1. 2011
1.1. January 21
1.1.1. Coulson steps down as Downing Street communications chief
1.1.1.1. Says the constant allegations of illegal eavesdropping are preventing him from doing his job effectively
1.2. January 26
1.2.1. Scotland Yard launches new investigation - Operation Weeting
1.2.1.1. they claim to have ''significant new information'' from the News of the World's publisher, News International
1.2.2. Assistant news editor Ian Edmondson is released from his position after being linked to documents concerning legal action and actress Sienna Miller
1.3. April 5
1.3.1. Ian Edmondson and News of the World chief reporter Neville Thurlbeck are arrested by Scotland Yard on suspicion of consiering to intercept communications and hack voicemail services
1.3.1.1. They are later released on bail
1.4. April 8
1.4.1. News International admits guilt
1.4.1.1. apologizes "unreservedly" to a number of public figures
1.5. April 14
1.5.1. Senior reporter James Weatherup is brought in by detectives for questioning
1.6. June 21
1.6.1. News of the World begins financial reparations:
1.6.1.1. Football pundit Andy Gray receives £20,000 in damages after his voicemail was hacked
1.6.1.2. Actress Sienna Miller receives £100,000
1.7. July 4
1.7.1. Reports begin to surface that Milly Dowler's phone's voicemail may have been hacked
1.7.1.1. providing false hope to her family members that she was still alive
1.8. July 5
1.8.1. Rebekah Brooks comments that she is, "appalled and shocked" that a teenager's phone was hacked
1.8.2. Prime Minister David Cameron describes the event as a, "truly dreadful act."
1.9. July 6
1.9.1. Cameron announces a public enquiry into the matter
1.9.2. Rupert Murdoch calls the scandal, "deplorable and unacceptable", but continues to back Brooks as Chief Executive
1.9.3. Reports emerge that relatives of soldiers killed in action may have been victims of phone hacking
1.10. July 7
1.10.1. The Royal British Legion drops News of the World as it's media partner
1.10.1.1. expresses "revulsion" at the surfacing allegations
1.10.1.2. more and more advertisers begin to pull their support from the paper
1.11. July 8
1.11.1. Cameron announces two inquiries:
1.11.1.1. The hacking scandal
1.11.1.2. New regulations for the British press
1.11.2. Cameron takes full responsibility for employing Coulson as his spokesman
1.11.2.1. defends position to give Coulson a "second chance"
1.11.3. Coulson is arrested on suspicion of conspiring to intercept communications and suspicion of corruption
1.11.3.1. is released until October on bail after 9 hours in custody
1.11.4. Clive Goodman is rearrested on suspicion of payments to police by journalists at the paper.
1.11.4.1. Police search the offices of the Daily Star tabloid, where Goodman freelanced
1.11.4.2. The Star is NOT connected to News Corp
1.12. July 10
1.12.1. after 168 years, News of the World ceases publication
1.13. July 11
1.13.1. Murdoch rescinds offer to spin off BSkyB's Sky News Channel
1.13.1.1. Competition regulator, Ofcom, to carry out a lengthy investigation
1.13.2. Cameron says News Corp needs to "clearing up this mess" before focusing on future acquistions
1.13.3. Allegations surface that Prime Minister Gordon Brown was a target of several News Corp journalists
1.13.3.1. Police confirm that Brown's name was on a list compiled by Mulcaire
1.14. July 12
1.14.1. London Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner John Yates appears before parliament's Home Affairs Committee saying he has no plans to resign
1.14.1.1. Yates was heavily criticized in 2009 over his decision not to reopen investigations
1.14.2. MP's refer to former Scotland Yard Assistant Commissioner Andy Hayman as "more Clouseau than Columbo," concerning his handling of the 2005 phone hacking investigation
1.14.3. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Sue Akers, Scotland Yard's lead on the new investigation, suggests to MP's that the investigation could extend past News of the World employees, and encompass a "criminal liability of directors"
1.15. July 15
1.15.1. News International's Chief Executive Rebekah Brooks resigns
1.15.2. Tom Mockridge
1.15.2.1. Chief Exec at Sky Italia
1.15.2.2. Becomes News International Chief Executive
1.15.3. Murdoch meets with the family of Milly Dowler and apologizes. Murdoch comments that he's, "humbled and shaken"
1.15.4. 10 Downing street releases David Cameron's meetings with media owners, editors and senior journalists since May 2010.
