History
› 1st century BC
Numerous tribes (mostly Frisians and Batavians) become the area’s first inhabitants.
› 4th century
Barbarians invade the area.
› 1275
Amsterdam is founded.
› 1421
Storm causes a flood that drown approximately 10.000 inhabitants.
› 1516
King of Spain Charles V inherites the Netherlands.
› 1521
Wooden buildings in Amsterdam are banned.
› 1578
Amsterdam abandons the Spanish and Catholic cause.
› 1579
The Union of Utrecht unites the northern Low Countries.
› 1581
The United Provinces declare their independence from Spain.
› 1602
The United East India is founded.
› 1609
The Dutch discover Manhattan Island.
› 1626
Peter Minuit (Director-General of the Dutch colony of New Netherlands) purchases Manhattan Island for the equivalent of 24 dollars.
› 1630 - 1654
Dutch conquer Brazil.
› 1642
Rembrandt paints The Night Watch.
Source: Wikipedia
› 1642 - 1643
Abel Tasman reaches Tasmania and New Zealand.
› 1648
End of war with Spain; Dutch independence recognised.
› 1652
Jan van Riebeek reaches Cape Town; first Anglo-Dutch war.
› 1661
Brazil is sold to Portugal.
› 1665 - 1667
Second Anglo-Dutch war.
› 1672 - 1674
Third Anglo-Dutch war.
› 1795
Velvet Revolution; French occupy the Netherlands.
› 1806 - 1810
Louis Bonaparte (Napoléon's brother) becomes king of the Netherlands.
› 1813
The Netherlands regains independence.
› 1814
The country becomes the Kingdom of the Netherlands headed by Willem l of the House of Oranje-Nassau.
› 1830
Belgium rebels against the Netherlands and breaks free.
› 1853
Vincent van Gogh is born.
› 1870
Amstel Brewery opened.
› 1890
Vincent van Gogh commits suicide*
› 1920
KLM launces the world’s first scheduled air service.
› 1922
Dutch women get the vote.
› 1928
Olympic Games are held in Amsterdam.
› 1940
Germany invades and conquers the Netherlands four days after the aerial bombardment of Rotterdam.
› 1941
February strike against deportation of the Jewish community.
› 1942 - 1945
Anne Frank and her family hide in Amsterdam. The refuge is betrayed and Anne dies at Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. She was 15.
› 1944 - 1945
Thousands die during the Hunger Winter.
› 1947
The Diary of Anne Frank is published.
› 1948
Benelux customs union takes effect.
› 1949
The Dutch East Indies receives its independence as Indonesia; the Netherlands joins NATO.
› 1952
The Netherlands founding member of European Coal and Steel Community.
› 1958
The Netherlands joins the European Economic Community.
› 1975
Amsterdam’s 700th anniversary; the Netherlands grants independence to Surinam; use of cannabis is decriminalised.
› 1980
Queen Juliana retired and succeeded by her daughter Beatrix.
› 1987
The Homomonument is unveiled.
Photo by Flickr user JorgeBRAZIL
› 2001
The world’s first same-sex marriage takes place in Amsterdam.
› 2002
Euro replaces the Dutch guilder; regulated euthenasia is legalised.
› 2005
Dutch voters reject EU constitution.
› 2010
The Netherlands withdraws its soldiers from Afghanistan.
* According to Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith, authors of new biography Van Gogh: The Life, Vincent van Gogh did not commit suicide.
