Historical Landmarks

c.1200BC Phoenicians establish Alis Ubbo or Olisipo trading post.

c.700BC Celtic tribes arrive.

205BC Romans create Lusitania; Olisipo is made a municipality.

5th century AD After the decline of Rome,Visigoths settle in Lisbon.

711 Moors arrive on the peninsula and swiftly conquer it.

883 Northern Portugal (Portucale) regained by Christian forces.

1139 Dom Afonso Henríques declares himself first king of Portugal.

1147 Lisbon taken by Afonso Henríques.

1255 Capital of Portugal transferred from Coimbra to Lisbon.

1386 Treaty of Windsor confirms England–Portugal alliance.

1415 Explorers reach Madeira, starting the Age of Discoveries.

1498 Vasco da Gama opens a sea route to India.

1500 Pedro Álvares Cabral reaches Brazil.

1502 Construction of Jerónimos Monastery begins.

1536 Inquisition introduced.

1580 Portugal falls under Spanish rule for 60 years.

1755 The Great Earthquake devastates Lisbon.

1807 Napoleonic troops invade Portugal at the start of the Peninsular War; royal family leaves for Brazil.

1828–34 Civil war between Pedro IV and Miguel I.

1834 Religious orders dissolved and church property seized.

1908 Carlos I and Prince Luís Felipe assassinated.

1916 Germany declares war on Portugal.

1932 António de Salazar becomes prime minister and effective dictator.

1974 The Carnation Revolution restores democracy; Portugal pulls out of African colonies and a million expatriates return.

1986 Portugal joins the European Union.

2001 The euro replaces the escudo as the national currency.

2004 Lisbon hosts the European Football Championship finals.

2005 Socialists win elections and their first overall majority.

2007 Portuguese vote to legalise abortion.

2011 Portuguese negotiate an economic bailout from the EU.