1.16. July 16
1.16.1. Murdoch takes out ads in national newspapers, apologizing for The World's "serious wrongdoing"
1.16.2. Foreign Secretary William Hague comments that Cameron's inviting Coulson to Chequers after his resignation is a "normal and human" thing to do.
1.16.3. Metropolitan police deny that Sir Paul Stephenson (Commissioner) was arranged by Mr Wallis, a PR consultant for Champney's at the time
1.17. July 17
1.17.1. News International places ads in National newspapers, declaring that there will be "no place to hide" from the police investigation, adding that the organization is "committed to change"
1.17.2. Ed Milibrand calls for sweeping changes to media ownership rules
1.17.2.1. says that Rupert Murdoch's influence on British politics was "dangerous"
1.17.3. David Beckham and Paul McCartney added to the list of celebrities that have had their mobile phone hacked
1.17.4. Sir Paul Stephenson, Metropolitan Police Commissioner, resigns.
1.17.5. Rebekah Brooks is arrested
1.17.5.1. after meeting with London Police in a pre-arranged appointment
1.18. July 18
1.18.1. Metropolitan Assistant Commissioner John Yates resigns
1.18.1.1. primarily over suspicion of his connections to Neil Wallis
1.18.2. David Cameron calls MPs back to London, interrupting their summer break
1.18.3. The Prime Minister cuts short a trip to Africa to deal with the ongoing scandal
1.18.4. News Corp shares plummet as US and Australian markets react
1.18.5. News International investigates allegations that deputy editor Neil Wallis was receiving payments from the tabloid while acting as a consultant for the Metropolitan Police Department
1.18.6. Former News of the World journalist and prime whistle blower Sean Hoare is found dead in his home in Watford
1.18.7. The Sun website is hacked
1.18.7.1. False news of Rupert Murdoch's death appears
1.18.7.2. Hacker group LulzSec claims responsibility
1.18.7.3. Hackers threaten to publish emails stolen during the hack
1.19. July 19
1.19.1. The Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee holds talks with:
1.19.1.1. former Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson
1.19.1.2. former Assistant Commissioner John Yates
1.19.1.3. former News International executive Rebekah Brooks
1.19.1.4. James Murdoch
1.19.1.5. Rupert Murdoch
1.19.2. Stephenson and Yates are questioned about their handling of previous phone hacking inquiries and involvement with News of the World employees
1.19.2.1. Stephenson comments on:
1.19.2.1.1. his resignation statement
1.19.2.1.2. his relationship with Neil Wallis
1.19.2.1.3. and dealings with other reporters
1.19.2.2. Yates comments:
1.19.2.2.1. that he tried to warn David Cameron's chief of staff, Ed Llewellyn of the phone hacking scandal
1.19.3. James and Rupert Murdoch are questioned by MP's for over 2 and a half hours
1.19.3.1. Murdoch Sr. asserts that it was the employees of the News of the World that were responsible for the consequences of the hacking scandal
1.19.3.1.1. Sr. also receives a pie in the face, but is defended by his wife, Wendy Deng
1.19.4. Rebekah Brooks is questioned by MPs on:
1.19.4.1. The News of the World's involvement with private detectives
1.19.4.2. Police payments
1.19.4.3. The coverup of legal fees for Glenn Mulcaire and Clive Goodman
2. 2000
2.1. Rebekah Brooks becomes editor
2.1.1. At age 32, she becomes The U.K.'s youngest national newspaper editor
2.1.2. She begins a campaign to "name and shame" alleged pedophiles
2.1.2.1. leads to some being terrorized by angry mobs
2.1.3. She campaigns for public access to the Sex Offenders Register
2.1.3.1. leads to "Sarah's Law"
3. 2002
3.1. Milly Dowler (13) disappears from the London suburb of Walton-on-Thames in March
3.1.1. her remains are found in September
4. 2003
4.1. Rebekah Brooks becomes editor of The Sun, News of the World's sister publication, and leading daily newspaper sold in Britain
