History of Iceland

History of Iceland

Key Dates

• Early 9th century: The uninhabited island is discovered by Irish monks, though it is highly likely that it was previously known to some sailors and even the Greek explorer Pytheas in the 4th century BCE.

• 874: Beginning of Viking settlement around present-day Reykjavik.

• 930: Creation of a national parliament, the Althing, and of the Icelandic Commonwealth, which lasted until 1262 when the island came under Norwegian rule. The period from the 10th to the 13th century is also the era of the Icelandic sagas.

• 985: Exiled from Iceland, Erik the Red founds a colony in Greenland, from where his son later sets out and discovers America (the "Vinland" in Newfoundland).

• 1000: Christianity becomes the official religion by decision of the Althing.

• 1262: After decades of internal strife and civil war, the island comes under Norwegian domination.

• 1380: Following the union of the Norwegian monarchy with that of Denmark, Iceland becomes a Danish province.

• 15th–18th centuries: Harsh living conditions, famine, epidemics, and pirate raids along the coasts make the island one of the poorest lands in Europe.

• 1550: Under Danish influence, Iceland becomes Lutheran.

• 1800: The Althing parliament is abolished by the Danes.

• 1814: After the Napoleonic Wars, Denmark and Norway become separate kingdoms again. Iceland, however, remains a Danish dependency.

• 1830–1840: The beginning of a nationalist movement and a struggle to restore the Althing.

• 1874: Following a visit by the King of Denmark, Iceland gains its own constitution and currency. It is also during this period that, driven by poverty and a cooling climate, many Icelanders emigrate to the United States and Canada.

• 1904: A statute of autonomy is granted to the territory.

• 1918: Iceland gains independence but remains under Danish oversight.

• 1940: To protect it from a potential German invasion, the British and later the Americans occupy the island.

• 1944: Proclamation of full independence from Denmark and the creation of the Republic of Iceland.

• 1945–1970: Economic growth in the country (thanks in part to fishing and the Marshall Plan), which joins various international organizations (NATO, OECD, etc.). Starting in 1951, a U.S. base, including what was then Keflavík International Airport, is established on the island.

• 1980: Vigdís Finnbogadóttir becomes the first woman in the world elected president of a republic.

• 1992: Iceland joins the European Economic Area, ensuring the free movement of goods, services, capital, and people among its members.

• 2006: After 55 years of military presence, the U.S. military leaves the NATO airbase at Keflavík.

• 2008: In the context of the global economic crisis of 2007–2009, Iceland also experiences a severe economic crisis that brings it to the brink of bankruptcy and leads to a 50% devaluation of its national currency.

• 2009: Iceland applies for membership in the European Union.

• 2011: Three years after the start of the economic crisis and following the "Icelandic Revolution", the country gradually recovers thanks to strong measures in the national interest rather than those of international financial or political institutions. It is also in 2011, with the new constitution, that Icelandic becomes the official language of the country.

• 2015: Iceland withdraws its application for European Union membership, which could otherwise have significantly harmed its economy, particularly by imposing fishing quotas.