CHRONOLOGY-Troubles at UK mortgage lender Northern Rock

Jan 15 (Reuters) - Embattled mortgage bank Northern Rock NRK.L faces a crucial shareholder meeting on Tuesday that could restrict its ability to sell assets and issue shares as possible nationalisation looms.

Britain's fifth-largest mortgage lender at its height became the country's highest profile casualty of the credit crunch in September. It has since borrowed about 26 billion pounds from the central bank. The following are key dates in the bank's troubles.

July 25, 2007 - Northern Rock reports half-year profit numbers and repeats earlier warnings on 2007 profit, but continues to lend aggressively.

Aug 9 - The date pinpointed by regulators and the bank itself as the date "the world changed" for Northern Rock.

-- The European Central Bank pumps a record 94.8 billion euros into Europe's money markets after BNP Paribas freezes withdrawals on funds hit by U.S. subprime market crisis.

Aug 15 - Northern Rock shares fall to a three-year low on growing concerns that credit market turmoil could hit its funding costs and scupper planned asset sales.

Aug 20 - The bank sells 465 million pounds of commercial loans, only part of the loans earmarked for sale in June.

Sept 14 - Northern Rock says the Bank of England has stepped in to provide support, triggering panic among customers and the first run on a major UK bank in over a century -- despite reassurances from regulators the lender is not bust.

-- The bank's shares crash over 30 percent.

Sept 15 - Customers besiege the bank, ignoring official reassurances.

Sept 16 - Northern Rock's chief executive, Adam Applegarth, tells customers their savings are safe.

Sept 17 - The government steps in to guarantee deposits at Northern Rock in a bid to stop the run.

Sept 18 - The Bank of England pumps an emergency 4.4 billion pounds into money markets to bring down overnight interest rates.

-- Northern Rock says the "tide has turned" after the government pledge on deposits eases the run on the bank.

Sept 25 - Under pressure from the Treasury and regulators, Northern Rock cancels its interim dividend and confirms it is in "preliminary discussions with selected parties".

Oct 9 - Northern Rock gets another lifeline as the government offers to guarantee new retail deposits.

Oct 10 - Northern Rock shares jump over 40 percent after SRM Global, a hedge fund run by former UBS trader Jon Wood, takes an interest in the bank of over 4 percent.

Oct 12 - Billionaire Richard Branson says he wants to rescue Northern Rock heading a consortium that would inject cash and stabilise the bank's finances.

Oct 19 - Bryan Sanderson replaces Matt Ridley as chairman.

Nov 16 - Adam Applegarth resigns as chief executive.

Dec 12 - Two suitors, a consortium led by Richard Branson's Virgin Group and another led by Olivant, remain in the field.

Dec 21 - Northern Rock agrees to hold an emergency investors meeting on Jan. 15 after RAB Capital and SRM Global Fund, two of its biggest investors, asked that shareholders should be able to block any move to sell more than 5 percent of its assets.

Jan 10, 2008 - Goldman Sachs, the U.S. investment bank advising Britain on Northern Rock's options, says it is seeking investors in China and the Middle East to help fund a takeover.

Jan 11 - Northern Rock sells a 2.2 billion pound ($4.3 billion) portfolio of mortgages to U.S. bank JP Morgan to help repay loans from the Bank of England.

Jan 15 - Small investors attend meeting amid growing expectations that the bank will be brought under state control.