History of Azerbaijan in Timeline

Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a transcontinental landlocked country located in the South Caucasus region, at the boundary of Western Asia and Eastern Europe. It borders the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Turkey and Armenia to the west, and Iran to the south. Baku serves as its capital and largest city.

April 1918: March Days massacres

Between 30 March and 2 April 1918, the March Days massacres took place in Baku and adjacent areas of the Baku Governorate.

May 1918: Dissolution of the Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic

In May 1918, the Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic dissolved, and the Musavat party declared independence as the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR).

June 1918: Creation of the National Army of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic

On June 26, 1918, the National Army of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was created.

1918: Azerbaijani independence

In 1918, Azerbaijanis did not surrender their brief independence quickly or easily.

1918: Azerbaijan Democratic Republic proclaimed independence

In 1918, the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic proclaimed its independence from the Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic, becoming the first secular democratic Muslim-majority state.

1918: Azerbaijan name adopted by Musavat government

In 1918, the name Azerbaijan was first adopted by the government of Musavat after the collapse of the Russian Empire, when the independent Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was established.

June 1919: Premiere of The Celebration of the Anniversary of Azerbaijani Independence

In June 1919, the documentary "The Celebration of the Anniversary of Azerbaijani Independence" premiered in several theaters in Baku.

April 1920: Establishment of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic

On April 28, 1920, the Bolshevik 11th Soviet Red Army invaded Azerbaijan, establishing the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic.

1920: Nationalization of Azerbaijani Cinema

After the Soviet power was established in 1920, Nariman Narimanov signed a decree nationalizing Azerbaijan's cinema.

1920: Country conquered and incorporated into the Soviet Union

In 1920, Azerbaijan was conquered and incorporated into the Soviet Union as the Azerbaijan SSR.

October 1921: Treaty of Kars signed

On 13 October 1921, the Soviet republics of Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia signed an agreement with Turkey known as the Treaty of Kars.

1940: Country spelled in Cyrillic

From 1940, the country's name was spelled in Cyrillic script as Азәрбајҹан.

1941: Azerbaijanis fought in the Second World War

In 1941, Azerbaijanis fought in the Second World War.

February 1942: Workers awarded orders and medals

By decree of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union in February 1942, the commitment of more than 500 workers and employees of the oil industry of Azerbaijan were awarded orders and medals.

1945: Azerbaijanis fought in the Second World War

In 1945, Azerbaijanis fought in the Second World War.

1970: Literacy Rates

According to Soviet data, 100 percent of males and females (ages nine to forty-nine) were literate in Azerbaijan in 1970.

1970: Census recorded Russian and Armenian populations

According to the 1970 census, there were 510,000 ethnic Russians and 484,000 Armenians in Azerbaijan.

1989: Language Demographics in Nagorno-Karabakh

In 1989, Armenian was the majority language in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh, spoken by about 76% of the regional population.

1990: Forest cover in Azerbaijan

In 1990, forest cover was equivalent to 944,740 hectares (ha).

1990: Supreme Council adopted Declaration of Sovereignty

In 1990, the Supreme Council of the Azerbaijan SSR dropped the words "Soviet Socialist" from the title, adopted the "Declaration of Sovereignty of the Azerbaijan Republic" and restored the flag of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic as the state flag.

August 1991: Republic of Azerbaijan proclaimed independence

In August 1991, the modern Republic of Azerbaijan proclaimed its independence shortly before the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

September 1991: Nagorno-Karabakh region formed self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh

In September 1991, the ethnic Armenian majority of the Nagorno-Karabakh region formed the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh.

October 1991: Declaration of Independence adopted

On 18 October 1991, the Supreme Council of Azerbaijan adopted a Declaration of Independence.

October 1991: Creation of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan

On October 9, 1991, the Armed Forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan were created after Azerbaijan gained independence.

1991: Cyrillic script usage ends

In 1991 the use of Cyrillic script to spell the country's name as Азәрбајҹан ended.

