Pirmasis OS varžybu žemelapis 1897m.
| 1897 | – 31st October – the first orienteering event in the world: NOR – Oslo (Nordmarken); 8 competitors; map scale 1:30 000; course length 10,5 km; 3 control points; winning time 1,41,07 |
| 1899 | – 6th February – the first ski-orienteering event in the world: NOR – Trondheim; 12 competitors; course length 20 km; winning time 2,30,20 |
| 1900 | – the first ski-orienteering relay: SWE |
| 1906 | – the first ski-orienteering relay: FIN |
| 1928 | – the first independent orienteering club: SWE – SK Gothia |
| 1931 | – -the first national championships: SWE – the first international competition: NOR – Oslo; NOR & SWE |
| 1936 | – the establishment of SOFT (Svenska Orienteringsforbundet) |
| 1945 | – the establishment of NOF (Norges Orienteringsforbund) – the establishment of SSL (Suomen Suunnistusliitto) – the first orienteering magazine: FIN – Suunnistaja |
| 1946 | – the establishment of NORD (Nordisk Orienteringsrat – the Nordic Orienteering Council) = NOR, SWE, FIN, DEN |
| 1948 | – the first maps drawn especially for orienteering: NOR |
| 1950 | – the first special colour map for orienteering: NOR; Knut Valstad; used for the competition on 30th April |
| 1961 | – the establishment of IOF (International Orienteering Federation) |
| 1962 | – the first European Orienteering Championships (EOC): NOR; winners: D = U. Lindkvist (SWE), H = A. Hadler (NOR) |
| 1966 | – the first World Orienteering Championships (WOC): FIN; winners: D = U. Lindkvist (SWE), H = M. Lystad (NOR) |
| 1972 | – the first official international ski-orienteering contest: BUL – IPSOL (International Pokal der Ski-OL) |
| 1975 | – the first WOC Ski: FIN; winners: D = O. Svanberg (SWE), H = A. Kukkonen (FIN) |
| 1978 | – IOF-Symbols for the control descriptions used for the first time: NOR – WOC |
| 1983 | – ‘1. Unofficial’ World Cup (WC): HUN, BEL, FIN, AUT, SWE, NOR |
| 1984 | – ‘2. Unofficial’ WC |
| 1987 | – the first European Cup (EC) Ski: TCH, AUT, ITA, FIN, FIN, SWE |
| 1988 | – the introduction of ‘the short distance race’ to the WOC Ski: FIN |
| 1989 | – the first WC Ski: AUT, TCH, SWE, NOR |
| 1990 | – the first Junior World Orienteering Championships (JWOC): SWE – the introduction of ‘the short distance race’ to the WC |
| 1991 | – the introduction of ‘the short distance race’ to the WOC: TCH |
| 1994 | – the first JWOC Ski: FIN – IOF electronic events calendar – electronic punching used at the WC for the first time: NOR; the Regnly system |
| 1995 | – the first Park World Tour (PWT): SWE, NOR, FIN, CZE |
| 1998 | – Ski-orienteering presented at the Olympics in Nagano – the first official World Masters Orienteering Championships (WMOC): CZE – Novy Bor – MTBO European Cup |
| 1999 | – the first WMOC Ski: RUS – the first WC MTBO |
| 2000 | – European Orienteering Championships (EOC) renewed |