Timeline of Icelandic history

This is a timeline of Icelandic history, comprising important legal and territorial changes and political events in Iceland and its predecessor states. To read about the background to these events, see history of Iceland.

Overview

↓Althing

↓Old Covenant

↓Sovereignty

↓EFTA

↓EEA

874

930

1262

1397

1523

1814

1874

1918

1944

9th century

Year	Event
860	Naddoðr discovers Iceland. He was heading to the Faroe Islands but drifted off course and landed near Reyðarfjörður in Iceland. As he returned to his boat it started to snow and thereby he reputedly named the land Snæland (lit. Snowland).^{[citation needed]}
860	Garðarr Svavarsson discovers Iceland. Blown from a storm near the Orkney Islands. He circumnavigated Iceland, thus the first to establish that the landmass was an island. He stayed for one winter in Skjálfandi. He praised the new land and called it Garðarshólmi (lit. Garðar's Islet).^{[citation needed]}
<870	Hrafna-Flóki Vilgerðarson becomes the first Scandinavian to deliberately sail to Iceland as news of a country in the west reached Norway.^[1]^[2] When Hrafna-Flóki climbed a mountain in Vatnsfjörður he spotted drift ice in a fjord that inspired the name of the country, Ísland (lit. Iceland).^[3]
874	Ingólfr Arnarson becomes the first permanent Nordic settler of Iceland.^[4] The settlement of Iceland begins.^[5]

10th century

Year	Event
930	The Icelandic Commonwealth is founded with the establishment of the Icelandic parliament (Althing), which had legislative and judicial power,^[6] executive power divided between several independent chiefdoms.^[7]

11th century

Year	Event
1000	The Christianisation of Iceland is initiated due to pressure from the King of Norway.^[8]
> 1000	The Fifth Court is established as an appellate court for the quarter courts of Iceland.^[9]
1056	Ísleifur Gissurarson becomes the first bishop of Skálholt.^[10]
1096	A tithe is instigated by the church authorities.^[11]

12th century

Year	Event
1104	The volcano Hekla erupts, resulting in the devastation of Þjórsárdalur.^[12]
1106	Jón Ögmundsson becomes the first Bishop of Hólar.^[13]
1112	Þingeyraklaustur is founded as the first cloister in Iceland. Jón Ögmundsson, Bishop of Hólar, founded the cloister in 1112 but it was not formally established until 1133.^[14]
1122	Ari Þorgilsson begins to write the historical work Book of Icelanders.^[15]

13th century

Year	Date	Event
1208	9 September	The Battle of Víðines takes place. Kolbeinn Tumason is mortally wounded.^[16]
1238	21 August	The Battle of Örlygsstaðir takes place.^[17] Sturla Sighvatsson and Sighvatr Sturluson are killed.^[18]
1244	25 June	The Battle of the Gulf takes place.^[19]
1246	19 April	The Battle of Haugsnes takes place.^[20]
1253	22 October	The Flugumýri Arson takes place.^[21]
1258	Unknown	Gissur Þorvaldsson is appointed Jarl of Iceland by the King of Norway. The appointment aimed to further solidify the king's control over Iceland which was still independent. Gissur Þorvaldsson was also given domain over Southern farthing, Northern farthing and Borgarfjörður which had previously been seceded to the king by their respective chieftains.^[22]
1262	Unknown	The Old Covenant is delivered to Iceland. The agreement made Icelanders subjects of the King of Norway and gave Icelanders and Norwegians equal rights in each other's countries. It received its first signatures in 1262 and went into effect in 1264 after receiving its final signatures.^[23]

14th century

Year	Date	Event
1397	17 June	The Kalmar Union is established. The kingdoms of Denmark, Norway, Sweden and their respective dependencies joined in a personal union.^[24]

15th century

Year	Event
1402	The Black Death hits Iceland for the first time.^[25] It is estimated that half of the population died in the years 1402–1404.^[26]
1433	Jöns Gerekesson, bishop of Skálholt, is killed.^[27]
1494	The Black Death hits Iceland for the second time.^[25] It is estimated that half of the population died in the years 1494–1495.^[26]

