In line with the development of the social sciences into a more empirically oriented and methodologically sophisticated science, the last half century has seen a large increase in the use of cross-national survey data. One drawback of surveys, however, is that the data they generate from respondents are often isolated from their context and thus potentially misleading (or at least uninformative) about material facts. As a result, individual behaviour and attitudes are described and analysed as if the individuals concerned were living in a society without history, geography, social relationships, social and institutional structures and social and political events. From the start of the European Social Survey (ESS), the need was recognised for a context and event data inventory to provide the necessary background information when analysing survey data. This paper presents an overview of what has been done so far – with examples from different rounds of the ESS – and of the plans for the future.