Timeline of Icelandic history

This is a timeline of Icelandic history, comprising important legal and territorial changes and political events in Iceland and its predecessor states. To read about the background to these events, see history of Iceland.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by expanding it with reliably sourced entries.

9th century

Year	Event
860	Naddoðr discovers Iceland. He was heading to the Faroe Islands but drifted off course and landed near Reyðarfjörður in Iceland. As he returned to his boat it started to snow and thereby he reputedly named the land Snæland (lit. Snowland).^{[citation needed]}
860	Garðarr Svavarsson discovers Iceland. Blown from a storm near the Orkney Islands. He circumnavigated Iceland, thus the first to establish that the landmass was an island. He stayed for one winter in Skjálfandi. He praised the new land and called it Garðarshólmi (lit. Garðar's Islet).^{[citation needed]}
< 870	Hrafna-Flóki Vilgerðarson becomes the first Scandinavian to deliberately sail to Iceland as news of a country in the west reached Norway.^[1]^[2] When Hrafna-Flóki climbed a mountain in Vatnsfjörður he spotted drift ice in a fjord that inspired the name of the country, Ísland (lit. Iceland).^[3]
874	Ingólfr Arnarson becomes the first permanent Nordic settler of Iceland.^[4] The settlement of Iceland begins.^[5]

10th century

Year	Event
930	The Icelandic Commonwealth is founded with the establishment of the Icelandic parliament (Althing), which had legislative and judicial power,^[6] but no executive power was present in the country.^[7]

11th century

Year	Event
1000	The Christianisation of Iceland is initiated due to pressure from the King of Norway.^[8]
> 1000	The Fifth Court is established as an appellate court for the Quarter Courts of Iceland.^[9]
1056	Ísleifur Gissurarson becomes the first bishop of Skálholt.^[10]
1096	A tithe is instigated by the church authorities.^[11]

12th century

Year	Event
1104	The volcano Hekla erupts resulting in the devastation of Þjórsárdalur.^[12]
1106	Jón Ögmundsson becomes the first Bishop of Hólar.^[13]
1117	Slavery is abolished in Iceland.^[14]
1112	Þingeyrar Cloister is founded as the first cloister in Iceland. Jón Ögmundsson, Bishop of Hólar, founded the cloister in 1112 but it was not formally established until 1133.^[15]
1122	Ari Þorgilsson begins to write the historical work Book of Icelanders.^[16]

13th century

Year	Date	Event
1208	9 September	The Battle of Víðines takes place. Kolbeinn Tumason is mortally wounded.^[17]
1238	21 August	The Battle of Örlygsstaðir takes place.^[18] Sturla Sighvatsson and Sighvatr Sturluson are killed.^[19]
1244	25 June	The Battle of the Gulf takes place.^[20]
1246	19 April	The Battle of Haugsnes takes place.^[21]
1253	22 October	The Flugumýri Arson takes place.^[22]
1258	Unknown	Gissur Þorvaldsson is appointed Jarl of Iceland by the King of Norway. The appointment aimed to further solidify the king's control over Iceland which was still independent. Gissur Þorvaldsson was also given domain over Southern farthing, Northern farthing and Borgarfjörður which had previously been seceded to the king by their respective chieftains.^[23]
1262	Unknown	The Old Covenant is delivered to Iceland. The agreement made Icelanders subjects of the King of Norway and gave Icelanders and Norwegians equal rights in each other's countries. It received its first signatures in 1262 and went into effect in 1264 after receiving its final signatures.^[24]

14th century

Year	Date	Event
1397	17 June	The Kalmar Union is established. The kingdoms of Denmark, Norway, Sweden and their respective dependencies joined in a personal union.^[25]

15th century

Year	Event
1402	The Black Death hits Iceland for the first time. It is estimated that half of the population died in the years 1402–1404.^[26]
1433	Jöns Gerekesson, bishop of Skálholt, is killed.^[27]
1494	The Black Death hits Iceland for the second time. It is estimated that half of the population died in the years 1494–1495.^[26]