1991: First Baku International Film Festival East-West

In 1991, after Azerbaijan gained its independence from the Soviet Union, the first Baku International Film Festival East-West was held in Baku.

1991: Azerbaijan becomes member of international financial institutions

In 1991, after gaining independence, Azerbaijan became a member of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and other financial institutions.

1991: Government measures to preserve the environment

Since independence in 1991, the government has taken measures to preserve the environment of Azerbaijan.

1992: Creation of the National Bank of Azerbaijan

In 1992, the National Bank of Azerbaijan was created based on the Azerbaijan State Savings Bank.

1993: Elchibey overthrown, Aliyev rose to power

In 1993, democratically elected President Abulfaz Elchibey was overthrown by a military insurrection led by Colonel Surat Huseynov, which resulted in the rise to power of Heydar Aliyev.

1993: New Azerbaijan Party in power

Since 1993, the ruling New Azerbaijan Party has been in power, accused of authoritarianism under presidents Heydar Aliyev and his son Ilham Aliyev.

1993: Aliyev political family in power

The Aliyev political family has been in power since 1993.

September 1994: Contract signed with international oil companies

In September 1994, a 30-year contract was signed between SOCAR and 13 oil companies, including Amoco, BP, and ExxonMobil.

1994: End of the First Nagorno-Karabakh war

By the end of the hostilities in 1994, Armenians controlled 14–16 percent of Azerbaijani territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh.

1994: Huseynov attempted coup against Aliyev

In 1994, Huseynov, attempted a military coup against Heydar Aliyev, but he was arrested and charged with treason.

November 1995: Adoption of the constitution

The structural formation of the political system was completed by the adoption of the constitution on 12 November 1995.

1995: GDP Level

By 2012, the GDP of Azerbaijan had increased 20-fold from its 1995 level.

1995: Another coup was attempted against Aliyev

In 1995 another coup was attempted against Aliyev, this time by the commander of the Russian OMON special police unit, Rovshan Javadov.

November 1996: Bahrain recognizes Azerbaijan

On November 6, 1996, Bahrain became the most recent country to recognize Azerbaijan's independence.

April 1997: Establishment of the Security Council

On April 10, 1997, the Security Council was established in Azerbaijan as a deliberative body under the president, organized according to the constitution.

October 1998: Aliyev re-elected for a second term

In October 1998, Aliyev was re-elected for a second term.

June 1999: Adoption of legal status for local state administration

On June 16, 1999, the provision determining the legal status of local state administration on local executive authority (Yerli Icra Hakimiyati) was adopted in Azerbaijan.

December 2000: Professional Holiday for Filmmakers

In December 2000, former President Heydar Aliyev signed a decree proclaiming 2 August to be the professional holiday of filmmakers of Azerbaijan.

2001: Azerbaijan joins Council of Europe

In 2001, Azerbaijan became a member of the Council of Europe and started maintaining good relations with the European Union.

2001: National protection of the environment accelerated

National protection of the environment accelerated after 2001 when the state budget increased through revenues provided by the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline.

2002: Christian Denominations

As of 2002, other Christian denominations in Azerbaijan included Lutherans, Baptists and Molokans.

2002: Azerbaijani merchant marine had 54 ships

In 2002, the Azerbaijani merchant marine had 54 ships.

2002: Establishment of the Ministry of Transport and Membership in Vienna Convention

In 2002, the government established the Ministry of Transport. In the same year, the country became a member of the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic.

2003: Ilham Aliyev became president

In 2003, Ilham Aliyev, Heydar Aliyev's son, became chairman of the New Azerbaijan Party as well as President of Azerbaijan.

2003: Number of Roman Catholics

In 2003, there were 250 Roman Catholics in Azerbaijan.

2005: Azerbaijan women's national football team secured a fourth-place finish at the 2005 European Championship

In 2005, the Azerbaijan women's national football team finished in fourth place at the European Championship.

