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| 1542 | Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo claims the island as "San Salvador". |
| 1602 | Vizcaino expedition visits, renaming the island Santa Catalina in honor of St. Catherine of Alexandria. |
| 1769 | Miguel Constanso, of the Portola Expedition, visits Catalina. |
| 1804 | The Lelia Byrd, under the command of William Shaler, puts in to Catalina for repairs. She is the first American vessel to visit the island. |
| 1846 | Thomas Robbins acquires title to Santa Catalina Island. He sells the island to Jose Maria Covarrubias for $10,000. |
| 1853 | Albert Packard buys the island for $1000! |
| 1863 | Catalina Gold Rush. It proves to be a major disappointment. |
| 1863 | James Lick begins buying Catalina Island in quarter shares. |
| 1864 | Union troops occupy the island. Plans to move certain unruly Indian tribes to the island are abandoned after it is determined that there is insufficient water on the island. |
| 1867 | James Lick finishes his purchase of Catalina. |
| 1876 | Death of James Lick. |
| 1887 | The Lick Estate sells Catalina to George R. Shatto for $200,000. Shatto lays out the streets of Avalon. |
| 1889 | The Jew Fish becomes the first newspaper to be published in Avalon. |
| 1892 | The Lick Estate repossesses Catalina from Shatto and sells it to William Banning for $129,000. |
| 1894 | The Santa Catalina Island Company is formed. |
| 1896 | Banning deeds Catalina to the SCI Company. |
| 1896 | Charlie Feigh invents the glass-bottom boat and begins operating them on Catalina. |
| 1898 | Founding of the Tuna Club. |
| 1902 | World's first commercial wireless station is opened on Catalina Island. |
| 1903 | Intra-island telephone service begins. |
| 1903 | Los Angeles Times publishes the Catalina Wireless. |
| 1909 | Construction of Green Pleasure Pier. |
| 1913 | The Catalina Islander begins weekly publication. |
| 1915 | Fire destroys most of Avalon. |
| 1919 | William K. Wrigley buys Catalina Island. |
| 1921 | Lawrence Gordon Mott builds Catalina's first radio broadcasting station. During 1922-23, he will remain in contact with the McMillan Expedition at the North Pole, being their only contact with the outside world for three weeks. |
| 1923 | Pacific T&T lays submarine telephone cables between the island and the mainland. |
| 1923 | Sheep removed from Catalina. |
| 1923 | Probable first production of Catalina Tile. |
| 1924 | Buffalo brought to Catalina Island for use in unknown Hollywood film. |
| 1927 | Canadian George Young wins the Wrigley Ocean Marathon, swimming from Two Harbors to San Pedro in 15 hours, 46 minutes. No one else reaches shore. |
| 1929 | Construction of new Casino Building. |
| 1932 | Death of William Wrigley, Jr. |
| 1934 | Additional buffalo (American bison) brought to Catalina. |
| 1937 | The Wrigleys sell the Catalina Pottery Company to Gladding, McBean. |
| 1941 | World War II leads to a ban on tourism. Several branches of the Armed Forces use the Island as a training facility. |
| 1946 | Airport-in-the-Sky constructed. |
| 1952 | Florence Chadwick completes the channel swim in 13 hours, 42 minutes. |
| 1958 | Greta Anderson swims from Catalina to the Mainland and back again in 26 hours. |
| 1972 | Foundation of Catalina Island Conservancy by Phillip K. Wrigley. |
| 1980 | Reintroduction of bald eagle begun. |
| 1990 | Avalon Bay News begins publication. |
| 1993 | Existence of the ornate shrew on Catalina confirmed by capture of two specimens by Catalina Nature Conservatory naturalists. |