2012

• 15 June 2012
  The University of Oldenburg's excellence cluster application "Hearing4all" is selected as one of the winners of the German Excellence Initiative. Its partners in the project are the Hannover Medical School (MHH) and the Leibniz Universität Hannover.
  
  Celebrating the victory

2009

• 13 August 2009
  Inauguration of the EWE Research Center for Energy Technology NEXT ENERGY, an associate institute focusing on renewable energies, energy efficiency and electricity storage.

2008

• 28 February 2008
  Oldenburg is awarded the title "City of Science 2009"
  
  The "City of Science" poster
  

2004

• 18 October 2004
  Conversion to Bachelor's and Master's degrees

2003

• 1 August 2003
  The Center for Wind Energy Research (ForWind), a joint institute of the universities of Oldenburg and Hannover (and since 2009 the University of Bremen), begins its activities.

2002

• 16 October 2002
  The Hanse Law School, a joint project of the University of Oldenburg, the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen and the University of Bremen, commences its activities.

2001

• 14 November 2001
  Establishment of the "Center for Distributed Learning" (later known as C3L), which combines continuing education courses and e-learning projects.

1997

• 13 October 1997
  Inauguration of the Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg (HWK) Institute for Advanced Study in Delmenhorst.
  
  A research institute that attracts renowned scientists from all over the world: the HWK

1996

• 8 February 1996
  Founding of the Hörzentrum as an associate institute, followed five years later by the establishment of the Hörtech Center of Competence, a non-profit organization.
  
  The "Haus des Hörens" in Oldenburg

1992

• 29 January 1992
  Inauguration of the OFFIS Institute for Information Technology as an associate institute.

1991

• 3 October 1991
  Official ceremony for the naming of the University after Carl von Ossietzky, attended by Gerhard Schröder, Premier of the State of Lower Saxony.
  Official naming ceremony
  Gerhard Schröder with Rosalinde von Ossietzky-Palm, daughter of Carl von Ossietzky.

1990

• 12 December 1990
  Joint declaration by the Universities of Oldenburg and Bremen on the coordinated expansion of research and teaching activities and the creation of a "North-West science region".

1989

• 30 May 1989
  The government of Lower Saxony gives the green light for the expansion of marine research in Oldenburg and the founding of the Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM).
  
  Biotechnica 1989: Science Minister Johann-Tönjes Cassens and State Premier Ernst Albrecht at the ICBM stand

1985

• 22 October 1985
  The courses in information technology begin with 60 students.

1980

• 18 December 1980
  The ground is broken for the construction of the Energy Laboratory, a symbol for the research area "alternative energies".
  
  Oldenburg's Energy Laboratory, which covers its own energy requirements.
• 17 April 1980
  First cooperation agreement with a foreign university, the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen.
  
  Signing of the agreement with Groningen: Jan Bleumink (Groningen) and Hans-Dietrich Raapke (Oldenburg)

1974

• 17 December 1974
  Signing of a cooperation agreement between the University of Oldenburg and the Lower Saxony branch of the Confederation of German Trade Unions (DGB), the first agreement of its kind in the Federal Republic of Germany.
• 29 May 1974
  Unanimous adoption of the founding order drawn up by the University's founding committee and the naming of the University after Carl von Ossietzky. The name is rejected by the Ministry of Culture of Lower Saxony. 
  
  Student protest: Students fix the name to the wall of a building
  

1973

• 5 December 1973
  The parliament of the state of Lower Saxony passes a resolution on the founding of the Universities of Oldenburg and Osnabrück and the integration of the teacher training colleges (Pädagogische Hochschulen). Study activities begin in April 1974 with eight degree courses and the test model "One-phase teacher training", which runs until the early 1980s.
  

1972

• 26 April 1972
  The Universitätsgesellschaft Oldenburg eV. is established.

1971

• 1 March 1971
  A founding committee is appointed in Oldenburg, one third of the members of which are professors, one third research fellows and one third students.
  
  Podium discussion with members of the founding committee

1970

• 25 August 1970
  Resolution by the government of Lower Saxony on the founding of universities in Oldenburg and Osnabrück. 

1959

• 23 February 1959
  The Council of the City of Oldenburg calls on the government of Lower Saxony and the state parliament to establish a second regional university in Oldenburg.

1945

• 1 October 1945
  The newly founded "Pädagogische Akademie" in Oldenburg (renamed to "Pädagogische Hochschule" in 1948) becomes the first teacher training institution in one of the four occupation zones to open its doors after the war.

1920

• 26 March 1920
  The "Lehrerseminar" becomes a higher education institution and its courses are replaced by "Pädagogische Lehrgänge", two-year teacher training courses, in 1926. The teaching training courses are discontinued when the war breaks out in 1939.
  
  The building for teacher training, completed in 1846

1793

• 7 March 1793
  Duke Peter Friedrich Ludwig von Oldenburg (pictured) establishes a seminar for teachers according to a plan drawn up by Superintendant General Esdras Heinrich Mutzenbecher.
  
  Duke Peter Friedrich Ludwig von Oldenburg (1755-1829)