August 15, 2004 - A vote to potentially recall Chavez fails and he remains president. 59% of voters vote to keep him in office.

August 22, 2005 - Conservative Christian broadcaster Pat Robertson calls for the United States to assassinate Chavez, calling him "a terrific danger" bent on exporting Communism and Islamic extremism across the Americas. "If he thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it," Robertson tells viewers on his "The 700 Club" show. "It's a whole lot cheaper than starting a war."

September 15, 2005 - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez delivers a fiery speech to the UN General Assembly, criticizing the United Nations as an imperialist institution and suggesting the world body move its headquarters out of the United States.

September 20, 2006 - In a speech to the UN General Assembly, Chavez says in reference to U.S. President George W. Bush, "The devil came here yesterday, and it smells of sulfur still today."

December 3, 2006 - Claims victory in Venezuela's presidential election against Manuel Rosales after Rosales concedes.

January 31, 2007 - The Venezuelan National Assembly approves a law that gives Chavez the authority to rule by decree. He has been granted the special powers for 18 months.

April 30, 2007 - Chavez announces that Venezuela will formally pull out of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.

May 1, 2007 - Chavez's government takes control of Venezuela's last remaining privately run oil fields.

May 28, 2007 - Chavez creates a furor when he refuses to renew the broadcast license of Radio Caracas Television (RCTV), Venezuela's oldest television network. His decision to shut it down draws claims of censorship and days of protests in Caracas and other cities. RCTV returns in mid-July.

January 10, 2008 - Chavez assists in brokering the release of two Colombian hostages, Consuelo Gonzalez and Clara Rojas, who had been held for five years by FARC, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.

March 14, 2008 - In a public statement, Chavez dares the U.S. to put Venezuela on a list of countries that sponsor terrorism.

February 15, 2009 - A referendum passes that will allow Chavez to run for a third six-year term in 2012.

September 7, 2009 - Oliver Stone's film "South of the Border," featuring Chavez, premieres at the Venice Film Festival. Chavez attends the premiere.

December 17, 2010 - Venezuelan Television reports that Venezuela's National Assembly has granted President Hugo Chavez the power to pass laws by decree for the next 18 months.

May 9, 2011 - Chavez calls in to Venezuelan state television and says that he's canceling a scheduled trip to Brazil because of debilitating pain in his knee requiring doctor-ordered bed rest.

June 5-7, 2011 - Chavez visits Brazil and Ecuador and heads to Cuba, scheduled as the third leg of an international trip.

June 10, 2011 - Undergoes surgery for a pelvic abscess in Cuba. In a speech on June 30, 2011 Chavez says that a cancerous tumor was removed during this surgery.

June 23, 2011- Venezuelan government officials go on the offensive as media reports suggest Chavez could have cancer. In a Twitter post, Venezuelan Vice Foreign Minister Temir Porras said Chavez's enemies should "stop dreaming," adding that "the only thing that has metastasized is the cancer of The Miami Herald and the rest of the right-wing media."

June 29, 2011 - Cuba TV releases video of Chavez and Fidel Castro. The video is aimed at curtailing rumors regarding Chavez's health.

June 30, 2011 - In a speech broadcast on Venezuelan state television from Havana, Chavez reveals that doctors have removed a cancerous tumor from his body. He does not specify what type of cancer he is battling.

July 4, 2011 - Chavez returns to Venezuela after more than three weeks of treatment in Cuba.

July 5, 2011 - Chavez does not attend Venezuela's bicentennial parade, but addresses the crowd from inside the presidential palace.

July 13, 2011 - Announces he is in his second phase of cancer treatment and may undergo chemotherapy and radiation treatment.

July 16, 2011 - Chavez returns to Cuba for further cancer treatment. Before leaving Venezuela, he delegates some of his power to Vice President Elias Jaua and Finance Minister Jorge Giordani.

July 23, 2011 - Arrives back in Venezuela after traveling to Cuba to receive chemotherapy treatment. Two days later, Chavez tells a newspaper that he is still planning to run for president in 2012.