June 20, 1984, the National Assembly unanimously adopts the 
Act respecting the Ordre national du Québec which, historic differences aside, is intended to promote good citizenship and bring Quebeckers together.
April 3, 1985, the motto of the Ordre national du Québec “Homage to the people of Québec” is solemnly proclaimed.
June 26, 1985, the first insignia awards ceremony is held in the National Assembly under the leadership of Premier René Lévesque. Many great Quebeckers are honoured, including Pierre Dansereau, Armand Frappier, Fernand Seguin, Paul-Émile Léger, Félix Leclerc, Gilles Vigneault, Maurice Richard, Françoise Gaudet-Smet, Marie-Claire Kirkland, Ludmilla Chiriaeff, Anne Claire Poirier, Jean-Paul Nolet, Alan B. Gold et John Peters Humphrey.
On February 5, 1986, Premier Robert Bourassa has Cabinet adopt a decree endorsing his decision to award the Ordre, for the first time, to foreign personalities: two former prime ministers of France, Raymond Barre and Pierre Mauroy, as well as then French Prime Minister, Laurent Fabius. Two weeks later, the ceremony to present the insignia to the three men was held in Paris, on the occasion of the first-ever Sommet de la Francophonie.
June 22, 1995, the Ordre celebrates its 10th anniversary brilliantly under the government of Jacques Parizeau.
October 28, 2003, the Ordre now has more than 500 members.
June 18, 2008, Premier Jean Charest publicly announces the feminization (French) of the Ordre’s three ranks. That same day, former premiers René Lévesque and Robert Bourassa are posthumously declared Grand Officers of the Ordre during the annual insignia awards ceremony.
June 19, 2008, five other past premiers (Pierre Marc Johnson, Daniel Johnson Jr., Jacques Parizeau, Lucien Bouchard and Bernard Landry) are inducted into the Ordre as Grand Officers in a special ceremony.
June 15, 2009, the Ordre receives the letters patent from the Chief Herald of Canada conferring official status on the flag of the Ordre. Two days later, the flag is raised on Grande Allée Street in Québec City, near the Parliament Building.
October 7, 2010, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Ordre, the monument of the Ordre is inaugurated in the presence of Premier Jean Charest and many prominent individuals.
In the fall of 2013, the Regulation respecting insignia of the Ordre national du Québec is amended to officially denote the equality of men and women. Women named Officer or Grand Officer would subsequently be presented with the same insignia as their male counterparts.
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