January 2006: Launch of new Azerbaijani manat

On January 1, 2006, a new currency, the new Azerbaijani manat, was launched to cement the economic reforms.

May 2006: Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline becomes operational

In May 2006, the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline (BTC) became operational. It extends more than 1,774 km through Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey, designed to transport up to 50 million tons of crude oil annually from the Caspian Sea oilfields to global markets.

May 2006: Azerbaijan elected to Human Rights Council

On May 9, 2006, Azerbaijan was elected to membership in the newly established Human Rights Council by the United Nations General Assembly.

June 2006: Term of office begins for Human Rights Council

On June 19, 2006, Azerbaijan's term of office began in the Human Rights Council after being elected in May.

2006: Gallup Poll on Religion's Importance

In a 2006-2008 Gallup poll, only 21% of respondents from Azerbaijan stated that religion is an important part of their daily lives.

2007: Agricultural land area in Azerbaijan

At the beginning of 2007, there were 4,755,100 hectares of used agricultural area in Azerbaijan and the total wood resources counted 136 million m.

2007: Inflation rate reaches 16.6% in Q1

In 2007, pushed by spending and demand growth, the Q1 inflation rate in Azerbaijan reached 16.6%.

2008: Azerbaijan's Eurovision Debut

Azerbaijan made its debut appearance at the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest.

2008: Gallup Poll on Religion's Importance

In a 2006-2008 Gallup poll, only 21% of respondents from Azerbaijan stated that religion is an important part of their daily lives.

2009: Literacy Rate

According to the United Nations Development Program Report, the literacy rate in Azerbaijan is 99.5 percent in 2009.

2009: Telephone Lines and Internet Users in Azerbaijan

As of 2009, there were 1,397,000 main telephone lines and 1,485,000 internet users in Azerbaijan. There are four GSM providers: Azercell, Bakcell, Azerfon (Nar Mobile), Nakhtel mobile network operators and one CDMA.

2009: Azerbaijan's ashiq art included in UNESCO list

Azerbaijan's ashiq art was included in the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 2009.

2009: Eurovision Song Contest

Azerbaijan's entry gained third place in the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest.

2009: 2009 Rhythmic Gymnastics European Championships

In 2009, Azerbaijan hosted the Rhythmic Gymnastics European Championships.

2009: European Team Chess Championship winners in 2009

In 2009, Azerbaijan won the European Team Chess Championship.

2009: Araz Naxçivan clinched bronze medals at the 2009–10 UEFA Futsal Cup

In 2009, the domestic club Araz Naxçivan won bronze medals at the 2009-10 UEFA Futsal Cup.

November 2010: Azerbaijani Carpet Proclaimed Masterpiece by UNESCO

In November 2010, the Azerbaijani carpet was proclaimed a Masterpiece of Intangible Heritage by UNESCO.

2010: Railway and Airport Infrastructure in Azerbaijan

By 2010, Broad-gauge railways and electrified railways stretched for 2,918 km and 1,278 km respectively. Also, by 2010, there were 35 airports and one heliport.

2010: Parliamentary Election

In 2010, Azerbaijan held a Parliamentary election in which the opposition parties, Musavat and Azerbaijani Popular Front Party, failed to win a single seat. European observers reported numerous irregularities before and during the election.

2010: 2010 European Wrestling Championships

In 2010, Azerbaijan hosted the European Wrestling Championships.

2010: Growth in visitor exports

In 2010, according to a report by the World Travel and Tourism Council, Azerbaijan was among the top ten countries showing the strongest growth in visitor exports between 2010 and 2016.

2010: Azerbaijan national futsal team reached fourth place in the 2010 UEFA Futsal Championship

In 2010, the Azerbaijan national futsal team achieved fourth place in the UEFA Futsal Championship.

