60 BC Julius Caesar establishes Olisipo as the capital of the Roman Empire’s western colony.
711 Moors from North Africa conquer Iberia, building a fortress by the alhama (hot springs), now known as Alfama.
1147 Afonso Henriques, the first king of the newly established Portuguese state, retakes Lisbon from the Moors and builds a cathedral on the site of the former mosque.
1495–1521 The reign of Dom Manuel I coincides with the golden age of Portuguese exploration. So-called “Manueline” architecture celebrates the opening of sea routes. The 1494 Treaty of Tordesillas gives Spain and Portugal trading rights to much of the globe.
1498 Vasco da Gama returns to Belém with spices from India, which helps fund the building of the monastery of Jerónimos.
1581 Victorious after the battle of Alcántara, Philip II of Spain becomes Filipe I of Portugal, and Portugal loses its independence.
1640 Portuguese conspirators storm the palace in Lisbon and install the Duke of Bragança as João IV, ending Spanish rule.
1706–50 Under João V, gold and diamonds from Brazil kick-start a second golden age; lavish building programmes include the Aqueduto das Águas Livres.
1755 The Great Earthquake flattens much of Lisbon. The Baixa is rebuilt in “Pombaline” style, named after the Marquês de Pombal.
1800s Maria II (1843–53) rules with German consort, Fernando II, and establishes the palaces at Ajuda and Pena in Sintra. Fado becomes popular in the Alfama. Avenida da Liberdade is laid out.
1900–10 Carlos I is assassinated in Lisbon in 1908, while two years later, the exile of Manuel II marks the end of the monarchy and birth of the Republic.
1932–68 Salazar’s dictatorship sees development stagnate. Despite massive rural poverty, elaborate “New State” architecture includes the Ponte 25 de Abril, originally named Ponte de Salazar.
1974 April 25 marks a largely peaceful Revolution. Former Portuguese colonies are granted independence, leading to large-scale immigration.
1986 Entry to the European Community enables a rapid redevelopment of Lisbon.
1990s Lisbon’s role as Capital of Culture (1994) and host of Expo ’98 helps fund a metro extension, the Ponte Vasco da Gama and the Parque das Nações.
2000–05 In 2004 Lisbon hosts the European Football Championships. Fado star Mariza brings the music to an international audience.
2005–2015 EU leaders sign the Lisbon Treaty on Dec 13, 2007, agreeing a draft constitution. Ten new upmarket hotels open in 2014, adding to Lisbon’s burgeoning hotel scene.
2016 Socialist António Costa wins a controversial election with the support of the Communist party, vowing to “turn the page on austerity”.
2018 Lisbon’s Altice Arena hosts the Eurovision Song Contest, boosting an already record-high number of visitors to the city.