Timeline of Estonian history

This is a timeline of Estonian history, comprising important legal and territorial changes and political events in Estonia and its predecessor states. To read about the background to these events, see History of Estonia. See also the list of rulers of Estonia.

1st century

YearDateEvent
98Roman historian Tacitus writes in the book Germania about aesti tribes.

6th century

YearDateEvent
600Vikings from Gotland sail to Hiiumaa (Dagö) island and build a fortification there.
King Ingvar of Sweden invades Estonia, but is killed. His son Anund avenges his father and raids the country.

8th century

YearDateEvent
800Estonians participate in the Battle of Brávellir on the side of the Swedes and against the Danes.

10th century

YearDateEvent
967Olav Tryggvason, the future King of Norway, is captured by Estonian vikings, and sold as a slave.
972A battle between Estonian and Icelandic Vikings in Saaremaa.

11th century

YearDateEvent
1008Olaf Haraldsson, the future King of Norway, wins a battle in Saaremaa.
1030Prince Yaroslav I the Wise of Kiev defeats Chuds and founds a fort named Yuryev (modern Tartu).[1]
1061Sosols (Estonian tribe) destroy the Yuryev castle and attack Pskov.[2]

12th century

YearDateEvent
1113Prince Mstislav of Kiev wins a battle against the Chuds (Estonians or people related to Estonians).
1116Prince Mstislav of Kiev, aided by Pskov and Novgorod, makes a raid against the Chuds and conquers the Otepää stronghold.
1132Prince Vsevolod of Novgorod is defeated by Estonians of Vaiga county.
1134Prince Vsevold of Novgorod fights against the Chuds and briefly captures the fortification of Tartu (Yuryev).
1154Arab geographer Al Idrisi mentions Estonian places, also marking the foundation of Tallinn.
1165The Benedictine bishop Fulco is named Bishop of the Estonians by the Archbishop of Lund.
1170Valdemar I of Denmark fights with Curonian and Estonian pirates near Öland island.
1171Bishop Fulco makes a missionary journey to Estonia.
1177Estonians attack and burn Pskov during winter.
1187Estonians, Karelians or/and Karelians ravage the Mälaren area in Sweden, pillage town of Sigtuna, and kill the archbishop Johannes.[3]
1191Cistercian monk Theoderich, future Bishop of Estonia, makes an unsuccessful missionary journey to Estonia.
1192Prince Yaroslav Vladimirovich of Novgorod makes two raids against Estonians, burning down the Tartu and Otepää strongholds.
1193Pope Celestine III calls for a crusade against pagans in Northern Europe.
1200Bishop Albert and his crusaders capture Riga in Latvia.