2011: Azerbaijan Wins Eurovision

Ell and Nikki won first place at the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 with the song "Running Scared", entitling Azerbaijan to host the contest in 2012.

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2011: 2011 AIBA World Boxing Championships

In 2011, Azerbaijan hosted the AIBA World Boxing Championships.

2011: Azerbaijan elected as non-permanent member of the UN Security Council

In 2011, Azerbaijan was first elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council with the support of 155 countries.

2011: Population Growth-Rate and Migration in Azerbaijan

In 2011, Azerbaijan's population growth-rate was 0.85%, and it experienced a migration rate of −1.14/1,000 people.

June 2012: President approves regulation granting additional powers to local executive authorities

In June 2012, the president of Azerbaijan approved a regulation which granted additional powers to local executive authorities, strengthening their dominant position in local affairs.

2012: Azerbaijan Hosts Eurovision

Azerbaijan hosted the Eurovision Song Contest in Baku in 2012, after winning the competition in 2011.

2012: Increase in GDP of Azerbaijan

By 2012, the GDP of Azerbaijan had increased 20-fold from its 1995 level.

2012: Azerbaijan made covert payments to prominent Europeans, bought luxury goods and laundered money

From 2012 to 2014, the Azerbaijani leadership made more than 16,000 covert payments to prominent Europeans, bought luxury goods and laundered money

2012: 2012 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup

In 2012, Azerbaijan hosted the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup.

2012: Neftchi Baku Advances to European Competition Group Stage

In 2012, Neftchi Baku became the first Azerbaijani team to advance to the group stage of a European competition.

2012: Azerbaijan has a Formula One racetrack, constructed in 2012

In 2012, a Formula One racetrack was constructed in Azerbaijan.

2012: Forecasted Growth in Azerbaijan's Internet Sector

In 2012, rapid growth was forecast for at least five more years for Azerbaijan's large and steadily growing Internet sector.

2012: Construction of Kars–Tbilisi–Baku railway

In 2012, the Kars–Tbilisi–Baku railway was constructed to improve transportation between Asia and Europe by connecting the railways of China and Kazakhstan in the east to the European railway system in the west via Turkey.

2012: Start of US military aid to Azerbaijan

In 2012, the US started sending military aid to Azerbaijan, which was later impacted by US Congress legislation on July 1, 2021.

February 2013: Launch of AzerSat 1 Satellite

On February 7, 2013, the Azerbaijan National Aerospace Agency launched its first satellite, AzerSat 1, into orbit from Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana at orbital positions 46° East. The satellite covers Europe and a significant part of Asia and Africa and serves the transmission of TV and radio broadcasting as well as the Internet.

October 2013: Aliyev re-elected to a third term

In October 2013, Ilham Aliyev was re-elected to a third term as president.

2013: Freedom House Freedom of the Press Report

According to the 2013 Freedom House Freedom of the Press report, Azerbaijan's press freedom status was "not free", and Azerbaijan ranked 177th out of 196 countries.

2013: Azerbaijan was the main sponsor of Spanish football club Atlético de Madrid during seasons 2013/2014

In 2013, Azerbaijan became the main sponsor of the Spanish football club Atlético de Madrid.

2013: 2013 F1 Powerboat World Championship

In 2013, Azerbaijan hosted the F1 Powerboat World Championship.

2013: European Team Chess Championship winners in 2013

In 2013, Azerbaijan won the European Team Chess Championship.

November 2014: Deterioration of media environment in Azerbaijan

After several years of decline, in November 2014, the media environment deteriorated rapidly in Azerbaijan due to governmental actions to silence opposition.

2014: country's home of Shamkir Chess a category 22 event and one of the highest rated tournaments of all time

As of 2014, Azerbaijan is the home of Shamkir Chess, a category 22 event and one of the highest rated tournaments of all time.