16th century

Year	Event
1501	English merchants plunder Bessastaðir.^{[citation needed]}
1513	Leiðarhólmsskrá.^{[citation needed]}
1522	Sveinsstaðafundur.^{[citation needed]}
1539	Gissur Einarsson is made bishop.^{[citation needed]}
1541	The Skálholt see turns Lutheran.^{[citation needed]}
1550	Bishop Jón Arason and his sons are beheaded in Skálholt.^{[citation needed]}
1551	The Hólar see turns Lutheran.^{[citation needed]}
1559	The English are driven from Vestmannaeyjar.^{[citation needed]}
1571	Guðbrandur Þorláksson becomes bishop of Hólar.^{[citation needed]}
1584	Guðbrandsbiblía, the first Icelandic bible, is published.^{[citation needed]}

17th century

Year	Event
1602	The King of Denmark grants Danish merchants monopoly on trade with Iceland.^{[citation needed]}
1615	The Slaying of the Spaniards take place.^{[citation needed]}
1625	The first person, Jón Rögnvaldsson, is burnt alive for witchcraft.^{[citation needed]}
1627	The Turkish Abductions occur. Hundreds of Icelanders are kidnapped by Barbary pirates.^[28]
1639	Brynjólfur Sveinsson becomes bishop of Skálholt.^{[citation needed]}
1656	Kirkjuból witch trial.^[29]
1656	The Flateyjarbók manuscript is sent to Denmark.^{[citation needed]}
1662	Icelanders are made to accept the absolute monarchy of the King of Denmark.^{[citation needed]}
1666	The Passion Psalms are composed by Hallgrímur Pétursson.^{[citation needed]}

18th century

Year	Date	Event
1703		First Icelandic census.^{[citation needed]}
1707		The Bubonic plague spreads in Iceland. A quarter of the population dies.^{[citation needed]}
1712		Jarðabók is completed.^{[citation needed]}
1720		The manuscripts of Árni Magnússon are moved to Denmark.^{[citation needed]}
1760		Icelanders start exporting salted fish to Spain.^{[citation needed]}
1783		The Mist Hardships occur. A volcanic eruption at Laki destroys a great deal of the livestock in Iceland, causing famine and misery. 20-25% of Iceland perishes.^[30]^[31]^[32]
1787		Danish trade monopoly ceases.^{[citation needed]}
1800	6 June	The Althing is abolished.^{[citation needed]}

19th century

Year	Date	Event
1801		The bishoprics of Skálholt and Hólar are united, located in Reykjavík.^{[citation needed]}
1805		The Bessastaðaskóli is founded.^[33]
1807		Trade with Danish Iceland all but disappears due to the invasion of the English and their capture of the neutral Danish fleet at Copenhagen, they had credible intel that Napoleon using the Continental System was going to seize that fleet and invade England.^[34]^[35] It was part of the Napoleonic Wars.
1809		Jørgen Jørgensen seizes power in Iceland and declares independence, but is deposed by the Danes shortly afterwards.^{[citation needed]}
1835		The first copy of Fjölnir is published.^{[citation needed]}
1841		Jón Sigurðsson starts publishing New Associated Writings.^{[citation needed]}
1843	8 March	The King of Denmark orders the Althing to be resurrected.^{[citation needed]}
1845	1 July	The Althing is resurrected, and the house of the Menntaskóli í Reykjavík is opened.^{[citation needed]}
1851		National Assembly of 1851.^{[citation needed]}
1855		The Danes grant Icelanders free trade.^{[citation needed]}
1871		The Danish Parliament passes the Stöðulög laws.^{[citation needed]} First women's secondary school Kvennaskólinn í Reykjavík is founded by Thora Melsted.
1874		The King of Denmark visits Iceland and grants Icelanders a constitution. 1000 years of settlement celebrated throughout the country.^{[citation needed]}
1875		First session of the restored Althing which has the power to pass laws. The Askja volcano erupts.^{[citation needed]} The Woman's association Thorvaldsensfélagið is founded.
1880		The climate grows much colder, driving many Icelanders to emigrate to the New World.^{[citation needed]}
1894		Foundation of the Hið íslenska kvenfélag and the start of the women's movement on Iceland.

