Timeline: North Korea and the Sony Pictures hack

The cyberattack on Sony Pictures Entertainment by a group calling themselves the Guardians of Peace resulted in a canceled movie release (at least for a little while), leaked personal information, apologies from Hollywood executives caught in embarrassing e-mail conversations and, ultimately, word from U.S. officials that North Korea was behind it all.

Here's a timeline of key moments:

Nov. 24 — Sony Pictures Entertainment is hacked. Employees are locked out of their computer network and glowing, red skeletons appear on their screens. An accompanying message says they've been "Hacked by #GOP" and all of their internal data have been obtained and can be shared. In the days that follow, personal information, e-mails and unreleased movies like Still Alice,Annie and To Write Love on Her Arms are leaked online.

Some speculate that North Korea is behind the attack because Sony's upcoming comedy The Interview, starring Seth Rogen and James Franco, is about an assassination attempt on Kim Jong Un.

Dec. 1 — The Federal Bureau of Investigation confirms it is investigating the attack. Investigators are considering whether North Korea may be linked to the incident, according to a federal law enforcement official.

Dec. 3 — An unnamed North Korean diplomat denies the country's involvement in the hack in an interview with Voice of America.

Dec. 7 — Korean Central News Agency, a state-run outlet, calls the hacking a "righteous deed" but calls reports of North Korea's involvement a "wild rumor."

Dec. 11 —The Interview's West Coast premiere takes place in Los Angeles. The red carpet at the Ace Hotel is open to photographers but closed to broadcast and print reporters.

Producer Scott Rudin and Sony Pictures entertainment chief Amy Pascal apologize for comments they made in leaked e-mails. In leaked communication, Rudin called actor Angelina Jolie a "minimally talented spoiled brat" and Rudin and Pascal exchanged e-mails that implied that because President Obama is black he would be inclined to like movies with black actors.

Dec. 13 — A screenplay for SPECTRE, the new James Bond movie, was one of the items obtained by the hackers. Producers are concerned it may be published by third parties online and issue a statement saying the movie is protected by copyright around the world.

Dec. 15 — Sony CEO Michael Lynton apologizes to employees for the "criminal attack" they are experiencing in two town-hall-style meetings.

Two former Sony Pictures employees file class-action lawsuits saying Sony ignored concerns that their computer system was weak and left them open to attack.

Dec. 16 — The Guardians of Peace posts a message threatening 9/11-type attacks on theaters that screen The Interview. Following the threat, a number of major theater companies announce they will no longer show the film. The East Coast premiere of the comedy is canceled. The Department of Homeland Security says it has no credible intelligence there's an active plot against theaters.

Dec. 17 — Sony announces it will no longer be releasing The Interview on Christmas Day.

Dec. 17 — A U.S. official says that North Korea was responsible for hacking Sony Pictures. The company says it has no plans to release the film on any platform.

Dec. 19 — The FBI confirms that North Korea was behind the Sony hack. At a year-end news conference, President Obama says he thought Sony "made a mistake" in pulling the release of The Interview.

Dec. 21 — Sony lawyer David Boies says the studio will release the film in an interview on Meet the Press, but does not give details.

Dec. 22 — North Korea experiences an Internet outage for almost 10 hours. Connectivity issues continue for several more days.

Dec. 23 — Sony confirms a limited release of The Interview. The Alamo Drafthouse and Plaza Atlanta are among theaters that will show the film. Seth Rogen and James Franco celebrate on Twitter.

Dec. 24 — Google Play, YouTube Movies, Microsoft's Xbox Video and the website www.seetheinterview.com stream The Interview for $5.99 starting at 10 p.m.

Dec. 25 — The Interview is released at 330 independent theaters across the country.

Dec. 27 — North Korea continues to deny involvement in the Sony hack. In a statement, an unidentified government spokesman uses racist language about President Obama and accuses the U.S. of disrupting North Korea's Internet connection.

Jan. 2 — President Obama signs an executive order imposing increased sanctions on North Korea in response to the Sony hack. The sanctions are broadly written and allow the Treasury Department to block any North Korean official or agent from accessing its assets or entering the United States. White House press secretary Josh Earnest calls the sanctions "the first aspect of our response."

Jan. 4 — In a statement aired on North Korea's state-run news agency, a spokesman for North Korea's foreign ministry says the increased sanctions have not weakened the government.

Contributing: The Associated Press

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