16th century

Year	Date	Event
1501		English merchants plunder Bessastaðir.^{[citation needed]}
1513		Leiðarhólmsskrá.^{[citation needed]}
1522		Sveinsstaðafundur.^{[citation needed]}
1539		Gissur Einarsson is made bishop.^{[citation needed]}
1541		The Skálholt see turns Lutheran.^{[citation needed]}
1550		Bishop Jón Arason and his sons are beheaded in Skálholt.^{[citation needed]}
1551		The Hólar see turns Lutheran.^{[citation needed]}
1559		The English are driven from Vestmannaeyjar.^{[citation needed]}
1571		Guðbrandur Þorláksson becomes bishop of Hólar.^{[citation needed]}
1584		Guðbrandsbiblía, the first Icelandic bible, is published.^{[citation needed]}

17th century

Year	Date	Event
1602		The King of Denmark grants Danish merchants monopoly on trade with Iceland.^{[citation needed]}
1615		The Slaying of the Spaniards take place.^{[citation needed]}
1625		The first person is burnt alive for witchcraft.^{[citation needed]}
1627		The Turkish Abductions occur. Hundreds of Icelanders are kidnapped by Muslim raiders.^{[citation needed]}
1639		Brynjólfur Sveinsson becomes bishop of Skálholt.^{[citation needed]}
1656		Kirkjuból witch trial.^{[citation needed]}
1656		The Flateyjarbók manuscript is sent to Denmark.^{[citation needed]}
1662		Icelanders are made to accept the absolute monarchy of the King of Denmark.^{[citation needed]}
1666		The Passion Psalms are composed by Hallgrímur Pétursson.^{[citation needed]}

18th century

Year	Date	Event
1703		First Icelandic census.^{[citation needed]}
1707		The Bubonic plague spreads in Iceland. A quarter of the population dies.^{[citation needed]}
1712		Jarðabók is completed.^{[citation needed]}
1720		The manuscripts of Árni Magnússon are moved to Denmark.^{[citation needed]}
1760		Icelanders start exporting salted fish to Spain.^{[citation needed]}
1783		The Mist Hardships occur. A volcanic eruption at Laki destroys a great deal of the livestock in Iceland, causing famine and misery.^{[citation needed]}
1787		Danish trade monopoly ceases.^{[citation needed]}
1800	6 June	The Parliament is abolished.^{[citation needed]}

19th century

Year	Date	Event
1801		The bishoprics of Skálholt and Hólar are united, located in Reykjavík.^{[citation needed]}
1805		The Bessastaðaskóli is founded.^{[citation needed]}
1807		Trade with Iceland all but disappears due to the Napoleonic Wars.^{[citation needed]}
1809		Jørgen Jørgensen seizes power in Iceland and declares independence, but is deposed by the Danes shortly afterwards.^{[citation needed]}
1835		The first copy of Fjölnir is published.^{[citation needed]}
1841		Jón Sigurðsson starts publishing New Associated Writings.^{[citation needed]}
1843	8 March	The King of Denmark orders the Althing to be resurrected.^{[citation needed]}
1845	1 July	The Althing is resurrected, and the house of the Menntaskóli í Reykjavík is opened.^{[citation needed]}
1851		National Assembly of 1851.^{[citation needed]}
1855		The Danes grant Icelanders free trade.^{[citation needed]}
1871		The Danish Parliament passes the Stöðulög laws.^{[citation needed]}
1874		The King of Denmark visits Iceland and grants Icelanders a constitution. 1000 years of settlement celebrated throughout the country.^{[citation needed]}
1875		First session of the restored Althing which has the power to pass laws. The Askja volcano erupts.^{[citation needed]}
1880		The climate grows much colder, driving many Icelanders to emigrate to the New World.^{[citation needed]}