20th century

Year	Date	Event
1907		Foundation of the Icelandic Women's Rights Association.
1915		Universal suffrage.^{[citation needed]}
1916		The political parties Social Democratic Party and Progressive Party are founded.^{[citation needed]}
1918	1 December	Iceland becomes a sovereign, independent nation. The Danish King remains head of state.^{[citation needed]}
1922		Jarðræktarlögin.^{[citation needed]}
1929		The Icelandic Independence Party is founded.^{[citation needed]}
1930	20 December	The Icelandic Communist Party is founded. The Icelandic State Radio begins broadcasting.^{[citation needed]}
1939		Following the occupation of Denmark by Nazi Germany, a national emergency government is formed under Sveinn Björnsson.^{[citation needed]}
1940	10 May	The British invade, violating Icelandic neutrality.^{[citation needed]}
1941	7 July	The United States Army, still officially neutral, replaces the British occupation force.^{[citation needed]}
1944	17 June	Iceland becomes an independent republic, severing the last political ties to Denmark. Sveinn Björnsson becomes president.^{[citation needed]}
1946		The Keflavik Agreement.^{[citation needed]}
1948		Iceland receives Marshall Aid from the United States.^{[citation needed]}
1949	30 March	Riots break out on Austurvöllur.^{[citation needed]}
1949	4 April	Iceland joins the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.^{[citation needed]}
1951		The United States Army establishes a base in Keflavík.^{[citation needed]}
1952	1 August	Exclusive economic zone extended to 4 nautical miles. Ásgeir Ásgeirsson becomes president.^{[citation needed]}
1958		Exclusive economic zone extended to 12 nautical miles.^{[citation needed]}
1963	14 November	Volcanic eruption forms Surtsey.^{[citation needed]}
1966	30 September	The Icelandic State Television begins its first broadcasts.^{[citation needed]}
1968	1 August	Kristján Eldjárn becomes president. Collapse of the fishing industry.^{[citation needed]}
1970	1 January	Iceland joins the European Free Trade Association.^{[citation needed]}
1972		Exclusive economic zone extended to 50 nautical miles.^{[citation needed]}
1973	23 January	Volcanic eruption in Vestmannaeyjar.^{[citation needed]}
1975		Exclusive economic zone extended to 200 nautical miles.^{[citation needed]}
1980	1 August	Vigdís Finnbogadóttir becomes president of Iceland, the first woman in the world to become elected head of state.^{[citation needed]}
1994	1 January	Iceland joins the European Economic Area.^{[citation needed]}
1996	1 August	Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson becomes president.^{[citation needed]}

