TIMELINE: Timeline of events in SocGen fraud case

PARIS (Reuters) - The following is a timeline of events concerning the alleged fraud at Societe Generale (SocGen) that caused $7 billion of losses at the French bank.

* 2007 - SocGen junior trader Jerome Kerviel starts building up large positions. As his losses mount he tries to cover up his positions by misappropriating the bank's computer systems.

* Nov 2007 - the Eurex derivatives exchange questions SocGen about Kerviel's trading positions. This is revealed by a Paris prosecutor on Jan 28, 2008.

* Jan 18, 2008 - SocGen shares plunge 8.2 percent in the last hour of trading, with traders and fund managers citing market speculation of huge write-downs at the bank.

* Jan 18 - The International Herald Tribune runs a report on its Web site saying that Bank of France Governor Christian Noyer has been monitoring the balance sheets of banks such as SocGen. The Bank of France later denies that Noyer ever mentioned the names of any specific banks when he made his comments.

* Jan 18 - Later that evening, a compliance officer notices a trade that has breached one of the bank's thresholds. The officer telephones another brokerage, with which SocGen had apparently made the trade, and is told that the firm has no record of any such transaction taking place.

* Jan 19/20 - On Saturday, SocGen senior executives begin investigating suspicious trades which are traced to Kerviel. The trader is hauled in and top management questions him.

* Jan 20 - Kerviel is questioned by the SocGen board.

* Jan 20 - Bouton says he informs the Governor of the Bank of France and the head of France's AMF stock market authority when he learns of the situation.