Timeline
2005
- JUL
- Akimoto Yasushi begins recruiting members for the 'Akihabara 48 Project'
- OCT
- 30 - From of 7924 people, 24 girls are chosen for AKB48's first generation
- NOV
- 3 - Lessons start in the Akihabara48 Theater
- DEC
- 8 - Akihabara48 Theater opening night.
- 16 - Equipment trouble leads to the first handshake event. 50 fans participated
2006
- FEB
- 1 - 1st Indies Single Sakura no Hanabiratachi Released
- 26 - 19 girls are chosen from 11892 applicants to become Team K
- MAR
- 1 - First Photobook Micchaku! "AKB48" ~Shashinshuu Vol.1 the DEBUT released
- 31 - Usami Yuki Graduates
- APR
- 1 - Team K begins performances
- JUN
- 9 - 2nd Indies Single Skirt, Hirari released
- 17 - Uemura Ayako withdraws
- AUG
- 22 - Fanclub "Hashira no E" starts activities
- SEP
- 23 - AKB48 appears in the drama Densha Otoko DELUXE Saigo no Seisen
- OCT
- 25 - 1st Major Single Aitakatta released
- NOV
- 3-4 - AKB48 First concert AKB48 First Concert "Aitakatta ~Hashira wa Nai ze!~
- DEC
- 3 - 19 girls selected from 12828 applicants to form Team B
2007
- JAN
- 25 - Orii Ayumi Graduates
- 31 - 2nd Major Single Seifuku ga Jama wo Suru released
- FEB
- 3 - 2nd Photobook released AKB48 JUMP&CRY
- Urano Kazumi, Hirajima Natsumi and Watanabe Shiho are moved to Team B
- MAR
- 10 - Concert Tour AKB48 Haru no Chotto dake Zenkoku Tour ~Madamada daze AKB48!~
- APR
- 1 - Concert tour ends
- 8 - Team B debuts as a 16 person Team. AKB48 has 48 members
- JUN
- 22 - Imai Yuu and Takada Ayana graduate
- 25 - Hoshino Michiru graduates
- JUL
- 20 - 500th Theater Performance
- OCT
- 2 - Watanabe Shiho graduates
- NOV
- 30 - Masuyama Kayano graduates
- DEC
- 31 - AKB48 appears on the Kohaku Utagassen
2008
- JAN
- 23 - 7th single Romance, Irane is released.
- FEB
- 27 - 8th single Sakura no Hanabiratachi 2008 is released.
- JUN
- 13 - 9th single, 1st Digital single Baby! Baby! Baby! is released.
- AUG
- 15 - Kikuchi Ayaka fired
- SEP
- 29 - Inoue Naru graduates
- OCT
- 22 - 10th single Oogoe Diamond is released.
- NOV
- 23 - Nakanishi Rina, Komatani Hitomi, Ohe Tomomi, Narita Risa and Tojima Hana graduate
2009
- FEB
- 1 - Noguchi Reina and Matsuoka Yuki graduate
- 27 - Kawasaki Nozomi graduates
- 28 - Nenwasure Kanshasai Shuffle Sumaze, AKB! SKE mo Yoroshiku ne DVD is released
- MAR
- 04 - 11th single 10nen Zakura is released
- APR
- 26 - Oshima Mai and Hayano Kaoru graduate
- MAY
- 24 - Naruse Risa graduates
- JUN
- 24 - 12th single Namida Surprise! is released
- JUL
- 08 - 1st Senbatsu Election
- AUG
- 23 - Saeki Mika graduates
- 26 - 13th single Iiwake Maybe is released
- OCT
- 21 - 14th single RIVER is released
2010
- JAN
- 10 - Majisuka Gakuen airs on TV Tokyo
- FEB
- 17 - 15th single Sakura no Shiori is released.
- APL
- 07 - 2nd album Kamikyokutachi is released.
- MAY
- 26 - 16th single Ponytail to Shushu is released.
- JUN
- 08 - 2nd Senbatsu Election
- JUL
- 10 - New AKB48 sister group based on Osaka, Japan, NMB48
- 14 - 3rd album and rerelease of their 1st album SET LIST ~Greatest Songs Kanzenban~
- AUG
- 18 - 17th single Heavy Rotation is released.
- SEP
- 27 - Ono Erena Graduates
- OCT
- 27 - 18th single Beginner is released.
- NOV
- 12 - AKB48 certified as “Pop group with the most amount of members” by the Guinness book
- DEC
- 08 - 19th single Chance no Junban is released.