21st century

Year	Date	Event
2000	17–21 June	Southern Iceland is hit by two earthquakes, the first 6.6 M_L and the second 6.5 M_L. There were no fatalities but a few people were injured and there was some considerable damage to infrastructure.
2004	2 June	The president of Iceland, Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, refuses to sign a bill from the parliament for the first time in the nation's history.^{[citation needed]}
2005	21 March	Bobby Fischer moves to Iceland after having been granted an Icelandic passport and full citizenship.^[36]^[37]
2006	30 September	The United States Army abandons the military base in Keflavík, thus ending a 55-year U.S. military presence in Iceland.^{[citation needed]}
2008	29 May	A doublet earthquake strikes southern Iceland with a composite magnitude of 6.1 M_W^[38]
2008	September	Iceland faces financial crisis following the collapse of the country's three major commercial banks.^{[citation needed]}
2009	26 January	After months of rallies outside the parliament building the Icelandic government resigns.^{[citation needed]}
	1 February	After the collapse of the government, Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir becomes the first female Prime Minister of Iceland and the world's first openly gay head of government of the modern era.^[39]
	16 July	The parliament narrowly passes a bill authorising the government to apply for EU membership.^{[citation needed]}
2010	5 January	The president of Iceland, Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, refuses to sign a bill from the parliament for the second time in the nation's history.^{[citation needed]}
2010	20–23 March	Volcanic eruption of Eyjafjallajökull.^[40]
2011	20 February	The president of Iceland, Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, refuses to sign a bill from the parliament for the third time in the nation's history.^{[citation needed]}
2011	21–28 May	Volcanic eruption of Grímsvötn.^[41]
2016	4 April	Panama Papers reveal that Prime Minister Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson had links to private companies dealing in offshore tax havens, resulting in a call for a snap election"^[42]
2016	1 August	Guðni Th. Jóhannesson becomes president of Iceland.
2024	1 June	Halla Tómasdóttir won the 2024 Icelandic presidential election and will assume office on August.^[43]

