Timeline of Latvian history

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

7th century

YearDateEvent
650The Curonians and Livonians were paying tribute to king Ivar Vidfamne of Scania

8th century

YearDateEvent
750In the legendary Battle of Brávellir Curonians were fighting at the side of Sigurd Hring, king of Sweden, and Livonians under their duke Ger (Ger Livicus) at the side of Harald Wartooth, king of Denmark. According to Norna-Gests þáttr Sigurd Hring fought against the invading Curonians (Kúrir) in the southern part of what today is Sweden[1]
before 800The ancient Balts began to form specific tribal realms.

9th century

YearDateEvent
800The Curonians had rebelled against the Swedes and refused to pay them tribute.
850The Danish king marshalled a great fleet and sailed to Courland in order to take over their goods and to make the Curonians pay tribute to instead. The Curonians gathered forces from all five of their towns and butchered half the Danish army and plundered their war ships.
854King Olaf of Sweden with 7,000 armed men attacked towns of Seeburg and Apulia. Curonians declared that they wished to be the subjects of the Swedish kings as in former times.
870The legendary Danish king Hadingus wages wars in the Baltic and achieves victory against Curonian tyrant Loker (Loker, Curetum tyrannus) and king Handwanus of Duna (Duna urbs).
890The Curonian king Dorno (Curetum rex Dorno), one of the legendary kings in Saxo Grammaticus' Gesta Danorum, fights against the legendary Danish king Frotho I.

10th century

YearDateEvent
925Egils Saga describes the expedition of Icelandic vikings Thorolf and Egill Skallagrímsson by the Eastern route (Austrvegr), where they won much wealth and had many battles. In Courland they made a peace for half a month and traded with the men of the land.[2]
950The Norse prince Ragnvald (Rogvolod of Polatsk) came from overseas and subjugated hillforts along the river of Daugava. His capital was established at Polatsk.

11th century

YearDateEvent
before 1100The borders of the Baltic realms of Courland, Semigallia, Tālava, Koknese and Jersika (known as Lettia) became settled.

12th century

YearDateEvent
1106Semigallians completely destroyed united armies of the sons of Prince Vseslav of Polotsk in the lowlands of Daugava.
1111Prince of Novgorod Mstislav Vladimirovich invaded eastern part of Tālava (Adzele) and Ugandi.
1180Prince Mstislav Rostislavich led the Novgorodians against the Letts of Tālava.
1184The monk Saint Meinhard began missionary work among the Livonian people.
1186Meinhard was appointed bishop of Livonia by the Pope.
1198Bishop Berthold of Hanover arrived at the mouth of the Daugava River accompanied by crusaders and was killed in battle with Livonians.
1199Albert of Riga was elected the third bishop of Livonia.
Pope Innocent III proclaimed a second Baltic Crusade.

13th century

YearDateEvent
1201Albert founded Riga on the site of earlier Livonian settlement.
1202The Catholic military order of Livonian Brothers of the Sword was founded by Bishop Albert.
1206The Brothers of the Sword and their Semigallian allies defeated Livonians at Turaida
1217The Brothers of the Sword and their Livonian and Latgalian allies defeated Estonians at the Battle of St. Matthew's Day near Viljandi.
1229Bishop Albert died.
1236Battle of Saule: The Brothers of the Sword were defeated in the Land of Saule (terra Sauleorum) by combined forces of Samogitians and Semigallians.
1242Alexander Nevsky defeated the Livonian Order on Lake Peipus.
1255The Bishopric at Riga was elevated to become the Archbishopric of Riga.
1282Riga became a member of the Hanseatic League.

14th century

YearDateEvent
1378The Livonian Order raided Upytė, and another campaign threatened the Lithuanian capital in Vilnius.

15th century

YearDateEvent
1422A Livonian Diet first met.
1452The Livonian Order and Archbishopric of Riga began to rule jointly in Livonia.
1481Muscovy attacked Livonia.

16th century

YearDateEvent
1501The Livonian Order, aided by Lithuania, launched an attack on Pskov.
1502Russian troops were defeated at the Battle of Lake Smolina near Palkino.
1558Ivan the Terrible launched an attack on Livonia.
1561Livonian War: Livonia fell to Lithuania.
1569Lithuania and Poland joined to form the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Livonia became a joint domain administered directly by both realms.

17th century

YearDateEvent
1629The Peace of Altmark was reached, under which Sweden annexed Livonia and several Courland territories to Swedish Livonia.
1689The Old and New Testaments were published in Latvian translation by Pastor Ernst Glück.
1700Great Northern War: A war began which involved the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, Sweden, and Russia.

18th century

YearDateEvent
1710Riga fell to the Russians, though Courland remained under the control of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.
1721Great Northern War: The Treaty of Nystadt ended the war.

19th century

YearDateEvent
1841A famine occurred in Livonia.
1873The first Latvian Song and Dance Festival took place.
1887Russification measures began in the Baltic governorates of the Russian Empire.

20th century

YearDateEvent
190513 JanuaryRussian army troops opened fire on demonstrators in Riga, killing seventy-three and injuring two hundred people.
A revolution took place in the Baltic region directed primarily against German landowners and Russian autocracy.
19141 AugustWorld War I: The war began.
191818 NovemberAn independent Latvia was proclaimed.
1919Latvian ruble currency introduced.[3]
192011 AugustThe Latvian–Soviet Peace Treaty was signed.
192122 SeptemberLatvia became a member of the League of Nations.
1922FebruaryA Latvian constitution was adopted.
193415 MayPrime Minister Kārlis Ulmanis took power in a bloodless coup d'état.
193923 AugustThe Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact was signed between the Soviet Union (USSR) and Nazi Germany.
194016 JuneAn ultimatum was presented by the USSR to Latvia.
17 JuneSoviet occupation of Latvia in 1940: Soviet troops occupied the country.
5 AugustLatvia was incorporated into the Soviet Union, becoming the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR).
194113 JuneThe first mass deportations of Latvians to various sites in the Soviet Union began.
1 JulyOccupation of Latvia by Nazi Germany: Nazi troops occupied Riga.
1944OctoberOccupation of Latvia by Soviet Union 1944-1945: The Soviet army reentered Riga.
1955About thirty thousand deportees returned to Latvia from the USSR under a general amnesty.
1981The modern Vanšu Bridge was opened across the Daugava River in Riga.
198714 JuneThe first demonstration in Riga to commemorate the 1941 deportations took place.
198823 AugustMass demonstrations took place against the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact.
19904 MayThe Latvian SSR Supreme Council adopted the declaration On the Restoration of Independence of the Republic of Latvia.
1991JanuaryThe Barricades: Pro-Communist political forces attempted to restore Soviet power in Latvia.
6 SeptemberThe Soviet Union recognized Latvian independence.
17 SeptemberLatvia became a member of the United Nations.

21st century

YearDateEvent
20042 AprilLatvia became a member of NATO.
1 MayLatvia became a member of European Union.
20141 JanuaryLatvia became a member of Eurozone.

See also

References

  • Plakans, Andrejs (2008). Historical Dictionary of Latvia. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 0-8108-5515-1.
  1. Norna-Gests þáttr, c. 1157, Níkulás Bergsson, Iceland.
  2. Rev. W. C. Green. The Story of Egil Skallagrimsson: An Icelandic Family History of the Ninth ... Chapter 46
  3. Howard M. Berlin (2006). "Latvia: Chronology". World Monetary Units: An Historical Dictionary, Country by Country. USA: McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-4042-9.

Further reading

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