1877 : AMU started out as Mohammaden Anglo Oriental College, Aligarh by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan.
1920 : It became Aligarh Muslim University by an act of Indian Legislative Council.
1968 : Supreme Court in Azeez Basha Vs. Union of India case gave judgement that AMU as a University was established by the an Act of Parliament and not by the Muslims of India thereby stripping its minority status.
1981 : AMU amendment Act passed restoring the minority status of the University. "the educational institution of their choice established by the Muslims of India."
2005 : Allahabad High Court declared AMU amendment act unconstitutional thus in its opinion AMU is not a minority institution.
1. Saherbzada Aftab Ahmad Khan 16/02/24 - 15/11/1926
2. Syed Ross Masud 25/01/1930 - /11/1933
3. Dr. Ziauddin Ahmad 18/11/1935 - 25/01/1938
4. Shah Mohd. Sulaiman 30/12/1938 - 08/12/1940
5. Dr. Zakir Husain November 1948 - September 1956
6. Col. Bashir Husnain Zaidi October 1956 - November 1962
7. Badruddin Tayabji November 1962 - Febuary 1962
8. Nawab Ali Yawar Jung March 1965 - January 1968
9. Prof. Abdul Aleem Jamuary 1968 - January 1974
10. Prof. A. M. Khusro January 1974 -December 1978
11. Syed Hamid June 1980 - April 1985
12. Syed Hashim Ali April 1985 - October 1989
13. Prof. Mohd Naseem Faroqui October 1990 - December 1994
14. Dr. Mahmoodur Rahman May 1995 - May 2000
15. Mohd. Hamid Ansari 28th May 2000 - March 31, 2002
16. Mr. Naseem Ahmad 8th May 2002 - 7 April 2007
17. Dr. P.K. Abdul Aziz June 2007 - present
[submitted by Majid Siddiqui; Reference: Maqbool Mahmood (Alig) Urdu Book " Yeh Khulde Barin Armanon Ka" published in 2003]