Dec 26, 2004 An earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale hits the Indian Ocean, 250 kilometers northwest of Sumatra, Indonesia. It is the biggest tremor recorded anywhere in the world in four decades. It triggers several 10-meter high tsunami waves that ravage the coastlines of South Asia, striking Thailand, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, India, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Myanmar, the Maldives, Bangladesh, Kenya, Somalia and Tanzania.

Dec 27, 2004 The United Nations (UN) reports that cost of damage from the disaster will run to billions of dollars and require one of the biggest humanitarian aid operations ever.

Death toll begins count at 12,000. Mass burials take place as locals try to gather and bury as many bodies as possible to prevent the spread of diseases.

Dec 30, 2004 Four days after the catastrophe, the death toll jumps to 120,000, with at least 79,940 people in Indonesia, 25,000 in Sri Lanka, 11,330 in India and 2,400 in Thailand found dead.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that as many as five million people in the affected regions have been left homeless.

Dec 30, 2004 The death toll passes the 125,000 mark. The devastation is so overwhelming that Indonesian authorities say it may not be able to continue keeping the exact count of those dead.

Jan 1, 2005 As the New Year rings in, worldwide aid pledges amount to two billion dollars, with Japan being the current highest donor at US$500 million dollars.

Officials estimate the death toll at 150,000 but also caution that the actual count may never be known due to the numerous bodies that were swept out to sea. Officials also urgently call for better management of relief aid as the plight of survivors remains in dire state.

Logistical bottlenecks and delays in the reconstruction of main roads and bridges in some affected countries prevent emergency food and relief items from reaching survivors.

Jan 3, 2005 The WHO estimates that as many as 500,000 people have been injured as a result of the tsunami crisis and urges for fresh clean drinking water to be distributed all over the affected provinces in order to prevent a health disaster.

Jan 6, 2005 World leaders from 26 nations and international organizations meet in Jakarta for an emergency summit to deal with the effects of the disaster. Discussions include the need for effective and immediate distribution of financial and relief aid to affected countries as well as a plan to set up a tsunami warning system for the Indian Ocean.

A UN official calls for a US one-billion-dollar package for immediate use to help with the effects of the disaster.

Jan 7, 2005 The number of deaths in Indonesia alone rises to more than 100,000, bringing the total number of deaths in the Indian Ocean region past 150,000. The UN cautions that many more lives may not be accounted for.

The death toll for other countries read as follows: Sri Lanka, 30,615, India, 9,995 and Thailand, 5,291. Almost half of those who perished in Thailand were foreigners.

Jan 8, 2005 Another additional 50,000 bodies are recovered in Aceh, bringing the death toll in Indonesia alone to over 155,000.

Japan announces that it will send at least 1,000 military personnel to Indonesia to conduct relief work. This is the largest Japanese military deployment overseas since the Second World War.

Jan 9, 2005 Relief agencies bring to attention that survivors in the more isolated areas, like Meulaboh, may not have received any help since the tsunamis struck. Plans are made to reach these people.

Jan 10, 2005 US Marines reach the remote villages of Meulaboh in Aceh, bringing 50 tons of food and aid.

Jan 11, 2005 At an international conference in Switzerland, the UN emergency relief coordinator reports that the delivery of monetary aid must speed up so that affected communities can function at a better level.

The Indonesian authorities impose a restriction on all foreign aid workers heading to Aceh as threats from separatist rebels in the region loom ahead.

Jan 12, 2005 The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) reports that a tsunami early warning system for the Indian Ocean will be implemented by June 2006 and a larger, global system will follow a year later.

Jan 13, 2005 Rebels in Aceh call for ceasefire talks to help the relief aid effort.

A report by the Asian Development Bank estimates that the Asia tsunami crisis will likely throw another two million more people in the region into poverty.

Jan 14, 2005 The latest figure from both public and private aid pledges rise to a hefty US$10.8 billion dollars. Officials assess that damage to the fishing and aquaculture industry in the Indian Ocean surpasses any earlier estimate. 80 percent of Sri Lanka's fishing fleet was wiped out during the tragedy.

Jan 16, 2005 The death toll swells to 168,373 with Indonesia reporting another 5,000 deaths.

Jan 18, 2005 Amid the UN's warning that the emergency phase is still not over, Sri Lanka embarks on a US$3.5-billion-dollar "action plan" to rebuild areas in the country that have been ravaged by the waters.

Jan 19, 2005 Floods in Banda Aceh prevent relief supplies from reaching survivors. The death toll in Indonesia passes 166,000 as 50,000 more bodies are found. The regional tally adds up to over 215,000.

India announces a reconstruction package for the country's southern mainland areas that will cost US$600 million dollars.

Jan 20, 2005 Japan hosts another international conference which concludes with the UN being placed in charge of building the tsunami warning system for the Indian Ocean. The UN reports that the system would be ready in 12 to 18 months time.

Relief work in Indonesia improves with the US military starting to hand over relief operations to local Indonesian aid agencies.

Jan 21, 2005 As relief efforts move into the second phase of long-term plans to rebuild homes and businesses, the presence of foreign military aid gradually decreases.

Jan 22, 2005 The United Nations promises to build early warning systems and make disaster preparation a top budget priority. With the warning system in place, it aims to halve the number of deaths caused by natural disasters.

Jan 23, 2005 Latest figures of the death toll in Indonesia rises to over 173,000, taking the global toll to more than 227,000.

The UN warns of an impending problem of malnutrition which could lead to further sickness if not addressed adequately and efficiently.

Jan 24, 2005 A strong earthquake in Sulawesi Island brings widespread panic to locals who flee for fear of another tsunami attack. The earthquake damages dozens of homes and shops.

Japan deploys its military troops to Indonesia to help tsunami victims.

Tourism ministers in the Southeast Asian region estimate that though the tourism industry lost billions of dollars due to the crisis, it can expect a swift rebound as well.

Jan 25, 2005 Indonesia reports that as many as 228,429 people are presumed dead in the region. This brings the regional death toll past the 280,000 mark.

Officials from the Red Cross organization say that the task of collecting all the dead may take another month or so as many more bodies are being recovered in Aceh.

Jan 26, 2005 On the one month anniversary of the disaster, several countries around the world observe a minute's silence in tribute to the thousands who have lost their lives when the raging tsunamis hit the shores in Southeast Asia. HT