20th century

Year	Date	Event
1915		Universal suffrage.^{[citation needed]}
1916		The political parties Social Democratic Party and Progressive Party are founded.^{[citation needed]}
1918	1 December	Iceland becomes a sovereign, independent nation. The Danish King remains head of state.^{[citation needed]}
1922		Jarðræktarlögin.^{[citation needed]}
1929		The Icelandic Independence Party is founded.^{[citation needed]}
1930	20 December	The Icelandic Communist Party is founded. The Icelandic State Radio begins broadcasting.^{[citation needed]}
1939		Following the occupation of Denmark by Nazi Germany, a national emergency government is formed under Sveinn Björnsson.^{[citation needed]}
1940	10 May	The British invade, violating Icelandic neutrality.^{[citation needed]}
1941	7 July	The United States Army, still officially neutral, replaces the British occupation force.^{[citation needed]}
1944	17 June	Iceland becomes an independent republic, severing the last political ties to Denmark. Sveinn Björnsson becomes president.^{[citation needed]}
1946		The Keflavik Agreement.^{[citation needed]}
1948		Iceland receives Marshall Aid from the United States.^{[citation needed]}
1949	30 March	Riots break out on Austurvöllur.^{[citation needed]}
1949	4 April	Iceland joins the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.^{[citation needed]}
1951		The United States Army establishes a base in Keflavík.^{[citation needed]}
1952	1 August	Exclusive economic zone extended to 4 nautical miles. Ásgeir Ásgeirsson becomes president.^{[citation needed]}
1958		Exclusive economic zone extended to 12 nautical miles.^{[citation needed]}
1963	14 November	Volcanic eruption forms Surtsey.^{[citation needed]}
1966	30 September	The Icelandic State Television begins its first broadcasts.^{[citation needed]}
1968	1 August	Kristján Eldjárn becomes president. Collapse in the fishing industry.^{[citation needed]}
1970	1 January	Iceland joins the European Free Trade Association.^{[citation needed]}
1972		Exclusive economic zone extended to 50 nautical miles.^{[citation needed]}
1973	23 January	Volcanic eruption in Vestmannaeyjar.^{[citation needed]}
1975		Exclusive economic zone extended to 200 nautical miles.^{[citation needed]}
1980	1 August	Vigdís Finnbogadóttir becomes president of Iceland, the first woman in the world to become elected head of state.^{[citation needed]}
1994	1 January	Iceland joins the European Economic Area.^{[citation needed]}
1996	1 August	Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson becomes president.^{[citation needed]}

21st century

Year	Date	Event
2000	17 June	Southern Iceland gets hit by two earthquakes, the prior 6.6 M_L and the latter 6.5 M_L. There were no fatalities but a few people were injured and there was some considerable damage to infrastructure. (to 21 June)
2004	2 June	The president of Iceland, Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, refuses to sign a bill from the parliament for the first time in the nation's history.^{[citation needed]}
2005	23 March	Bobby Fischer moves to Iceland after having been granted an Icelandic passport and full citizenship.^{[citation needed]}
2006	30 September	The United States Army abandons the military base in Keflavík, thus ending a 55-year U.S. military presence in Iceland.^{[citation needed]}
2008	29 May	A doublet earthquake strikes southern Iceland with a composite magnitude of 6.1M_W^[28]
2008	September	Iceland faces financial crisis following the collapse of the country's 3 major commercial banks.^{[citation needed]}
2009	26 January	After months of rallies outside the parliament building the Icelandic government resigns.^{[citation needed]}
	1 February	After the collapse of the Icelandic government, Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir becomes the first female Prime Minister of Iceland and the world's first openly gay head of government of the modern era.^{[citation needed]}
	16 July	The parliament narrowly passes a bill authorising the government to apply for EU membership.^{[citation needed]}
2010	5 January	The president of Iceland, Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, refuses to sign a bill from the parliament for the second time in the nation's history.^{[citation needed]}
2010	20 March	Volcanic eruption of Eyjafjallajökull.^{[citation needed]}
2011	20 February	The president of Iceland, Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, refuses to sign a bill from the parliament for the third time in the nation's history.^{[citation needed]}
2011	21 May	Volcanic eruption of Grímsvötn.^{[citation needed]}
2016	4 April	Panama Papers revealed that Prime Minister Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson had links to private companies dealing in offshore tax havens resulting in a call for a "snap election" ^[29]

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References

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v t e Years in Iceland (1944–present)
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979
1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969
1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959
1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949

Timeline of Icelandic history

Contents

9th century

10th century

11th century

12th century

13th century

14th century

15th century

16th century

17th century

18th century

19th century

20th century

21st century

See also

References

Further reading

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