| October 27, 1947 | Born in Berlin |
| 1967 | Graduated from Robert Koch High School in Berlin |
| 1967 | Studied Art Education at HfbK Berlin under Prof. Herbert Kaufmann |
| 1968 | First work: Hiroshima GROUND ZERO |
| 1968 | First public art: American flag with skulls instead of stars (protest against the Vietnam War) |
| 1969-1970 | Studied Industrial Design at HfbK Berlin under Prof. Dr. Braun-Feldweg; mainly furniture design, conception and execution |
| 1970/1971 | Studied Art Education at Kassel Art Academy/Comprehensive University (now "Kassel Art University at the University of Kassel") under Prof. Harry Kramer. Continuation of sculptural works in paper, material experiments with wax, ceramics and wood. Automatons with elements from wax figure cabinets, fairgrounds and panopticons |
| June 27, 1974 | First state examination for teaching at secondary schools; Fine Arts and Crafts |
| 1972 | First exhibition participation: Wiesbaden: Panopticon |
| 1972–1974 | Assistant to Prof. Harry Kramer. Supervision of group work in connection with exhibition projects, testing of materials and techniques for sculptors and practice of facade painting, considerations on teaching models in the context of academic art education |
| 1974–1977 | Studied Fine Arts, University of Kassel, Department of Art, Kramer Studio, residence and studio: Elbenberg near Kassel |
| 1976 | Beginning of work on the dissertation "The Kassel Art Academy - History and Institutional Analysis" |
| 1977–1979 | Monument restoration; planning, construction management, execution |
| 1979 | Construction of sound sculptures |
| 1980–1985 | Artistic-scientific staff member in the Department of Art, University of Kassel |
| 1980 | Beginning of the trace projects with "Scent Marks Cassel–Paris" |
| 1981 | First solo exhibition, Kassel Art Academy |
| 1982 | Art action Ariadne Thread |
| 1984 | Art action Landscape Preserves |
| 1985 | Temporary collaboration in MOLTKEREI workshop and FUHRWERKSWAAGE art space in Cologne; planning and organization of room installations and performances |
| 1985 | Beginning of work with characters |
| 1987 | Member of the INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS' COMMITTEE |
| 1994 | Curator at IGNIS Cultural Center, exhibition cycle COINCIDENCE - Encounters in Cologne |
| May 1990 | "May 1940 - 1000 Roma and Sinti". Gunter Demnig prints on the Cologne pavement the path of the Sinti and Roma through the city to the exhibition camp, from where the deportations to Poland began |
| 1992/1993 | In response to increasing xenophobia in the new FRG (keywords: Rostock-Lichtenhagen, Solingen), Gunter Demnig hangs Article 1 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights on Cologne advertising boards |
| March 1993 | The city of Cologne agrees to the permanent preservation of the written trace on the pavement. From June 1993, the lettering is laid in brass at 22 places in the city. |
| Summer 1993 | Concept for the STOLPERSTEINE project is published |
| January 4, 1995 | The first 25 STOLPERSTEINE are laid in Cologne without municipal/official approval |
| 1996 | The first STOLPERSTEINE are laid in Berlin-Kreuzberg without municipal/official approval |
| July 19, 1997 | Laying of the first legal Stolpersteine in St. Georgen (near Salzburg), Austria, for Jehovah's Witnesses Johann and Matthias Nobis |
| April 13, 2000 | The Cologne City Council approves the STOLPERSTEINE project |
| July 2000 | In Berlin-Kreuzberg, Naunynstraße 46, the first Stolpersteine are legally laid |
| November 2000 | Beginning of legal installations in Cologne |
| 2002 | The first STOLPERSTEINE are laid in Hamburg |
| 2004 | "Max Brauer Prize" from the Alfred Toepfer Foundation FVS, Hamburg, first prize in connection with the Stolpersteine. |
| October 4, 2005 | Awarded the Federal Cross of Merit |
| January 27, 2006 | Unveiling of the memorial installation "The Threshold" at Cologne Central Station (conceived by a citizens' initiative); this is intended to commemorate the involvement of Deutsche Bundesbahn in the deportations and thus in the genocide |
| August 20, 2006 | Appointed "alternative honorary citizen of Cologne" |
| 2011 | Moved to Frechen near Cologne |
| 2012 | Installation of his gravestone "Circuitus" in the artists' necropolis in Kassel |
| December 2014 | Establishment of the FOUNDATION - TRACES - Gunter Demnig |
| 2015 | Laying of the 50,000th STOLPERSTEIN |
| April 1, 2016 | Marriage to Katja Walter in Langenselbold in the Main-Kinzig district (Hesse) |
| 2017 | Moved to Alsfeld (Hesse) |
| 2017 – present | Construction of the permanent exhibition "Gunter Demnig: TRACES and PATHS" in Alsfeld-Elbenrod |
| September 2018 | 70,000th STOLPERSTEIN laid in Frankfurt |
| August 23, 2019 | Order of Merit of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia |
| April 29, 2022 | Benedict Prize of Mönchengladbach |
| August 13, 2022 | Opening of the exhibition rooms in Alsfeld-Elbenrod |
| May 26, 2023 | Laying of the 100,000th STOLPERSTEIN in Nuremberg |
| March 11, 2024 | Awarded the Order of Merit of the State of Rhineland-Palatinate |
| October 11, 2024 | Awarded the Arnold Bode Prize |