Joseph Stalin was born on December 18, 1878. He would go on to become the leader of the Soviet Union and one of the most significant figures in 20th-century history.

Stalin was baptized on 29 December 1878 in the Georgian town of Gori.

Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili, later known as Stalin, was born on December 21, 1879.

In September 1888, Joseph Stalin begins his education at Gori Church School.

In August 1894, Joseph Stalin enrolled at a school in Gori, Tiflis Governorate, Caucasus Viceroyalty, Russian Empire.

In September 1894, Joseph Stalin starts his studies at Tiflis Theological Seminary.

On May 29, 1899, Joseph Stalin gets expelled from the Seminary.

In October 1899, Stalin began work as a meteorologist at a Tiflis observatory.

Stalin co-organized a secret workers' mass meeting for May Day 1900, encouraging many men to take strike action and attracting the attention of the empire's secret police.

Remaining underground, Stalin helped plan a demonstration for May Day 1901, during which 3,000 marchers clashed with the authorities.

On April 5, 1902, Joseph Stalin is arrested for the first time and then exiled to Siberia.

Lenin establishes the Bolshevik faction at the SDLP conference in London.

Stalin writes to Lenin explaining his efforts in recruiting revolutionaries to the Bolshevik cause in the Caucasus region.

Stalin escapes from Siberia, marking the first of many escapes from exile in the following decade.

Stalin goes as a delegate to a Bolshevik conference in Finland and meets Lenin for the first time.

On June 25, 1907, Stalin was involved in plotting a spectacular holdup in Tiflis to 'expropriate' funds for the party.

In January 1912, the Bolsheviks officially separated from the Social Democrats, and Stalin was appointed to the Party's Central Committee by Lenin.

In January 1913, Stalin collaborated with Lenin to co-write 'Marxism and the National Question'.

In February 1913, Stalin was arrested in Saint Petersburg and sentenced to four years of exile in Turukhansk, a remote part of Siberia.

From July 1913 to March 1917, Stalin underwent his longest period of exile in Siberia.

Stalin was in the city when the February Revolution took place in Saint Petersburg, leading to Tsar Nicholas II's abdication.

A Provisional Government, headed by Prince Georgi Lvov, is formed in Russia.

On March 25, 1917, Stalin resumed the editorship of Pravda after reaching Petrograd from Siberia.

Lenin gives orders for the Bolsheviks to occupy the railway stations, the telephone exchange and the State Bank.

In the early hours of 25 October, Stalin joined Lenin in a Central Committee meeting in the Smolny Institute, from where the Bolshevik coup—the October Revolution—was directed.

Lenin closes down the Constituent Assembly in Russia.

From 1921 onward, Joseph Stalin disregarded Vladimir Lenin's wishes, leading to a power struggle within the Soviet leadership.

Joseph Stalin became the secretary-general of the Communist Party in 1922, marking the beginning of his rise to power within the Soviet Union.

At the 11th Party Congress in 1922, Lenin nominated Stalin as the party's new General Secretary, a position that raised concerns about his workload and power.

Vladimir Lenin, the leader of the Russian Revolution, passes away.

After consolidating power, Joseph Stalin ordered the implementation of industrial 'five-year plans' and the collectivization of farms, resulting in significant social and economic changes, including widespread famine and millions of deaths.

Stalin arranges for Leon Trotsky to be removed from the government.

In December 1925, Stalin allies with Bukharin and the 'Rightists' and begins attacks on Zinoviev, marking a significant shift in the power dynamics within the Soviet leadership.

On February 28, 1926, Stalin's third child, Svetlana, is born, adding a personal dimension to his life amidst the political developments in the Soviet Union.

Stalin selects Eugene Lyons to be the first western journalist to be granted an interview.

From 1928 until his death in 1953, Joseph Stalin ruled the Soviet Union as a dictator, transforming the country from an agrarian peasant society into a global superpower. The cost was tremendous, however: Stalin was responsible for the deaths of millions of Soviet citizens.

In April 1929, Stalin commences an attack on Bukharin, a prominent Bolshevik and member of the Politburo.

In November 1929, Bukharin is removed from the Politburo, signifying a significant shift in Soviet politics.

In December 1929, Stalin declared the 'liquidation of the kulaks as a class' and initiated the process of collectivization, which aimed to consolidate individual farms into collective units. This marked a significant shift in Soviet agricultural policy.

On November 8, 1932, Nadezhda, the wife of Joseph Stalin, tragically took her own life. Her suicide had personal and political repercussions, influencing Stalin's mindset and decisions.

On December 1, 1934, Sergei Kirov, a prominent Soviet politician, was assassinated by Stalin's agents, marking the start of the 'Great Terror' which lasted until 1938. This period was characterized by widespread political repression and purges.

Zinoviev, Kamenev, and others are arrested and accused of complicity in Kirov's assassination.

Zinoviev, Kamenev, and their allies confess and are executed.

Second show trial takes place.

Purge of the army begins, top generals are tried and executed.

In March 1938, the Third Show Trial resulted in the conviction and execution of prominent Bolshevik leaders including Bukharin and Rykov. This event was part of Stalin's purges to eliminate any potential opposition within the Communist Party.

Stalin signs a non-aggression pact with Nazi Germany, known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, which has significant implications for the outbreak of World War II.

On August 20, 1940, Leon Trotsky, a prominent figure in the Russian Revolution, was assassinated in Mexico City by agents loyal to Stalin. This event marked the end of Trotsky's opposition to Stalin's rule and had significant implications for the Communist movement.

Stalin became Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union on 6 May 1941.

A photo of Joseph Stalin taken around 1942.

Joseph Stalin's leadership during World War II elevated his status to a cultlike figure in the Soviet Union, as he guided the country through the challenges of the war.

In April 1945, the Red Army seized Berlin, Hitler committed suicide, and Germany surrendered, marking the end of World War II in Europe.

In December 1949, Joseph Stalin celebrated his seventieth birthday, an event that held great significance within the Soviet leadership and propaganda.

In January 1953, the announcement of the Jewish 'Doctors' Plot' against Stalin and the plans for a new wave of terror sent shockwaves through the Soviet Union, reflecting the oppressive and paranoid atmosphere of the time.

Stalin becomes increasingly paranoid and conducts purges, eliminating perceived enemies from the party.

Stalin dies at the age of 74, leading to a power struggle within the Soviet leadership.

Stephen Kotkin's book 'Stalin: Vol. 1' delves into the paradoxes of power surrounding Joseph Stalin from 1878 to 1928.

Stephen Kotkin's book 'Stalin: Waiting for Hitler' covers the period from 1929 to 1941, exploring the events leading up to World War II.