Sweden: timeline and key events

Viking raid on Lindisfarne, beginning of the Viking Age

Nordic warriors (mainly Norwegian but also Swedish) raid the monastery of Lindisfarne on the English coast, marking the beginning of the Viking Age. The Swedes (Varangians) would distinguish themselves through their trade routes to the East and Russia.

Ansgar brings Christianity to Sweden

The Frankish monk Ansgar, known as the "Apostle of the North", conducts his first mission in Sweden at Birka, introducing Christianity to this still largely polytheistic country. The conversion of the country will be slow and will not truly be completed until the 12th century.

Baptism of Olof Skötkonung, first Christian king

King Olof Skötkonung receives Christian baptism, becoming the first King of Sweden officially converted to Christianity. This event accelerates the Christianisation of the kingdom and strengthens diplomatic ties between Sweden and feudal Europe.

Foundation of Stockholm by Birger Jarl

Regent Birger Jarl founds the city of Stockholm on the island of Stadsholmen, at the strategic location where Lake Mälaren meets the Baltic Sea. The city grows rapidly and becomes the permanent capital of Sweden, the "Venice of the North".

Kalmar Union, Sweden joins the Nordic union

Queen Margaret I of Denmark unites the three Scandinavian kingdoms (Denmark, Sweden, Norway) under a single crown at the Kalmar Union. Sweden, often dominated by Denmark, will seek to leave this union and finally does so in 1523.

Sweden enters the Thirty Years' War

Sweden under King Gustav II Adolf enters the Thirty Years' War in 1630 on the side of the Protestant powers. Gustav II's military victories, notably at Breitenfeld, make Sweden a European great power ("Stormaktstiden").

Treaty of Roskilde, Swedish territorial peak

The Treaty of Roskilde, signed after the Swedish victory against Denmark, cedes to Sweden the provinces of Scania, Blekinge and Halland. This is the territorial peak of Sweden, which then controls the entire Baltic coast and much of Northern Europe.

Death of Charles XII, end of the great power

Warrior king Charles XII is killed during the siege of Fredriksten in Norway. His death without a direct heir marks the end of the "Stormaktstiden" (Swedish great power era) and inaugurates the Age of Liberty with a parliament more powerful than the king.

Loss of Finland, new Constitution

Sweden cedes Finland to Russia following the Finnish-Swedish War, losing a third of its territory and a quarter of its population. In the aftermath, a new Constitution is adopted, limiting the king's powers and paving the way for parliamentarism.

Union with Norway

After the Napoleonic Wars, Norway is united with Sweden in a personal union under the Swedish crown, as compensation for the loss of Finland. This union, more egalitarian than the Kalmar Union, lasts until its peaceful dissolution in 1905.

Dissolution of the Swedish-Norwegian Union

Norway votes for independence by referendum and Sweden peacefully accepts the dissolution of the personal union. This civilised divorce is often cited as a model for non-violent resolution of a national dispute.

Voting rights granted to women

Sweden grants women the right to vote, placing them on equal civic footing with men. This reform fits into the Scandinavian tradition of gender equality and precedes by several decades the obtaining of these rights in other European countries.

Sweden maintains its neutrality in the war

During the Second World War, Sweden officially maintains its neutrality, although it grants Nazi Germany troop transit through its territory. This neutrality, criticised by some, allows the country to come through the war without destruction and emerge as one of Europe's strongest economies.

Dag Hammarskjöld dies in a plane crash

UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld, a Swede, perishes in a plane crash over Northern Rhodesia (present-day Zambia) during a peace mission in the Congo. He receives the Nobel Peace Prize posthumously, the only time in the prize's history.

Assassination of Prime Minister Olof Palme

Social-democratic Prime Minister Olof Palme is assassinated in a Stockholm street while returning from the cinema with his wife. This murder, unsolved for decades, traumatises Sweden and calls into question the sense of security inherent to Swedish society.

Sweden joins the European Union

Sweden becomes a member of the European Union on 1 January 1995, after a referendum approved by 52.3% of voters. This accession marks the end of the tradition of strict neutrality inherited from the Napoleonic Wars.

Referendum rejecting the adoption of the euro

The Swedish people reject the adoption of the European single currency by referendum with 56% of votes, a few days after the assassination of Finance Minister Anna Lindh. Sweden keeps its krona (SEK) and remains outside the eurozone.