4.1.1. Brooks' deputy editor Andy Coulson becomes editor of the Sunday paper
4.1.2. Brooks (at the time, Wade) tells a Parliamentary Committee that her newspaper paid police for information
4.1.2.1. News international later comments that this is not company policy
5. 2005
5.1. The Sunday tabloid reports on a knee injury suffered by Prince William
5.1.1. officials of the Royal Court complain about phone messages being intercepted (hacked)
5.1.2. These complaints prompt police officials to launch an inquery
6. 2006
6.1. August 8
6.1.1. Police arrest News of the World's royal editor Clive Goodman and private investigator Glenn Mulcaire
6.1.2. The two are taken into custody on suspicion of hacking into Royal Family member's mobile phones
7. 2007
7.1. January
7.1.1. Goodman is sentenced to a 4 month prison term
7.1.2. Mulcaire receives a 6 month prison sentence
7.1.3. Both admit that they conspired to intercept communications
7.1.3.1. Mulcaire also pleads guilty to five other charges of intercepting voicemail messages
7.1.4. News of the World editor Andy Coulson resigns
7.1.4.1. Says he
7.1.4.1.1. "Deeply regrets" what happened
7.1.4.1.2. and
7.1.4.1.3. takes "ultimate responsibility"
7.2. May 18
7.2.1. The Press Complaints Commission states that they are satisfied with the investigation and that no other parties were aware of the intercepting of messages
7.2.1.1. This statement is later withdrawn
7.3. May 31
7.3.1. (Then Opposition Party Leader) David Cameron announces Coulson as the Conservative Party's director of communications and planning
8. 2009
8.1. June
8.1.1. Rebekah Brooks becomes CEO of News International
8.2. July 9
8.2.1. The Guardian newspaper reports that News Group newspapers have paid out over £1 million to keep further allegations of phone hacking quiet
8.2.1.1. The Guardian also reports:
8.2.1.1.1. News of the World journalists (with the knowledge of their superiors) had illegally hacked celebrities and politicians between 2003 and 2007
8.2.2. Scotland Yard announces that they will not open a new investigation into these allegations
8.2.3. Crown Prosecution Service announces a review of material provided by the police in 2006
8.3. July 21
8.3.1. Coulson informs MP's of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee that things went "very badly" under his leadership at News of the World
8.3.1.1. insists he knew nothing of the phone hacking
8.4. September
8.4.1. Chief Executive of Dow Jones, and former executive chairman of Murdoch's newspaper arm in Britain, Les Hilton
8.4.1.1. Informs a committee of officials that allegations of illegal phone hacking were strictly limited to the well-publicized case
8.4.1.2. Says that a wide review was conducted and that no new evidence had surfaced
8.5. November 9
8.5.1. The Press Complaints Commission says in a second report that they have found no new evidence supporting claims that others outside of Goodman and Mulcaire had participated in phone hacking
8.5.1.1. nor that their supervisors had any idea what the pair were doing
9. 2010
9.1. February 24
9.1.1. The Culture, Media and Sport Committee reports finds that there is no evidence supporting the claim that Coulson was aware of the illegal phone hacking
9.1.1.1. However, the report also says it is ''inconceivable'' that no-one apart from Goodman was aware of it.
9.2. May 11
9.2.1. David Cameron moves into 10 Downing Street as Prime Minister
9.2.2. Coulson ascends to the head of the new coalition government's media operation
9.3. September 5
9.3.1. The New York Times blows the whistle on unscrupulous journalistic practices in a scathing article that points to Coulson have knowledge of his reporter's activities.
9.3.1.1. The same story raises questions about Scotland Yard's response to previous allegations
9.3.2. MP's call upon it's standards watchdog to begin a new investigation into the hacking allegations at the Sunday tabloid and Coulson.