Portugal: timeline and key events

Arrival of the Romans in the Iberian Peninsula

Roman armies land on the Iberian Peninsula to counter Carthage during the Second Punic War. The gradual Romanisation of Lusitania (present-day Portugal) brings the Latin language, Roman law and infrastructure that lastingly mark Portuguese civilisation.

Moorish invasion of the Iberian Peninsula

Arab-Berber troops commanded by Tariq ibn Ziyad cross the Strait of Gibraltar and rapidly conquer almost all of the Iberian Peninsula. The Muslim occupation of the peninsula, which lasts until the 15th century, leaves a deep imprint on the Portuguese language and culture.

Recognition of the Kingdom by the Pope

Pope Alexander III officially recognises the Kingdom of Portugal in the bull Manifestis Probatum, consolidating its independence on a religious and diplomatic level. This recognition confers international legitimacy on the new Iberian kingdom.

End of the Portuguese Reconquista

King Alfonso III completes the Reconquista by taking Faro in the Algarve, the last city under Moorish rule in Portugal. With this victory, the territory of present-day Portugal is fully unified under the Portuguese crown, two centuries before the end of the Spanish Reconquista.

Capture of Ceuta, beginning of maritime expansion

King John I conquers Ceuta in Morocco with his sons, including Henry the Navigator, opening the era of the Portuguese Great Discoveries. This first expansion beyond European borders marks the beginning of the Portuguese colonial empire.

Iberian Union, Portugal under Spanish rule

King Philip II of Spain, grandson of Portuguese King Manuel I, annexes the kingdom following the dynastic crisis caused by the death of King Sebastian at the Battle of Alcácer Quibir. This Iberian Union weakens Portuguese trade and colonial routes.

Lisbon earthquake

A catastrophic earthquake estimated at magnitude 8.5-9, followed by a tsunami and fires, devastates Lisbon on 1 November, killing 30,000 to 60,000 people. Minister Pombal directs the reconstruction of the city on an innovative geometric plan, completely reshaping Lisbon.

Napoleonic invasion, the Royal Court flees to Brazil

Napoleon's armies invade Portugal, forcing the royal family to embark for Brazil under British escort. This flight preserves the continuity of the Portuguese colonial empire, but lastingly weakens the country on the European stage.

Independence of Brazil, loss of the great colony

Prince Pedro, son of Portuguese King João VI, proclaims the independence of Brazil and becomes Emperor Pedro I. This separation deprives Portugal of its largest and richest colony, but takes place without major armed conflict.

Proclamation of the Portuguese Republic

A revolution overthrows the monarchy and establishes the First Portuguese Republic on 5 October 1910, ending eight centuries of royalty. This date remains the Portuguese national holiday.

Military coup, beginning of Salazarism

A military coup overthrows the First Portuguese Republic and paves the way for the dictatorship of António de Oliveira Salazar, who governs Portugal until 1968. Salazar's Estado Novo is a corporatist, Catholic and colonial regime that keeps Portugal away from modernity.

Independence of African colonies

In the wake of the Carnation Revolution, Portugal grants independence to its African colonies: Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau and São Tomé and Príncipe. This act ends more than five centuries of Portuguese colonial empire in Africa.

Entry into the European Economic Community

Portugal joins the European Economic Community (future European Union) at the same time as Spain. This accession consolidates Portuguese democracy, opens access to European structural funds and integrates the country into economic and institutional modernity.