- Pipil, Lenca and Ch'orti' cultures (Pre-Columbian era)
- New Spain (1521-1821)
- El Salvador declares independence (1821)
- First Mexican Empire (1821-1823)
- Federal Republic of Central America (1823-1841)
- Greater Republic of Central America (1895-1898)
- Military dictatorship (1931-1979)
- La Matanza (1932)
- Attempted coup d'état (1944)
- Attempted coup d'état (1972)
- Military coup d'état (1979)
- Salvadoran Civil War (1979-1992)
- Attempted coup d'état (2020)
(This post includes any nation or civilization that occupied at least a portion of El Salvador at some point. Unless specified otherwise, the dates correspond to when a nation or civilization existed, but do not necessarily correspond to occupation of El Salvador.)