Getting to grips with the history of syntax sounds like a long and laborious task, right? In fact, you probably know a bit about it already! Ever heard of Noam Chomsky? Even if you haven't, you soon will once you've taken a look at this page. The first founding work in syntax is said to be that of Grammaire Generale, by Antoine Arnauld in 1660. Since then, there have been numerous grounbreaking theories, works and books which have all intertwined to create what we know as syntax today. This process will never stop, ideas will be constenly challeged and disproven - that's one of the things that makes studying linguistics so exciting. So, to help get your head around whats happened so far, and even hear about what's happening now, here's a timeline of the most important theories and research. If you're keen to find out more about the history of other areas of linguistics, take a look at History of Linguistics.
On this timeline you will see various boxes of information. If what you see looks interesting to you, click on the title to find out more about that topic, make sure to click on relevant links and youtube videos. Go on, have a look for yourself! At the bottom of the page is a list of terms from the timeline that you might not be aware of, so make sure to check if you don't understand anything.