13th century

YearDateEvent
1202The crusader Livonian Brothers of the Sword are founded.
1203Saaremaa islanders ravage areas of Southern Sweden, then belonging to Denmark. The returning pirates skirmish with the German settlers of Riga near the town of Visby in Gotland.
1206Valdemar II of Denmark builds a fortress in Saaremaa, but burns it down after finding no volunteers to man it.
1207The Terra Mariana ("Land of St Mary) is established as the political unit of crusaders in Livonia.
1208Sword Brothers, Letts and Livs invade Sakala and Ugandi in Southern Estonia, starting the Estonian Ancient Fight for Freedom (1208-1227).
1210Estonians besiege the Cēsis stronghold in Latvia.
Estonians defeat the Sword Brothers and Livs in the Battle of Ümera in Latvia.
Pskov and Novgorod troops besiege the Otepää stronghold.
1211Pskov troops raid Western Estonia.
SummerEstonians are defeated by Sword Brothers in the Battle of Turaida in Latvia.
Sword Brothers are defeated by Estonians in the Battle of Viljandi.
Estonians raid crusader areas in Latvia.
1212Russian troops besiege the Varbola Stronghold.
Troops from Sakala, led by Lembitu of Lehola, burn Pskov.
1213Lithuanians raid the Sakala area.
1215Sword Brothers defeat Estonians in the Battle of Lehola.
Troops from Saaremaa besiege Riga.
Troops from Sakala raid crusader areas in Latvia.
1216Pskov troops capture the Otepää stronghold.
1217FebruarySword Brothers are defeated by Estonians and Russians in the Battle of Otepää.
21 SeptemberSword Brothers, Latgalians and Livs defeat Estonians in the Battle of St. Matthew's Day, where the Estonian leader Lembitu of Lehola is killed.
121915 JuneValdemar II of Denmark conquers Tallinn in the Battle of Lindanise and builds the Toompea Castle.
12208 AugustJohn I of Sweden invades Läänemaa, but is defeated by troops from Saaremaa in the Battle of Lihula.
1221Estonians besiege Tallinn.
1222The invading Danish troops are defeated by Estonians in Saaremaa.
122329 JanuaryEstonians defeat the Sword Brothers in the Battle of Viljandi and the entire Southern Estonia is liberated.
Estonians are defeated by Sword Brothers in Ümera, Latvia.
Pskov and Novgorod troops raid most of mainland Estonia.
122415 AugustSword Brothers capture the Tartu stronghold from joint Estonian and Russian troops - mainland Estonia falls to the crusaders.
The Bishopric of Dorpat is established in Southeastern Estonia.
1227JanuarySword Brothers conquer stronghold of Muhu, and last pagan stronghold of Valjala surrenders.
1227Sword Brothers conquer Northern Estonia from Denmark.
12281 OctoberThe Bishopric of Ösel–Wiek is established in Western Estonia.
1234Pskov and Novgorod troops invade the Bishopric of Dorpat, that is forced to pay tribute for four years.
De Lode brothers in Kullamaa Parish refuse to recognize the new Bishop of Ösel-Wiek.
123622 SeptemberSword Brothers are defeated by Samogitians in the Battle of Saule. Saaremaa islanders rebel against German rule.
1237Livonian Brothers of the Sword merge into the Teutonic Order and become known as the Livonian Order, autonomous of the Teutonic Order State.
1238The Livonian Order helps restore the power of the Bishop of Ösel Wiek in Kullamaa Parish.
12425 AprilThe Livonian Order and Estonians are defeated by Novgorod in the Battle of the Ice.
126818 FebruaryPskov and Novgorod defeat the Livonian Order in the Battle of Rakvere, ending the Order's attempts to invade Russia.
127016 FebruaryLithuanians defeat the Livonian Order in the Battle of Karuse.
1285Tallinn becomes a member of the Hanseatic League.
1298A border war between the Livonian Order and the Bishopric of Ösel-Wiek.

14th century

YearDateEvent
1343St.George's Night Uprising (1343–1345) in Northwestern Estonia and Saaremaa.
1346King Valdemar IV of Denmark sells Northern Estonia to the Teutonic Order.[4]
1347The Teutonic Order gives Northern Estonia to Livonian Order.

15th century

YearDateEvent
1419The Livonian Diet is formed to solve internal disputes in Livonia.
1435The Livonian Confederation is established to solve internal disputes in Livonia.
1440The Livonian Order becomes self-governing from the Teutonic Order.
1459The Livonian Order takes its territories in Estonia under its self-government.

16th century

YearDateEvent
1525The Teutonic Order is secularized and the Livonian Order becomes de facto independent.
1558Russian forces invade Eastern Estonia, starting the Livonian War.
The Bishopric of Dorpat and several bailiwicks of the Livonian Order in Eastern Estonia surrender to Russian forces.
Tartu surrendered to Russian troops in the Livonian War
1559The Bishop of Ösel-Wiek sells his bishopric to King Frederick II of Denmark, who gives the land to his brother Duke Magnus of Holstein. Lutheranism prevails in Western Estonia.
1560Duke Magnus of Holstein takes power in the Bishopric of Ösel-Wiek.
Russian troops defeat the Livonian Order in the Battle of Härgmäe.
Russian troops capture Central Estonia from the Livonian Order.
Ivan the Terrible decimated the Livonian Order in the Battle of Ergeme.
Uprising of Wiek's peasants. (:et)
1561The Commandery of Tallinn and the nobility of other North Estonian bailiwicks of the Livonian Order swear allegiance to Sweden.
The Treaty of Vilnius gives lands of the Livonian Order in Southern Estonia and Northern Latvia to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania as the Duchy of Livonia.
6 JuneThe city council of Reval surrendered to Sweden.
1562The Livonian Order is dissolved.
The Bailiwick of Maasilinna of the former Livonian Order in Saaremaa and Hiiumaa refuses to recognize Lithuanian power.
1564The Bailiwick of Maasilinna gives itself under Danish rule.
15731 JanuaryThe Russians occupied Pärnu (Pernau) in Western Estonia and the fortress of Weissenstein (Paide).
1578Balthasar Russow publishes his cronicles about the Livonian War.
15816 SeptemberA mercenary army of Sweden under Pontus de la Gardie captured Narva from Russia.
1582By the armistice of Jam Zapolski, Dorpat together with Southern Estonia was incorporated into the state of Poland-Lithuania.

