| 9th Century |
825: Dicuil, an Irish Monk refers to fellow monks who spent the summer on an island which they referred to as Thule, far to the north.
874: Ingólfur Arnarson becomes the first man to settle permanently in Iceland
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| 10th Century |
930: Alþingi founded
985-986: Icelandic explorers find Greenland
1000: Christianity is adopted by the decision of Þorgeir Ljósvetningagoði
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| 11th Century |
~1015: The Fimmtardómur court is established
1085: Ísleifur Gissurarson becomes the first bishop of Iceland
~1096: A tithe is instigated by the church authorities
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| 12th Century |
1104: An eruption of the volcano Hekla destroys a settlement in Þjórsárdalur
1106: Jón Ögmundsson is made the second of bishop of Iceland, in Hólar
1122-1133: A cloister is founded in Þingeyri. Ari Þorgilsson writes Íslendingabók.
1197: Jón Loftsson, the most powerful chieftain in Iceland, dies.
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| 13th Century |
1208: Kolbeinn Tumason dies at the hands of bishop Guðmundur Arason's men in The Battle of Víðines
1238: The Battle of Örlygsstaðir
1241: Snorri Sturluson is murdered.
1244: Flóabardagi - Iceland's largest domestic naval battle
1253: Flugumýrarbrenna, a failed attempt to murder Gissur Þorvaldsson, Jarl of Iceland.
1262: The signing of Old Covenant (Icelandic: Gamli sáttmáli) leads to Icelanders become subjects of the King of Norway.
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| 14th Century |
1308: The jarldom of Iceland is abolished
1357: The first Icelandic bishop with Papal authority
1361: Smiður Andrésson and Jón Skráveifa killed in Grund
1362: A volcanic eruption in Öræfajökull destroys Litlahérað
1375: The Skálholt Agreement
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| 15th Century |
1402-1404: The Great Plague
1412: The English start fishing near the coasts of Iceland
1419: Icelanders demand that the king grant them freedom to engage in trade as they wish
1433: Jón Gerreksson, bishop of Skálholt is drowned in Brúará
1446: Bishop Guðmundur Arason is stripped of his property and honour
1450: Langaréttarbót
1467: Björn Þorleifsson is murdered by the English in Rif
1474: Miklabæjarrán
1491: Píningsdómur
1494-1495: The second Plague
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| 16th Century |
1501: English merchants plunder Bessastaðir
1513: Leiðarhólmsskrá
1522: Sveinsstaðafundur
1539: Gissur Einarsson is made bishop
1541: The Skálholt see turns Lutheran
1550: Bishop Jón Arason and his sons are beheaded in Skálholt
1551: The Hólar see turns Lutheran
1559: The English are driven from Vestmannaeyjar
1571: Guðbrandur Þorláksson becomes bishop of Hólar
1584: Guðbrandsbiblía, the first Icelandic bible, is published
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| 17th Century |
1602: The king of Denmark grants Danish merchants monopoly on trade with Iceland
1615: Spánverjavígin
1625: The first person is burnt alive for witchcraft
1627: Tyrkjaránið (The Turkish Abductions): several hundred Icelanders are kidnapped by Muslim raiders
1639: Brynjólfur Sveinsson becomes bishop of Skálholt
1656: Kirkjuból witch trial
1656: The Flateyjarbók manuscript is sent to Denmark
1662: Icelanders are made to accept the absolute monarchy of the King of Denmark
1666: The Passion Psalms are composed by Hallgrímur Pétursson.
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| 18th Century |
1703: First Icelandic census
1707: The bubonic plague spreads in Iceland. A quarter of the population dies.
1712: Jarðabók is completed
1720: The manuscripts of Árni Magnússon are moved to Denmark
~1760: Icelanders start exporting salted fish to Spain
1783-1785: Móðuharðindin - a volcanic eruption destroys a great deal of the livestock in Iceland, causing famine and misery
1787: Danish trade monopoly ceases
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| 19th Century |
1800: The Althing is abolished
1801: The bishoprics of Skálholt and Hólar are united, located in Reykjavík
1805: The Bessastaðaskóli is founded
1807-1815: Trade with Iceland all but disappears due to the Napoleonic Wars
1809: Jørgen Jørgensen (Jörundur hundadagakonungur) seizes power in Iceland and declares independence, but is deposed by the Danes shortly afterwards
1811: Jón Sigurðsson is born
1835: The first copy of Fjölnir is published
1841: Jón Sigurðsson starts publishing New Associated Writings (Ný félagsrit)
1845: The Althing is resurrected, and the house of the Learned school of Reykjavík is opened. Jónas Hallgrímsson dies.
1851: Þjóðfundurinn
1855: The Danes grant Icelanders free trade
1871: The Danish Parliament passes the Stöðulög laws
1874: The King of Denmark visits Iceland and grants Icelanders a constitution. 1000 years of settlement celebrated throughout the country.
1875: First session of the restored Althing which has the power to pass laws. The Askja volcano erupts.
1879: Jón Sigurðsson dies.
1880-1890: The climate grows much colder, driving many Icelanders to emigrate to the New World.
1885: Icelanders start demanding a review of the constitution from the Danes
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| 20th Century |
1915: Universal suffrage
1916: The political parties Alþýðuflokkurinn and Framsóknarflokkurinn are founded
1918: Iceland becomes a sovereign, independent nation. The Danish King remains head of state.
1922: Jarðræktarlögin
1929: The Independence Party (Sjálfstæðisflokkurinn) is founded
1930: The Icelandic Communist Party is founded. The Icelandic State Radio (Ríkisútvarpið) begins broadcasting
1939: Following the occupation of Denmark by Nazi Germany, a national emergency government is formed under Sveinn Björnsson
1940: The British invade, violating Icelandic neutrality
1941: The United States Army replaces the British occupation force
1944: Iceland becomes an independent republic, severing the last political ties to Denmark
1946: The Keflavik Agreement
1948: Iceland receives Marshall Aid from the United States
1949: Iceland joins the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
1951: The United States Army establishes a base in Keflavík
1952: Fishing limits extended to 4 miles. Ásgeir Ásgeirsson becomes president
1958: Fishing limits extended to 12 miles
1963: Volcanic eruption forms Surtsey
1966: The Icelandic State Television (Ríkissjónvarpið) begins its first broadcasts
1968: Kristján Eldjárn becomes president. Collapse in the fishing industry
1970: Iceland joins the European Free Trade Association
1972: Fishing limits extended to 50 miles
1973: Volcanic eruption in the Westman Islands
1975: Fishing limits extended to 200 miles
1980: Vigdís Finnbogadóttir becomes president of Iceland, the first woman in the world to become elected head of state
1994: Iceland joins the European Economic Area
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| 21st Century |
2006: The United States Army abandons the military base in Keflavík, thus ending a 55-year U.S. military presence in Iceland
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