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The home pages for the Usenet newsgroup soc.culture.nordic

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Subject: 5.3 
History

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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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