| 1868 | Carl von Linde is called to the newly founded “Royal Polytechnical School in Munich” to serve as Extrordinarius on theoretical machine research. |
| 1872 | von Linde is appointed Ordinarius. |
| 1875 | Carl von Linde founds the “Laboratory for Theoretical Machine Research”. |
| 1879 | Prof. von Linde draws his attention to industrial refrigeration technology, and begins research. 28-year-old Moritz Schröter is appointed Extrordinarius at the Laboratory for Theoretical Machine Research (LTM). |
| 1886 | Moritz Schröter is appointed Ordinarius. |
| 1890 | First installations for warmth and electricity generation on campus are put in place. |
| 1908 | During Schröter’s tenure as rector (until 1911), plans for the new “Light and Power Center” and the “Laboratory for Thermal Engineering” are put into place. |
| 1912 | Name change of the “Laboratory for Theoretical Machine Research” to the “Laboratory for Thermal Engineering”. |
| 1914 | A. Loschge takes over direction of the “Light and Power Center”. |
| 1918 | Construction of the buildings and equipment for the two new institutions is completed. |
| 1920 | August Loschge attains the title and rank of Professor. |
| 1922 | Prof. Loschge is appointed to the institute for mechanical engineering. |
| 1924 | 74-year-old professor and privy councilor Schröter is given emeritus status. August Loschge takes over Schröter’s lectures on mechanical engineering. |
| 1925 | After being appointed Ordinarius for theoretical mechanical engineering, Wilhelm Nußelt begins to share the direction of the “Laboratory for Thermal Engineering” with A. Loschge, and takes over the theoretical section of the mechanical engineering lectures at the Institute. |
| 1951 | The end of the Nußelt era in the laboratory for thermal engineering, as the meanwhile broadly stretched field begins to branch off into more specific areas of study. |
| 1952 | E. Schmidt is appointed is appointed Nußelt’s successor at the institute of technical thermodynamics. Prof. Loschge is given emeritus status, and continues to run the Institute until |
| 1954 | on a provisional basis. R. Stroehlen is appointed director of the institute and laboratory for thermal engineering, as well as of the Heat Power Plant (formerly known as the “Light and Power Center”). |
| 1963 | After Prof. Stroehlen’s return to industrial work, the institute is run by provisionally for three years by H. Netz, until |
| 1966 | , when H.-J. Thomas is appointed Ordinarius of the “Institute for Steam Turbines”. |
| 1971 | The name of the institute is changed again, this time to “The Institute for Thermal Power Plants ("with Heat Power Plant")” |
| 1990 | D. Hein joins the tradition-steeped education and research center. |
| 1996 | At the urging of Prof. Hein, a Cheng-Cycle plant for combined heat and power is put into operation in Garching. |
| 1997 | The Department of Mechanical Engineering completes its move to Garching. |
| 2002 | Upon the retirement of Prof. D. Hein, the responsibility for the operation of the Heat Power Plant is appropriated to the technical operation department of the TUM. At first, the Institute is used as a research center for eco-friendly energy systems. |
| 2004 | After a brief intermission (Prof. Sattelmayer, LTD), Prof. Hein again takes over the Institute on a provisional basis, until |
| 2004 | , when, on the tenth of December, Prof. Spliethoff succeeds him as head of the Institute. As a result of the new leadership, the Institute, until that point known as the Institute for Thermal Power Plants (in the mean time "without Heat Power Plant"), changed its name once again to what it is today: “The Institute for Energy Systems”. |
