Fleeing U.S. intelligence whistleblower Edward Snowden left Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport Thursday after Russia granted him refugee status.

Following is a chronology of the 30-year-old American's runaway journey.

-- On May 20, Snowden left Hawaii for Hong Kong.

-- On June 10, The Guardian, the first newspaper to disclose the U.S. government's secret surveillance programs following a video interview with Snowden, published his identity at his request.

-- On June 21, the Washington Post reported U.S. prosecutors had filed a sealed criminal complaint charging Snowden with espionage, theft and unauthorized communication of national defense and intelligence information, and asked Hong Kong to detain him on a provisional arrest warrant.

-- On June 23, Snowden arrived in Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport from Hong Kong.

-- On June 23, Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino Aroca said on his Twitter account the Ecuadorian government had received an asylum request from Snowden.

-- On June 24, Patino told a press conference in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi that Ecuador was reviewing the asylum request from Edward Snowden.

-- On June 24, local media said Snowden was expected to leave Moscow for Cuba, but minutes after the jet bridge of a Moscow-Havana flight disembarked, journalists dashing to seat 17A were disappointed to find he was not there.

-- On June 24, the White House said it expected Russia to look at the options available to expel Snowden back to the United States.

-- On June 25, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov dismissed the U.S. extradition demand of Snowden as "groundless and unacceptable." He said Snowden had not crossed the border into Russia.

-- On June 25, visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin said in Helsinki Snowden was still in the transit area at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport.

-- On June 25, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said he would consider an asylum request from Snowden if Venezuela received one.

-- On June 26, Patino said in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur there would be no quick decision from the Ecuadorian government on whether to grant asylum status to Snowden.

-- On June 27, Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa defended his government's decision to consider the asylum request made by Snowden.

-- On June 28, Russia's presidential human rights envoy Vladimir Lukin said Moscow was not obliged to grant political asylum to Snowden.

-- On June 30, Russia's presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Snowden's future was not yet on the Kremlin's agenda.

-- On July 1, Russia's Foreign Minstry said Snowden had asked for political asylum in Russia. But the Kremlin made no comment on the latest developments.

-- On July 2, The Norwegian government said it had received an asylum application from Snowden but would reject it under Norwegian law.

-- On July 2, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Snowden no longer intended to seek political asylum in Russia.

-- On July 2, India turned down Snowden's asylum request.

-- On July 2, the Austrian interior ministry confirmed Snowden had made an asylum application, but government leaders had declared it "invalid."

-- On July 2, Brazil confirmed it received an asylum request from Snowden, but said it had no plans to respond.

-- On July 2, Bolivian Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca denied rumors Snowden was aboard the Bolivian president's plane flying out of Europe.

-- On July 4, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Moscow would not influence Snowden's case because he had not appealed for political asylum in Russia

-- On July 4, French Interior Minister Manuel Valls said France had refused to grant Snowden's request for political asylum in Paris.

-- On July 5, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega said his government would be willing to grant political asylum to Snowden "if conditions permit."

-- On July 6, Bolivian President Evo Morales said his country would offer humanitarian asylum to Snowden.

-- On July 9, Alexei Pushkov, head of the international affairs committee in the Russian lower house of parliament, said on Twitter Snowden had agreed to seek political asylum in Venezuela.

-- On July 9, Brazil said it had no intention of granting him asylum.

-- On July 12, Snowden met Russian human rights activists and lawyers at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport.

-- On July 12, Vyacheslav Nikonov, a member of the State Duma said Snowden planned to apply for political asylum in Russia

-- On July 12, the United States reiterated its call for Russia to hand over Snowden to face espionage charges.

-- On July 12, U.S. President Barack Obama discussed the status of Snowden with Putin hours after Snowden made clear his intention to seek political asylum in Russia.

-- On July 15, Putin said Snowden would leave Russia when the opportunity emerged.

-- On July 16, lawyer Anatoly Kucherena said Snowden had filed an official request for temporary asylum in Russia.

-- On July 16, White House Spokesman Jay Carney said Snowden should be expelled and returned to the U.S. to face espionage charges.

-- On July 26, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia would not hand over Snowden to his home country.

-- On July 27, Russia's Justice Ministry said in a statement Russian laws did not limit the time Snowden could stay in the transit zone at Sheremetyevo airport.

-- On Aug. 1, Kucherena said Snowden had received temporary asylum in Russia for one year and had moved to a safe place.