2014: Azerbaijan made covert payments to prominent Europeans, bought luxury goods and laundered money

From 2012 to 2014, the Azerbaijani leadership made more than 16,000 covert payments to prominent Europeans, bought luxury goods and laundered money

2014: Azerbaijan was the main sponsor of Spanish football club Atlético de Madrid during seasons 2013/2014 and 2014/2015

In 2014, Azerbaijan continued to be the main sponsor of the Spanish football club Atlético de Madrid.

2014: 2014 European Taekwondo Championships

In 2014, Azerbaijan hosted the European Taekwondo Championships.

2014: Qarabağ Advances to UEFA Europa League Group Stage

In 2014, Qarabağ became the second Azerbaijani club advancing to the group stage of UEFA Europa League.

October 2015: Amnesty International report on human rights in Azerbaijan

In October 2015, an Amnesty International report pointed to "...the severe deterioration of human rights in Azerbaijan over the past few years.

2015: Forest area ownership

In 2015, 100% of the forest area was reported to be under public ownership.

2015: Azerbaijan had the largest number of journalists imprisoned in Europe

In 2015, Azerbaijan had the largest number of journalists imprisoned in Europe, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

2015: Azerbaijan was the main sponsor of Spanish football club Atlético de Madrid during seasons 2014/2015

In 2015, Azerbaijan's sponsorship of the Spanish football club Atlético de Madrid concluded.

2015: Baku was selected to host the 2015 European Games

In 2015, Baku hosted the European Games.

2015: Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report

In 2015, according to the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report of the World Economic Forum, Azerbaijan was ranked 84th.

2016: Azerbaijan biocapacity and ecological footprint

In 2016, Azerbaijan had 0.8 global hectares of biocapacity per person, half the world average, and used 2.1 global hectares per person, resulting in a biocapacity deficit.

2016: the country hosted its first Formula One Grand Prix in 2016

In 2016, Azerbaijan hosted its first Formula One Grand Prix.

2016: 2016 World Chess Olympiad

In 2016, Azerbaijan hosted the World Chess Olympiad.

2016: Fastest-developing travel and tourism economies

In 2016, Azerbaijan placed first (46.1%) among countries with the fastest-developing travel and tourism economies, with strong indicators for inbound international visitor spending in 2016, as indicated by the World Travel and Tourism Council.

April 2017: Report on Azerbaijan's secret $2.9bn scheme to pay prominent Europeans

In April 2017, The Guardian reported that Azerbaijan's ruling elite operated a secret $2.9bn scheme to pay prominent Europeans, buy luxury goods and launder money through a network of opaque British companies.

September 2017: Extension of ACG development agreement

On 14 September 2017, Azerbaijan extended the agreement on development of ACG until 2050 according to the amended PSA signed by SOCAR and co-ventures.

2017: European Team Chess Championship winners in 2017

In 2017, Azerbaijan won the European Team Chess Championship.

2017: Baku hosted the fourth Islamic Solidarity Games in 2017

In 2017, Baku hosted the fourth Islamic Solidarity Games.

2017: Qarabağ Reaches UEFA Champions League Group Stage

In 2017, after beating Copenhagen in the play-off round, Qarabağ became the first Azerbaijani club to reach the group stage of the UEFA Champions League.

2017: the Azerbaijan Grand Prix since 2017

Since 2017, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix has been held in the country.

April 2018: Aliyev secured his fourth consecutive term

In April 2018, Ilham Aliyev secured his fourth consecutive term in the election that was boycotted by the main opposition parties as fraudulent.

2018: Forest Landscape Integrity Index score

Azerbaijan had a 2018 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 6.55/10, ranking it 72nd globally out of 172 countries.

2018: Eurovision Song Contest

Azerbaijan qualified for every Grand Final up until the 2018 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, entering with X My Heart by singer Aisel.

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January 2019: Female Population and Sex Ratio

In January 2019, 50.1% of the total population in Azerbaijan was female, with a sex ratio of 0.99 males per female.

