Landmarks

200BC Carthaginians began regular visits.

147–139BC Lusitanian hero Viriato resists Roman invasion.

50BC Julius Caesar makes Olissipo (Lisbon) Rome’s western capital.

4th century AD Christianity makes its mark.

711 Moors from Africa begin 500-year occupation.

10th century Portucale is recognised in the north.

1139–85 Afonso Henriques rules as Portugal’s first king.

1249 The Moors are expelled from the Algarve.

1255 King Afonso III transfers capital from Coimbra to Lisbon.

1385 Battle of Ajubarrota; Portuguese defeat Castilians; João I is king.

1386 Treaty of Windsor; Joáo I marries Philippa of Lancaster.

1415 Discovery of Madeira followed by the Azores in 1427.

1494 Treaty of Tordesillas: the world divided by Portugal and Spain.

1497–8 Vasco da Gama opens sea route to India.

1500 Pedro Álvares Cabral discovers Brazil.

1519–22 Fernáo de Magalháes (Magellan) circumnavigates the globe.

1580–1640 Portugal falls under rule of Spain.

1755 The Great Earthquake destroys Lisbon.

1808 The Peninsular War; Sir Arthur Wellesley leads British forces.

1822 Brazil proclaims independence.

1910 Monarchy falls; Portugal becomes a Republic.

1926 Military coup paves way to Salazar’s long dictatorship.

1970 Salazar dies; Marcelo Caetano becomes prime minister.

1974 ‘Carnation revolution’; Socialist Mário Soares becomes prime minister.

1986 Portugal, with Spain, enters the European Community (now EU).

2002 The euro becomes official currency.

2004 José Manuel Durão Barroso appointed president of the European Commission. Euro championship held throughout the country.

2011 Portugal is granted a 78-billion euro bailout package; early elections won by Social Democrats.

2014 End of bailout programme.