2011
- JAN
- 20 - AKB48 Held their 3 day concert AKB48 Request Hour Best Set List 100 2011
- 21 - New Sub-Unit Not yet is announced at AKB48 Request Hour Best Set List 100 2011
- 22 - AKB48's movie DOCUMENTARY of AKB48 to be continued 10nengo, Shoujotachi wa Ima no Jibun ni Nani wo Omou no Darou? Premieres in theaters
- FEB
- 16 - 20th single Sakura no Ki ni Narou is released
- 20 - Oku Manami announces she will graduate on April, 2011.
- 26 - Sakura Kara no Tegami ~AKB48 Sorezore no Sotsugyou Monogatari~ premieres on TV Tokyo
- 27 - New Sub-unit DiVA is announced at the end of a Team K theater show.
- APR
- 15 - Majisuka Gakuen 2 airs on TV Tokyo
- MAY
- 01 - New AKB48 sister group based on Fukuoka, Japan, HKT48
- 25 - 21st single Everyday, Kachuusha released
- JUN
- 06 - Team 4 formed
- 08 - 3rd Senbatsu Election results
- AUG
- 24 - 22nd single Flying Get released
- SEP
- 11 - New AKB48 sister group based on Jakarta, Indonesia, JKT48
- 20 - 24th single Janken Tournament at Nippon Budoukan
- OCT
- 01 - New AKB48 sister group based on Taipei, Taiwan, TPE48
- 26 - 23rd single Kaze wa Fuiteiru released
- DEC
- 07 - 24th single Ue kara Mariko released
- 30 - AKB48 wins Japan Record Award with “Flying Get”
2012
- JAN
- 05 - AKB48 becomes the top-selling girl group in single sales
- 27 - AKB48's movie DOCUMENTARY of AKB48 Show must go on Shoujo-tachi wa Kizutsuki Nagara, Yume wo Miru Premieres in theaters
- FEB
- 15 - 25th single Give Me Five! released
- MAR
- 05 - AKB48 achieves a Guinness World Record for their 90 CMs for ‘Wonda Coffee’
- 23 - AKB48 annouced Tokyo Dome Concert
- 24 - SKE48’s Matsui Jurina & NMB48′s Watanabe Miyuki to join AKB48 for a limited time
- 25 - Maeda Atsuko announced graduation from AKB48
- APR
- 04 - Maeda Atsuko announced her withdrawal from the upcoming 27th Single Senbatsu Election.
- 21 - New AKB48 sister group based on Shanghai, China, SNH48
- 26 - New unit NO NAME
- MAY
- 23 - 26th single Manatsu no Sounds Good! released
- 23 - AKB48 wins triple awards at ‘2012 JASRAC Awards’
- 28 - AKB48’s “Manatsu no Sounds good!” breaks new record and sells over 1.61 million copies in first week
- JUN
- 08 - 4th Senbatsu Election
- AUG
- 18 - 4th album 1830m will be released
- 24 - Tokyo Dome Concert, Tokyo Dome Team Shuffle
- 25 - Tokyo Dome Concert
- 26 - Tokyo Dome Concert
- 27 - Maeda Atsuko's graduation
- SEP
- 18 - 29th Single Senbatsu Janken Takai
- OCT
- 31 - 28th single UZA released
- DEC
- 05 - 29th single Eien Pressure released
- 30 - AKB48 wins Japan Record Award with “Manatsu no Sounds Good!"
2013
- JAN
- 25 - New Theater Managers were announced
- 26 - AKB48 and Sisters Nippon Budoukan Concert
- 27 - AKB48 will perform at Nissan Stadium in June
- FEB
- 01 - AKB48's movie DOCUMENTARY of AKB48 No flower without rain Shoujo Tachi wa Namida no Ato ni Nani wo Miru? Premieres in theaters
- 20 - 30th single So long!, released
- APR
- 28 - AKB48 announced 5 Dome Tour
- MAY
- 22 - 31st single Sayonara Crawl released
- JUN
- 08 - Nissan Stadium concert, 5th Senbatsu Election, & Shinoda Mariko announces Graduation
- JUL
- 20 - Fukuoka Yahoo Auction Dome Concert
- 21 - Fukuoka Yahoo Auction Dome concert & Shinoda Mariko's Graduation
- 31 - Sapporo Dome concert & Maeda Atsuko will make an appearance, and a new unit will be announced
- AUG
- 07 - Osaka Kyocera Dome concert
- 08 - Osaka Kyocera Dome concert
- 16 - Nagoya Dome Concert
- 17 - Nagoya Dome Concert
- 21 - 32nd Single Koi Suru Fortune Cookie relased
- 22 - Tokyo Dome concert & Akimoto Sayaka's Graduation
- 23 - Tokyo Dome concert
- 24 - Tokyo Dome concert
- 25 - Tokyo Dome concert & Itano Tomomi's Graduation
- SEP
- 18 - 34th Single Senbatsu Janken Taikai