Spain

Spain: timeline and key events

17 events 🌍 Country page
  1. War

    Beginning of the Roman Conquest of Iberia

    During the Second Punic War, Rome landed in Hispania in 218 BC ; the gradual conquest of the Iberian Peninsula took nearly two centuries.

  2. War

    Muslim Invasion (Battle of Guadalete)

    Tariq ibn Ziyad's Berber troops crossed the Strait of Gibraltar and crushed King Roderic at the Battle of Guadalete, beginning Islamic presence in the Iberian Peninsula.

  3. War

    Battle of Roncevaux Pass

    Charlemagne's rearguard was crushed by the Basques in the Pyrenean pass of Roncevaux ; the death of Count Roland inspired one of the first great chansons de geste of French literature.

  4. Politics

    Reconquest of Toledo by Alfonso VI

    The capture of Toledo by King Alfonso VI of León and Castile was the greatest advance of the Reconquista, making this ancient Visigoth capital a symbol of Iberian Christianity.

  5. Politics

    End of the Reconquista and Discovery of America

    In January 1492, the Catholic Monarchs retook Granada, the last Muslim stronghold ; in October, Christopher Columbus, financed by Spain, reached the Americas, opening the era of colonial expansion.

  6. Science

    Magellan-Elcano circumnavigation

    The expedition that set out in 1519 under Magellan and was completed in 1522 by Elcano achieved the first circumnavigation of the globe, proving the Earth's roundness.

  7. War

    Battle of Lepanto

    The Holy League fleet, commanded by Don John of Austria, crushed the Ottoman fleet at Lepanto, halting Turkish expansion in the western Mediterranean.

  8. War

    Defeat of the Invincible Armada by England

    The Invincible Armada sent by Philip II to invade England was dispersed by the English fleet and storms, marking the decline of Spanish naval power.

  9. Politics

    War of the Spanish Succession - Bourbon accession

    Following the death of Charles II without an heir, the War of the Spanish Succession ended in 1714 with the Treaty of Utrecht : Philip V retained the throne but Spain ceded its European possessions.

  10. War

    Napoleonic Invasion and War of Independence

    Napoleon placed his brother Joseph on the Spanish throne in 1808 ; popular Spanish resistance, supported by Wellington, lasted six years and contributed to Napoleon's defeat.

  11. Politics

    Disaster of '98 (loss of last colonies)

    Defeat at the hands of the United States forced Spain to cede Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippines in the Treaty of Paris, ending the Spanish colonial empire.

  12. Politics

    Proclamation of the Second Spanish Republic

    Following municipal elections, Alfonso XIII left Spain and the Second Republic was proclaimed on 14 April 1931, opening a period of social reforms and political tensions.

  13. War

    Spanish Civil War

    General Franco's military uprising against the Republic in July 1936 triggered a devastating civil war lasting three years that foreshadowed World War II.

  14. Politics

    Death of Franco and democratic transition

    The death of General Franco on 20 November 1975 opened the Transición, a peaceful transition to democracy led by King Juan Carlos I and Adolfo Suárez.

  15. Politics

    Spanish Constitution (parliamentary monarchy)

    The Constitution of 1978, approved by referendum, established Spain as a decentralised parliamentary monarchy and enshrined fundamental rights, concluding the democratic transition.

  16. Politics

    Accession to the European Community

    Spain and Portugal joined the European Economic Community on 1 January 1986, completing the European integration of the Iberian Peninsula after decades of isolation.

  17. Sport

    Barcelona Olympics and Seville World Expo

    The year 1992 marked the apogee of Spain's return to the international stage : the Barcelona Olympics and the Seville World Expo symbolised the country's modernisation.