The following is a timeline of the history of the US state of Tennessee.
Before the 16th century
– Paleo-Indians are known to exist in Tennessee, as evidenced by a mastodon skeleton with cut marks found in Williamson County. – Icehouse Bottom in Monroe County is used as a hunting camp, making it one of the oldest known habitation areas in the state. – The Pinson Mounds complex, one of the largest Middle Woodland sites in the United States, is created in Madison County. – During the Mississippian period, many sites are created in Tennessee, including Chucalissa, Mound Bottom, Shiloh Mounds, and Toqua.
16th and 17th centuries
1540 – Hernando de Soto's expedition arrives from modern day North Carolina and enters East Tennessee in June. The expedition stays at Chiaha in Sevier County for several weeks before leaving to the south. 1559 – Part of Tristán de Luna's expedition under Mateo del Sauz moves into the Chattanooga area in August in order to return the Napochie tribe to vassal status under the Coosa chiefdom so that the Spaniards could receive food from the Coosa. Sauz's expedition succeeds and returns south around August 1560. 1567 – Part of Juan Pardo's expedition under Hernando Moyano de Morales moves into Tennessee and stays at Chiaha, building a fort called San Pedro. Pardo later came to Moyano at Chiaha before the expedition returned to Santa Elena in modern South Carolina. 1682 – A French expedition down the Mississippi River under René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle stops in West Tennessee and builds a simple fortification called Fort Prudhomme while looking for a missing crew member before continuing downriver.