Mesolithic age (about 10,000-4,000 BC): Evidence of settlement by the harbour. Here are to be found the remains of a flint-chipping floor where a colony of hunters and fishermen made weapons and tools from the plentiful flint deposits.

Early Bronze Age: Earliest evidence of mining at Cwmystwyth.

Bronze Age (about 2,000-700 BC): There are several burial mounds in the area, the finds from which are on display in the museum.

Iron Age (over 2000 years ago): A fort was built at Pendinas.

6th Century: St Padarn established a small monastery at Llanbadarn (Padarn’s church). For the next 600 years, the monastery and church were to remain the dominant settlement in the area. It was known as Llanbadarn Gaerog (fortified Llanbadarn).

1109: Gilbert Fitzgerald of Clare in Suffolk built a ring and bailey castle on the south side of the Ystwyth near Tanybwlch.

1197: Lord Rhys ap Gruffydd, who was recognised by the English King as the most important Welshman of his day, died after ruling Ceredigion (the land of Ceredig) wisely for at least 30 years.

1277: The castle on the present site was built by King Edward I and Aberystwyth town was created when on 28 December he issued a charter making the settlement near the new castle into a free borough with a ditch and a wall, a guild of merchants, a market and two fairs.

1404: Owain Glyndwr occupied Aberystwyth castle and made it an important seat of Welsh government.

1408: Aberystwyth castle recaptured by Prince Henry (later to become Henry V). One of the first examples of the use of cannon in Wales.

1637: The king granted Thomas Bushell permission to set up a mint within the precinct of Aberystwyth castle. The minting of silver coins for King Charles I, who needed to pay his soldiers while Cromwell had control of the London mints, continued until 1643.

1646: Aberystwyth castle fell to Parliamentary soldiers.

1762: The establishment of Banc y Llong (the Ship Bank) the first bank in Wales according to tradition.

1840-70: Aberystwyth’s ship building heyday.

1864-67: Town expanded with the coming of the railway.

1872: First University of Wales established at Aberystwyth.

1930: Mining ceased at Cwmystwyth.

1937: The completed National Library of Wales (established in 1909) officially opened by King George VI.