- 1942 Born in Guyana 23rd March
- 1960 Graduated from Queen’s College, Guyana
- 1960 Entered the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus
- 1963 Graduated from UWI Mona
- 1963 Advocated for the formation of the West Indian Federation
- 1963 Entered University of London, School of Oriental and African Studies
- 1965 Walter married Patricia Henry
- 1965 Addressed a symposium on Guyana at Hyde Park, London
- 1966 Awarded a Ph. D in African Studies
- 1966 First teaching appointment at the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. Lectured in History
- 1968 Teaching appointment at the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, Jamaica
- 1968 Rodney launched the course African History at Mona
- 1968 Attended Black Writers’ Conference in Montreal, Canada
- 1968 Banned from re-entering Jamaica by the government
- 1968 Returned to University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania
- 1970 Published first book "A History of the Upper Guinea Coast"
- 1972 Published second book "How Europe Underdeveloped Africa"
- 1974 Invited by the University of Guyana to be a professor in African History
- 1974 Returned to Guyana
- 1974 Joined the opposition Working People’s Alliance
- 1979 Arrested following the burning down of two government offices. Charged with Arson
- 1980 Assassinated by agents of the Burnham government in Guyana on the 13th June
- 1980 Buried in Guyana