World History Timeline

Countries / Europe

History of Portugal

22 notable historical events in Portugal, in chronological order.

War · 4Politics · 9Treaty · 4Revolution · 2Science · 1Exploration · 7Religion · 2Economy · 4Disaster · 1Death · 1

8th century

  1. 711 – 718★★★★★

    Umayyad conquest of Hispania

    Muslim forces under Tariq ibn Ziyad cross the Strait of Gibraltar, defeat the Visigothic kingdom and take most of the Iberian Peninsula.

    War· Spain, Portugal

15th century

  1. 1482★★★★★

    Portugal builds Elmina Castle

    The Portuguese built São Jorge da Mina on the Gold Coast (present-day Ghana), the first European post in sub-Saharan Africa, which later became a hub of the slave trade.

    EconomyExploration· Ghana, Portugal
  2. 1488★★★★★

    Bartolomeu Dias rounds the Cape of Good Hope

    The Portuguese navigator Bartolomeu Dias became the first European to sail around the southern tip of Africa, proving the Indian Ocean could be reached by sea.

    Exploration· South Africa, Portugal
  3. 1491★★★★★

    King of Kongo is baptized

    King Nzinga a Nkuwu of the Kingdom of Kongo was baptized as João I, beginning Kongo's long relationship with Portugal and the Catholic Church.

    ReligionPolitics· Angola, DR Congo, Portugal
  4. June 7, 1494★★★★★

    Treaty of Tordesillas

    Spain and Portugal agree to divide newly found lands outside Europe along a meridian in the Atlantic.

    TreatyExploration· Spain, Portugal
  5. July 8, 1497 – May 20, 1498★★★★★

    Vasco da Gama sails from Europe to India

    Vasco da Gama's fleet left Lisbon, rounded the Cape of Good Hope, sailed up the East African coast and reached Calicut, opening a direct sea route between Europe and Asia.

    ExplorationEconomy· Portugal, South Africa, Mozambique, Kenya, India
  6. c. 15th century – c. 1860s★★★★★

    The transatlantic slave trade

    From the 16th to the 19th century, an estimated 12.5 million enslaved Africans were shipped across the Atlantic to the Americas, with profound consequences for both continents.

    Economy· Ghana, Nigeria, Benin, Senegal, Angola, Brazil, United States, Portugal, United Kingdom
  7. April 22, 1500★★★★★

    Cabral reaches Brazil

    A Portuguese fleet under Pedro Álvares Cabral reaches the coast of Brazil, beginning Portugal's claim to and colonization of the land.

    Exploration· Brazil, Portugal

16th century

  1. 1510★★★★★

    Portuguese conquest of Goa

    Afonso de Albuquerque seizes Goa from the Bijapur Sultanate; it becomes the capital of Portuguese India until 1961.

    WarPolitics· India, Portugal
  2. 1511★★★★★

    Portuguese capture of Malacca

    Afonso de Albuquerque captures Malacca, ending the Malacca Sultanate and beginning European colonial presence in Southeast Asia.

    WarPolitics· Malaysia, Portugal
  3. April 27, 1521★★★★★

    Battle of Mactan

    Warriors led by the chieftain Lapulapu defeat Ferdinand Magellan's men on Mactan island; Magellan is killed.

    WarExplorationDeath· Philippines, Spain, Portugal
  4. September 6, 1522★★★★★

    First circumnavigation completed

    The ship Victoria under Juan Sebastián Elcano returns to Spain, completing the circumnavigation begun by Magellan.

    Exploration· Spain, Portugal
  5. October 15, 1582★★★★★

    Gregorian calendar introduced

    The Gregorian calendar takes effect in Catholic countries: Julian 4 October 1582 is followed by 15 October.

    ScienceReligion· Italy, Spain, Portugal, Poland

18th century

  1. November 1, 1755★★★★★

    1755 Lisbon earthquake

    A massive earthquake, followed by a tsunami and fires, devastates Lisbon, killing tens of thousands and deeply influencing Enlightenment thought.

    Disaster· Portugal, Spain, Morocco

19th century

  1. September 7, 1822★★★★★

    Independence of Brazil

    Prince Regent Pedro declares Brazil's independence from Portugal by the Ipiranga brook and later becomes Emperor Pedro I.

    PoliticsRevolution· Brazil, Portugal
  2. November 15, 1884 – February 26, 1885★★★★★

    Berlin Conference on Africa

    European powers met in Berlin to set rules for colonial claims in Africa, accelerating the "Scramble for Africa" without any African representation.

    PoliticsTreaty· Germany, United Kingdom, France, Portugal, Belgium

20th century

  1. April 4, 1949★★★★★

    NATO founded

    Twelve North American and Western European countries sign the North Atlantic Treaty in Washington, creating the NATO collective defence alliance.

    TreatyPolitics· United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Italy, Portugal, Norway, Denmark, Iceland
  2. April 25, 1974★★★★★

    Carnation Revolution

    A largely bloodless military coup in Lisbon overthrows the Estado Novo dictatorship, leading to democracy in Portugal and the independence of its African colonies.

    Revolution· Portugal
  3. June 25, 1975 – November 11, 1975★★★★★

    Mozambique and Angola gain independence from Portugal

    Following Portugal's Carnation Revolution, Mozambique and Angola became independent, ending over four centuries of Portuguese presence; both soon fell into long civil wars.

    Politics· Mozambique, Angola, Portugal
  4. November 1, 1993★★★★★

    European Union established by the Maastricht Treaty

    The Maastricht Treaty enters into force, formally establishing the European Union and laying the groundwork for a single currency.

    TreatyPolitics· Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, Greece, Spain, Portugal
  5. December 20, 1999★★★★★

    Handover of Macau

    Portugal transfers sovereignty over Macau to China, ending more than four centuries of Portuguese presence.

    Politics· Macau, China, Portugal

21st century

  1. January 1, 2002★★★★★

    Euro banknotes and coins enter circulation

    Euro cash enters circulation in twelve European Union countries, replacing national currencies such as the franc, the Deutsche Mark and the lira.

    Economy· Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain
History of Portugal · World History Timeline