References

^ "Hver gaf Íslandi það nafn?" [Who gave Iceland its name?] (in Icelandic). University of Iceland. 30 October 2000. Retrieved 19 March 2011. Tilvist landsins í vestri spurðist út á vesturströnd Noregs og hélt Flóki Vilgerðarson, norskur maður, af stað til að finna landið.
^ "Var Hrafna-Flóki til í alvöru?" [Did Hrafna-Flóki exist for real?] (in Icelandic). University of Iceland. 16 September 2013. Retrieved 19 April 2015. Fyrri ferð sína til Íslands hefur Flóki átt að fara um eða skömmu fyrir árið 870 samkvæmt Landnámabók.
^ "Hver gaf Íslandi það nafn?" [Who gave Iceland its name?] (in Icelandic). University of Iceland. 30 October 2000. Retrieved 19 March 2011. Flóki gekk upp á fjall eitt í Vatnsfirði og sá þá ofan í annan fjörð, líklega Arnarfjörð, og var hann fullur af hafís. Í 2. kafla Landnámu segir að eftir þetta hafi Hrafna-Flóki og menn hans nefnt landið Ísland.
^ "History". Registers Iceland. Archived from the original on 22 May 2011. Retrieved 19 March 2011. Ingólfur Arnarson was said to be the first settler. He was a chieftain from Norway, arriving in Iceland with his family and dependents in 874.
^ "History". Registers Iceland. Archived from the original on 22 May 2011. Retrieved 19 March 2011. During the next 60 years or so, Viking settlers from Scandinavia and also from Norse colonies in the British Isles – Ireland, Scotland and the Scottish Isles – settled in the country.
^ History, Registers Iceland, archived from the original on 22 May 2011, retrieved 19 March 2011, In the year 930, at the end of the settlement period, Althingi (legislature and judiciary) was established and a legal code was adopted.
^ "History". Registers Iceland. Archived from the original on 22 May 2011. Retrieved 19 March 2011. There were also four local courts and a system of regional assemblies, led by the chieftains.
^ "History". Registers Iceland. Archived from the original on 22 May 2011. Retrieved 19 March 2011. Christianity was peacefully adopted in Iceland at Althingi in the year 1000. The main reason for this conversion was most likely pressure from the king of Norway.
^ "Sagan" [History] (in Icelandic). Supreme Court of Iceland. Retrieved 21 April 2015. Skömmu eftir árið 1000 var stofnaður svokallaður fimmtardómur sem náði til landsins alls. Þangað mátti skjóta málum sem dæmd höfðu verið í fjórðungsdómi. Hefur hugmyndin líklega verið sú að stuðla að réttareiningu í landinu.
^ "Ísleifur Gissurarson" (in Icelandic). Skálholtsstaður. Archived from the original on 18 February 2017. Retrieved 21 April 2015. Ísleifur Gissurarson var fyrsti biskup Íslendinga, árin 1056–1080.
^ "Saga sveitarstjórnarlaga" [History of the Local Government Act] (in Icelandic). Icelandic Association of Local Authorities. Retrieved 21 April 2015. Tekjustofnar sveitarfélaga voru ákveðnir í svokölluðum tíundarlögum sem sett voru árið 1097 að forgöngu Gissurar Ísleifssonar biskups.
^ Seach, John. "Hekla Volcano, Iceland – John Seach". Retrieved 22 April 2015. An eruption at Hekla volcano in 1104, devastated the inhabited Thjorsardalur valley.
^ "Hver var Jón Ögmundsson?" [Who was Jón Ögmundsson?] (in Icelandic). University of Iceland. 2 July 2003. Retrieved 22 April 2015. Jón Ögmundsson er einn frægasti kirkjumaður Íslandssögunnar. Hann varð fyrsti biskup Hólabiskupsdæmis árið 1106 og beitti sér mjög fyrir eflingu kristinnar trúar í landinu.
^ "Klaustur á Íslandi" [Cloisters in Iceland] (in Icelandic). Retrieved 23 April 2015. Jón Ögmundsson, biskup á Hólum stofnaði klaustur að Þingeyrum árið 1112 en engar heimildir eru til um klausturlíf þar fyrr en 1133, þegar Vilmundur Þórólfsson var vígður fyrsti ábóti þess.
^ "Íslendingabók" [Book of Icelanders] (in Icelandic). Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies. Retrieved 23 April 2015. Íslendingabók var samin á árunum 1122–32 af prestinum Ara Þorgilssyni sem hlaut viðurnefnið hinn fróði (1068–1148).
^ "Þetta gerðist þá..." [What happened then...] (in Icelandic). Morgunblaðið. 9 September 2008. Retrieved 25 April 2015. Víðinesbardagi var háður í Hjaltadal í Skagafirði. Nokkrir höfðingjar sóttu með 360 manna lið að Guðmundi biskupi Arasyni og mönnum hans. Í bardaganum féllu tólf menn, þeirra á meðal Kolbeinn Tumason, 35 ára. Sagt er að á banadægri sínu hafi Kolbeinn samið sálminn Heyr himna smiður.
^ "Hvað gerðist i Örlygsstaðabardaga?" [What happened in the Battle of Örlygsstaðir] (in Icelandic). University of Iceland. 24 July 2014. Retrieved 25 April 2015. Örlygsstaðabardagi var háður 21. ágúst 1238 í Skagafirði austanverðum á stað sem var kallaður Örlygsstaðir, skammt fyrir norðan Víðivelli en nokkru lengra fyrir sunnan Miklabæ.
