Short answers, pulled from the story.
Refugees fleeing the destruction of Epidaurum by Slavic incursions and Avar raids established Dubrovnik in the 7th century on a rocky island called Lausa. This settlement was created to serve as a strategic station halfway between the Greek cities of Budva and Korčula to facilitate trade and communication across the Adriatic.
Dubrovnik operated as a free state known as the Republic of Ragusa between the 14th and 19th centuries. The Republic achieved maritime power rivaling Venice through diplomatic neutrality and a massive fleet of merchant ships known as argosies that traveled to India, America, and the Black Sea.
A massive earthquake struck Dubrovnik on the 16th of April 1667 and killed over 5,000 citizens. This disaster leveled most of the public buildings and destroyed the majority of the city's Renaissance architecture.
French forces under General Jacques Lauriston occupied Dubrovnik on the 27th of May 1806 and seized it permanently in the name of Napoleon. The Republic was officially abolished in 1808 and incorporated into the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy.
The Yugoslav People's Army besieged Dubrovnik for seven months beginning on the 1st of October 1991. The siege resulted in 650 artillery hits that damaged 56% of the buildings and killed 114 civilians.
Dubrovnik was recognized as a World Heritage Site in 1979 for its outstanding medieval architecture and fortifications. The city is home to the oldest arboretum in the world and the third-oldest European pharmacy which has been in continuous operation since 1317.