The cerebellum is a highly conserved structure in the central nervous system of vertebrates, and is involved in the coordination of voluntary motor behavior. Supporting this function, the cerebellar cortex presents a layered structure which requires precise spatial and temporal coordination of proliferation, migration, differentiation, and apoptosis events. The formation of the layered structure in the developing cerebellum remains unclear. The present study investigated the development of the cerebellar cortex. The results demonstrate that the primordium of the cerebellum comprises the ependymal, mantle, and marginal layers at embryonic day 12 (E12). Subsequently, the laminated cerebellar cortex undergoes cell proliferation, differentiation, and migration, and at about postnatal day 0 (P0), the cerebellar cortex presents an external granular layer, a molecular layer, a Purkinje layer, and an internal granular layer. The external granular layer is thickest at P6/7 and disappears at P20. From P0 to P30, the internal granular cells and the Purkinje cells gradually differentiate and develop until maturity. Apoptotic neurons are evident in the layered structure in the developing cerebellar cortex. The external granular layer disappears gradually because of cell migration and apoptosis. The cells of the other layers primarily undergo differentiation, development, and apoptosis.