence, and the allied forces were not able to land troops on the territory of the city.

1920   After the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917, the government of the city has changed several times. Among the forces fighting for Odesa, there were the Bolshevik Red and Tsarist White armies, the Austro-German and the Anglo-French armies, as well as forces of the Ukrainian National Army. Eventually, Odesa fell to the Bolsheviks, and the Soviet Government settled in the city. Odesa became a part of the Ukrainian Republic, a part of the USSR.

1941–1944   During the Second World War, the defence of Odesa lasted for 2.5 months. After fierce battles, the city was captured by Nazi Germany. Three years later, Odesa was liberated by the Red Army.

1991  Odesa becomes part of Independent Ukraine and its biggest seaport.