2019: 2019 European Youth Summer Olympic Festival

In 2019, Azerbaijan hosted the European Youth Summer Olympic Festival.

2019: Ethnic Composition of Azerbaijan

In 2019, according to the population census, the ethnic composition of Azerbaijan was as follows: 94.8% Azerbaijanis, 1.7% Lezgins, 0.9% Talysh, 0.7% Russians, 0.5% Avars, 0.4% Turks, 0.3% Tats, 0.2% Tatars, 0.1% Ukrainians, 0.1% Tsakhurs, 0.1% Georgians, 0.1% Jews, and 0.2% others.

September 2020: Clashes resumed in Nagorno-Karabakh

On 27 September 2020, clashes in the unresolved Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resumed along the Nagorno-Karabakh Line of Contact.

2020: Second Nagorno-Karabakh War

Following the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War in 2020, the seven districts and parts of Nagorno-Karabakh were returned to Azerbaijani control.

2020: Azerbaijan's Defense Budget

In 2020, Azerbaijan spent $2.24 billion on its defence budget, which was 5.4% of its total GDP and 12.7% of general government expenditure.

2020: UEFA Euro 2020

In 2020, Azerbaijan was a host of UEFA Euro 2020.

2020: Forest cover in Azerbaijan

In 2020, forest cover is around 14.% of the total land area, equivalent to 1,131,770 hectares (ha) of forest.

July 2021: US Congress advances legislation impacting military aid to Azerbaijan

On July 1, 2021, the US Congress advanced legislation that will have an impact on the military aid that Washington has sent to Azerbaijan since 2012.

2021: Azerbaijan Armed Forces Personnel Count

As of 2021, Azerbaijan had 126,000 active personnel in its armed forces, along with paramilitary troops and reserve personnel.

2021: Azeriqaz aims for full gasification of Azerbaijan

Azeriqaz, a sub-company of SOCAR, intends to ensure full gasification of the country by 2021.

March 2022: Urban and Rural Population Distribution

As of March 2022, 52.9% of the population of 10,164,464 in Azerbaijan is urban, with the remaining 47.1% being rural.

September 2023: Azerbaijan launched an offensive against the Republic of Artsakh

In September 2023, Azerbaijan launched an offensive against the breakaway Republic of Artsakh in Nagorno-Karabakh.

2023: Azerbaijani offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh

In 2023, an Azerbaijani offensive ended the Republic of Artsakh and resulted in the expulsion of Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians.

January 2024: Dissolution of Artsakh

On 1 January 2024 the Republic of Artsakh was dissolved and reintegrated and the expulsion of nearly all ethnic Armenians from the region happened.

2024: Global Innovation Index Ranking

In 2024, Azerbaijan was ranked 95th in the Global Innovation Index.

2024: Freedom House Global Freedom Score

In 2024, Freedom House ranked Azerbaijan 7/100 on Global Freedom Score, calling its regime authoritarian.

2024: Prosecution of journalists from Abzas Media, Toplum TV, and Meydan TV

In 2024, journalists from the independent Abzas Media, Toplum TV, and Meydan TV were prosecuted in trials that international human rights organizations described as unfair.

August 2025: Azerbaijan and Armenia committed to peace deal

On 8 August 2025, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed a joint declaration at the White House, committing to a peace deal.

2025: Global Innovation Index Ranking

In 2025, Azerbaijan moved up to the 94th rank in the Global Innovation Index.

2025: Prosecution of journalists from Abzas Media, Toplum TV, and Meydan TV

In 2025, journalists from the independent Abzas Media, Toplum TV, and Meydan TV were prosecuted in trials that international human rights organizations described as unfair.

2025: Political Prisoners in Azerbaijan

In 2025, there were 375 political prisoners in Azerbaijan.

2050: ACG development agreement until 2050

On 14 September 2017, Azerbaijan extended the agreement on development of ACG until 2050 according to the amended PSA signed by SOCAR and co-ventures.