^ "Hvað gerðist i Örlygsstaðabardaga?" [What happened in the Battle of Örlygsstaðir] (in Icelandic). University of Iceland. 24 July 2014. Retrieved 25 April 2015. Feðgarnir Sighvatur og Sturla voru báðir drepnir.
^ "Þetta gerðist þá..." [This happened then...] (in Icelandic). Morgunblaðið. 25 June 2008. Retrieved 25 April 2015. 25. júní 1244 Flóabardagi, eina verulega sjóorrusta Íslendinga, var háður á Húnaflóa.
^ "Þetta gerðist..." [This happened...] (in Icelandic). Morgunblaðið. 19 April 2010. Retrieved 25 April 2015. Haugsnessfundur, mannskæðasta orrusta á Íslandi, var háð í Blönduhlíð í Skagafirði.
^ "Þetta gerðist..." [This happened...] (in Icelandic). Morgunblaðið. 22 October 2009. Retrieved 25 April 2015. 22. október 1253 Flugumýrarbrenna. Sturlungar brenndu bæinn á Flugumýri í Skagafirði, en þar stóð brúðkaup.
^ "Hver var Gissur jarl Þorvaldsson og hvaða hlutverki gegndi hann á Sturlungaöld?" [Who was Jarl Gissur Þorvaldsson and what role did he have in the Age of the Sturlungs?] (in Icelandic). University of Iceland. 12 February 2014. Retrieved 26 April 2015. Árið 1258 var Gissur með Hákoni konungi Hákonarsyni í Noregi. Þá gaf konungur honum jarlsnafn og sendi hann til Íslands í því skyni að leggja landið undir konung. Um leið skipaði konungur hann yfir Sunnlendingafjórðung, Norðlendingafjórðung og Borgarfjörð. Nokkrir íslenskir höfðingjar höfðu þá afsalað sér til konungs héraðsvöldum, því sem upphaflega var goðavald.
^ "Hver skrifaði Gamla sáttmála og hvað fólst í honum?" [Who wrote Old Covenant and what did it entail?] (in Icelandic). University of Iceland. 13 June 2008. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
^ "The Middle Ages: Three kingdoms and a union (approx. 1050–1500)". Nordic Council. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
^ ^a ^b Callow, Chris (January 2016). "The mystery of plague in medieval Iceland – co-authored with Charles Evans". JNL Med Hist.
^ ^a ^b "Hvað er helst vitað um svartadauða á Íslandi?" [What is principally known about the Black Death in Iceland?] (in Icelandic). University of Iceland. 3 April 2014. Retrieved 5 May 2015.
^ "Af hverju var Jón Gerreksson biskup drepinn og hver var þar að verki?" [Why was Bishop Jón Gerreksson killed and who was responsible?] (in Icelandic). University of Iceland. 25 February 2013. Retrieved 5 May 2015.
^ Vilhjálmur Þ. Gíslason, Bessastaðir: Þættir úr sögu höfuðbóls. Akureyri. 1947
^ Þorvarðardóttir, Ólína (2001). Brennuöldin (1 ed.). Iceland: Háskólaútgáfan. pp. 119–216. ISBN 997954414-7.
^ "The eruption that changed Iceland forever". BBC News. 16 April 2010. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
^ BBC Timewatch: "Killer Cloud", broadcast 19 January 2007
^ Richard Stone (19 November 2004). "Volcanology: Iceland's Doomsday Scenario?". Science. Vol. 306, no. 5700. p. 1278. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
^ "President of Iceland Presmises". Forseti.is. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
^ A. N. Ryan, "The Causes of the British Attack upon Copenhagen in 1807." English Historical Review (1953): 37–55. in JSTOR
^ Thomas Munch-Petersen, Defying Napoleon: How Britain Bombarded Copenhagen and Seized the Danish Fleet in 1807 (2007)
^ "Bobby Fischer: ich bin ein Icelander!". chessbase.com. 21 March 2005.
^ Brady 2011, p. 293. "The RJF [Robert James Fischer] members called virtually every member of parliament to lobby for citizenship: full, permanent citizenship... an Extraordinary Session of Parliament was called for Saturday, Match 21, 2005. Three rounds of discussion took place in the space of twelve minutes, and questions were posed regarding the extent of the emergency. The answers were succinct and forthcoming: Bobby Fischer's improper incarceration was a violation of his rights; all he was really guilty of was moving some wooden pieces across a chessboard; he'd been a friend of Iceland and had a historical connection to it, and now he needed the country's help". Act Respecting the Granting of Citizenship, no. 16/2005.
^ "Strong earthquake rocks Iceland". BBC News. 29 May 2008. Retrieved 29 May 2008.
^ "Iceland PM weds as gay marriage legalised". The Daily Telegraph. London, UK. 28 June 2010. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
^ "Iceland's volcanic ash halts flights in northern Europe". BBC News. 15 April 2010.
^ "Global Volcanism Program | Grímsvötn". Smithsonian Institution | Global Volcanism Program. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
^ Bowers, Simon (3 April 2016). "Iceland's PM faces calls for snap election after offshore revelations". The Guardian.
^ "Election week: Halla Tómasdóttir will be the president of Iceland". RÚV. Iceland. 2 June 2024. Archived from the original on 3 June 2024. Retrieved 2 June 2024.