17th century

YearDateEvent
1625Swedish commander Jacob De la Gardie took Dorpat (Tartu) and Southern Estonia from Poland
1632Foundation of the University of Tartu under Swedish king Gustavus Adolphus.
164513 AugustSaaremaa (Ösel) island was ceded from Denmark to Sweden by the Treaty of Brömsebro.
170020 NovemberBattle at Narva, where the Swedish army under King Charles XII defeats the Russian army.

18th century

YearDateEvent
1704Russian troops under czar Peter the Great captured Dorpat (Tartu) in the Great Northern War.
1708Fearful of Swedish attack, Russians burned down the city of Tartu.
1710Whole Estonia was included in Russian empire.[4]
172130 AugustEstonia was formally ceded by Sweden to Russia by the Treaty of Nystad.[5]

19th century

YearDateEvent
1819Serfdom abolished.
1861"Kalevipoeg", Estonia's national epic, was published in both Estonian and German.
1869Estonian Song Festivals established.
1889Policy of Russification introduced where Baltic German legal and educational institutions are abolished or transformed into Russian

20th century

YearDateEvent
191824 FebruaryEstonian Declaration of Independence
3 MarchTreaty of Brest-Litovsk. Bolshevist Russia cedes sovereignty over Estonia to Germany.
11 NovemberGermans began withdrawal and turn over power to the provisional government of Estonia (headed by Konstantin Päts).
22 NovemberEstonia was invaded by Bolshevist Russian forces. Beginning of Estonian War of Independence.
1919Bolsheviks were driven out of Estonia.
10 OctoberAgrarian Law passed redistributing many of the estates owned by Baltic Germans and Estonian landowners.
19202 FebruaryTreaty of Tartu which gave Estonia recognition by Soviet Russia.
15 JuneAdoption of Constitution.
192222 SeptemberEstonia joined the League of Nations.
193314 OctoberPlebiscite in favour of constitutional reform giving wide powers to a new office of the president. (to 16 October)
193424 JanuaryNew constitution in effect.
12 MarchKonstantin Päts with the help of General Johan Laidoner set up a virtual dictatorship. Parliament was prorogued and political parties were banned. Many members of the Vaps Movement were arrested.
193729 JulyA new constitution in force with civil liberties and democracy restored but with a very strong presidency.
1938Kaarel Eenpalu became prime minister of Estonia.
24 FebruaryElection sees National Front winning 63 seats and all the opposition winning 17 seats.
24 AprilKonstantin Päts elected president.
1939Jüri Uluots becomes prime minister of Estonia.
23 AugustThe Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact was signed, promising mutual non-aggression between Germany and the Soviet Union and agreeing to a division of much of Europe between those two countries.
194017 JuneThe Red Army occupied Estonia and Latvia.
6 AugustEstonia was unlawfully declared the Estonian SSR and was, against the law, incorporated into the Soviet Union.
1941German troops took with help of the Forest Brothers Estonia over from the Soviets.
14 JuneMass deportations by Soviet Union authorities take place in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
22 JuneGermany attacked Soviet Union, Estonian partisans (Forest Brothers) started revolting in Southern Estonia.
28 AugustSinking of a Soviet steamer with 3500 Soviet-mobilized Estonian men on board, 598 of them died.
1 DecemberSelf-government of Estonia, headed by Hjalmar Mäe, is appointed by German military administration.
1944Otto Tief was captured by Soviet forces; Jüri Uluots and members of the Tief government escaped to Sweden.
30 JanuaryBattle of Narva: The first Soviet units crossed Estonian border.
24 FebruaryBattle of Narva: Estonian volunteers launched a counterattack at Narva river.
6 MarchWorld War II: Soviet Army planes attack Narva in Estonia, destroying almost the entire old town.
9 MarchWorld War II: Soviet Army planes attack Tallinn, Estonia.
26 JulyBattle of Narva: The Soviets captured Narva.
29 JulyBattle of Tannenberg Line: The Estonian and German counterattack stopped Soviet advance towards Tallinn.
26 AugustThe Soviets captured most of Tartu, what became frontline city for almost a month.
18 SeptemberJüri Uluots, prime minister in capacity of president of Estonia, asks Otto Tief to form a government on the eve of the withdrawal of German forces; official gazette published proclaiming the Tief government.
20 SeptemberOtto Tief attempts to organise the defence of Tallinn against the arrival of the Red Army two days later.
22 SeptemberThe Soviets captured Tallinn.
19 DecemberThe entire territory of Estonia was captured by the Red Army.
194925 MarchAn extensive deportation campaign was conducted in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The Soviet authorities deported more than 92,000 people from the Baltics to remote areas of the Soviet Union.
195519 JulyEstonian Television (ETV) began broadcasting.
197828 SeptemberOne of the last Forest Brother guerilla movement fighter August Sabbe was discovered and killed in Estonia.
1980Youth riots in the capital of the Soviet Republic of Estonia were quickly forced down.
1988In Estonia, 300,000 demonstrated for independence.
Estonian became the official language of Estonia.
16 NovemberThe Supreme Soviet of the Estonian SSR declared that Estonia is "sovereign" but stopped short of declaring independence.
1989After 44 years, the Estonian flag was raised on the Pikk Hermann castle tower.
Two million indigenous people of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, then still occupied by the Soviet Union, joined hands to demand freedom and independence, forming an uninterrupted 600 km human chain called the Baltic Way.
1991Latvia and Estonia voted for independence from the Soviet Union.
The United States recognized the independence of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
20 AugustThe Supreme Soviet of the Estonian SSR recognized Estonian independence from the Soviet Union.
6 SeptemberThe Soviet Union recognized the independence of the Baltic States.
1992Estonia held a referendum on its constitution.
Heinrich Mark and the government in exile appointed by him cede their credentials to the newly elected Riigikogu.
Lennart Meri was elected President of Estonia.
20 JuneThe Soviet ruble was replaced with kroon.
1994The Russian army left Estonia.
28 SeptemberThe car ferry MS Estonia sank in the Baltic Sea, killing 852.

