I found this timeline of New York State in a book from 1983. It was obvious that it was copied from an earlier work as it only goes up to 1900.

It is interesting how many canals were built in the State. Some didn’t last very long as the railroads quickly took over most of the routes.

1609 – Champlain explores Northern New York while Hudson explores Southeastern New York and the Hudson River.
1614 – First use of the name “New Netherland”.
1620 – Puritans denied right to settle in New Netherland.
1621 – Dutch West India Company chartered.
1624 – Dutch and Walloons settle at Albany, then “Fort Orange”.
1625 – Settlement begins on Manhattan Island.
1629 – Patroon system of manorial land management introduced.
1630 – Manor of Rensselaerwyck established.
1632 – Dutch claim to New Netherland disputed by England.
1638 – First granting of lands to whites by Indians in Kings County.
1640 – Southampton and Southold, Long Island, settled from New England.
1643 – Hempstead, Long Island, settled from Stamford, Connecticut.
1645 – Father Joques killed by Mohawks; Yonkers settled.
1652 – Kingston settled; first court held at Albany.
1653 – New Amsterdam granted first city charter in American Colonies.
1654 – Twenty-four Jews settle in New Netherland.
1661 – Schenectady settled.
1664 – English take control of colony and change name to New York.
1679 – French build Fort Niagara.
1683 – First Assembly meets at New York City and adopts Charter of Liberties; original twelve counties formed.
1684 – Five Nations (Iroquois) submit to English King at Albany.
1686 – Albany granted a city charter.;
1688 – Huguenots settle New Rochelle.
1690 – Schenectady Massacre.
1709-1712 – German Palatines settle in Hudson and Schoharie Valleys.
1731 – New York – Connecticut boundary settled; French build fort at Crown Point on Lake Champlain.
1754 – Benjamin Franklin proposes colonial unity at Albany Congress; Kings College (now Columbia University) founded.
1755-1763 – French and Indian Wars harass frontier settlements.
1764 – New York Assembly urges united action against English taxes.
1765 – Sons of Liberty organized.
1770 – Battle of Golden Hill spells trouble for English in New York.
1775 – Allen and Arnold capture Fort Ticonderoga while Warner captures fort at Crown Point.
1776 – New York City, English stronghold, is occupied by English troops; Battles of Lake Champlain and White Plains.
1777 – First New York State Constitution adopted at Kingston. Battles of Oriskany, Bennington and Saratoga turn the tide of the Revolution by defeating the English plan to divide the Northern Colonies.
1778 – Cherry Valley Massacre, led by Loyalists and Indians.
1779 – Stony Point captured by Wayne; Loyalists and Indians are defeated at the Battle of Newtown by Sullivan
and Clinton; Loyalist estates confiscated.
1780 – Loyalists and Indians ravage Mohawk and Schoharie Valleys.
1781 – Battle of Johnstown.
1783 – Naturalization Law enacted.
1784 – University of the State of New York founded by Legislature.
1786 – Rome permanently settled.
1788 – Phelps and Gorham purchase most of Western New York from Massachusetts; New York ratifies U.S. Constitution.
1789 – Washington inaugurated at New York City; Two lots of land for schools granted in each township by Legislature.
1790 – Vermont territory claims given up by New York State.
1791 – Holland Land Company Purchase is made.
1792 – Western Inland Lock Navigation Company given rights to build canals from Mohawk Valley to Lake Ontario and Seneca Lake.
1795 – First canal boat passes through Little Falls; Union College chartered.
1796 – Americans get control of Forts Ontario, Oswego and Niagara; First canal boats enter Oneida Lake.
1798 – State public records removed to Albany.
1799 – State provides for gradual freeing of slaves; Cherry Valley Turnpike opens.
1807 – First steamboat trip from New York City to Albany.
1808 – American Fur Company chartered by Astor; Importation of slaves prohibited in New York.
1811 – Erie Canal construction authorized.
1812 – War with England; Hamilton College chartered.
1817 – Erie Canal groundbreaking; Champlain Canal also begun.
1818 – State Library founded in Albany; 5,000 local schools reported 200,000 students.
1821 – General male suffrage established.
1823 – Delaware and Hudson Canal Company incorporated.
1825 – Geneva College chartered; Erie Canal opened.
1826 – Mohawk and Hudson Railroad Company chartered.
1827 – All slaves freed in New York State.
1828 – Ithaca and Owego Railroad Company chartered; Cayuga and Seneca Canal opened.
1831 – First train run between Albany and Schenectady; Imprisonment for debt abolished.
1832 – Buffalo and Utica granted city charters.
1833 – Chenango Canal between Utica and Binghamton is begun; Chemung Canal between Watkins and Elmira
opened; New York and Erie Railroad Company chartered.
1834 – Rochester granted a city charter.
1836 – Black River Canal between Rome and Boonville opened.
1839 – Anti-rent riots protest ancient manorial land system in Eastern New York State.
1845 – Anti-rent Wars force land reform.
1847 – Oneida Community founded by Noyes; Syracuse granted a city charter.
1848 – First Women’s Rights Convention at Seneca Falls; Auburn and Oswego granted city charters.
1850 – University of Rochester opened.
1851 – Hudson River Railroad and Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad opened.
1853 – New York Central Railroad Company incorporated.
1856 – Genesee Valley Canal opened between Rochester and Olean.
1857 – Temperance law passed.
1861 – Civil War begins; Governor calls for 25,000 troops.
1862 – 120 New York regiments sent to the war.
1863 – Anti-draft riots in New York City and Troy.
1865 – Cornell University opens.
1871 – Syracuse University opens.
1877 – State reformatory for adults opened.
1880 – State Board of Health established.
1886 – Strikes in favor of eight-hour work day.
1899 – State Historical Association created.