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Iceland history (the s.c.nordic FAQ)
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Iceland history

 


Subject: 5.3 

History


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Thingvalla
Þingvellir where the Alþing was held
 

5.3.1 A chronology of important dates

circa 800
Irish explorers discover Iceland.


874
Iceland received its first inhabitants from Norway (prior to that, some Celtic colonies had existed in Iceland) as Ingólfr Arnarson arrives in Reykjavík.


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Thingvalla or Þingvellir
Where the Alþing was held

930
The Icelandic parliament, "Althing", had its first meeting. The Alþing is the oldest parliamentary system still operating in Europe.


982
Eiríkr (Eric) the Red discovers Greenland after being ordered out of Iceland by the Alþing due to manslaughter.
986
He sail away from Iceland bound for Greenland together with many families willing to settle on Greenland.


1000
Christianity adopted as the new religion. Leifr Eríksson ("Leif The lucky") discovers North America and names it Vínland.


1120-1230
The old Scandinavian sagas were written down in Iceland. Snorri Sturluson, a nobleman, historian and poet, writes (or is believed to have written) the Prose Edda and the Heimskringla.


1262
Weakened by internal struggles, Iceland becomes under Norwegian rule, maintaining, however, substantial autonomy. This was the end of the age of Sturlungs.


1387
Norway, and with it Iceland, becomes united with Denmark.


1400s - 1700s
Pestilence, commercial exploitation, and natural catastrophes nearly wiped out the Icelandic nation. By the late 18th century its population had dropped to fewer than 40,000. A renewal began in the 19th century.


1536
Iceland becomes Lutheran. The Bible is translated into Icelandic in 1584.


1783-86
The worst volcanic eruptions in the history of Iceland occur. Grass was burned over large areas, 3/4 of cattle starved to death; one quarter of Iceland's inhabitants died of starvation.


1786
Reykjavík received trade rights.


1800
The Alþing meetings discontinued by the Danish king.


1843
With the awakening of Icelandic nationalism, the Alþing is re-established as a consultative body.


1874
Iceland gets a constitution of its own.


1904
Home rule under Denmark.


1918
Denmark recognizes Iceland as a sovereign state, but Iceland remains united with Denmark.


1940
When Denmark falls to the Nazistic Germany, Iceland is occupied by British troops to prevent a German attack.


1941
U.S. forces take over defence of Iceland from British.


1944
Iceland declares full independence at Þingvellir.


1946
Iceland joins the United Nations.


1949
Iceland joins the NATO after a long dispute, and in 1951 reluctantly allows the U.S. to maintain a naval base at Keflavík in return for U.S. defense of Iceland.


1963
An underwater volcanic eruption creates a new island, named Surtsey, off the southern Icelandic coast near the Westman Islands.


1973
The volcano Helgafell erupted on the island of Heimaey, destroying one quarter of the houses on Vestmanneyjar (the Westman Islands), one of Iceland's busiest fishing harbours. The rest were dug out of the ashes and most of the people moved back.


1975
Fishery limits extended to 200 miles. "Cod war" with Britain.


1980
Vigdís Finnbogadóttir becomes the first woman ever to be democratically elected President of a Republic. She was re-elected in 1984, 1988, and 1992.


1986
Reagan-Gorbachev Summit Meeting held in Höfði house in Reykjavík.



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© Copyright 1994-2001 by Antti Lahelma.
You are free to quote this page as long as you mention the URL.
The line of flags is modified after a picture at det Åländska skoldatanätet.
This page was last updated October the 27th in the year of 1998.

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