21st century

YearDateEvent
200168 people died in Estonia after drinking bootleg alcohol that contained methanol.
2002Estonia hosted the first Eurovision Song Contest in a former Soviet republic.
North Atlantic Treaty Organization Summit in Prague: Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia were invited to join NATO.
2003Estonia approved joining the European Union in a referendum with 66% agreed with joining and 34% were against it.
200429 MarchThe largest expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to date takes place, allowing Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia into the organization.
1 MayThe largest expansion to date of the European Union took place, extending the Union by 10 member-states: Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, Malta and Cyprus.
2005The same storm which pounded the U.S. earlier in the month hit England, Scandinavia and the Baltic States, leaving 13 dead with widespread flooding and power cuts.
A passenger helicopter en route to Helsinki, Finland crashed into the sea near Tallinn, Estonia, killing 14.
2006Toomas Hendrik Ilves was elected President of Estonia.
200727 AprilRussians riot in Tallinn, Estonia, about moving the Bronze Soldier. Two nights of rioting left one dead.[6] Cyber attacks launched against Estonia.
2011 August Toomas Hendrik Ilves is re-elected president for a second five-year term.
2016 10 October Kersti Kaljulaid was elected President of Estonia.

See also

  • Timeline of Tallinn history

References

  • Miljan, Toivo (2004). Historical dictionary of Estonia. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 0-8108-4904-6.
  1. Tvauri, Andres (2012). The Migration Period, Pre-Viking Age, and Viking Age in Estonia. pp. 33, 59, 60. Retrieved 27 December 2016.
  2. Mäesalu, Ain (2012). "Could Kedipiv in East-Slavonic Chronicles be Keava hill fort?" (PDF). Estonian Journal of Archaeology. 1 (16supplser): 199. doi:10.3176/arch.2012.supv1.11. Retrieved 27 December 2016.
  3. Enn Tarvel (2007). Sigtuna hukkumine. Haridus, 2007 (7-8), p 38–41
  4. William Henry Overall, ed. (1870). "Esthonia". Dictionary of Chronology. London: William Tegg.
  5. Benjamin Vincent (1910), "Esthonia", Haydn's Dictionary of Dates (25th ed.), London: Ward, Lock & Co.
  6. "Estonia Profile: Timeline". BBC News. Retrieved September 2015. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)

Further reading

  • Thomas Bartlett (1841). "Esthonia". New Tablet of Memory; or, Chronicle of Remarkable Events. London: Thomas Kelly.
  • "Estonia". Political Chronology of Europe. Europa Publications. 2003. ISBN 978-1-135-35687-3.
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