History of Azerbaijan in Timeline

Azerbaijan is a transcontinental and landlocked country situated in the South Caucasus region, bridging Western Asia and Eastern Europe. It borders the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia (Dagestan) to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia and Turkey to the west, and Iran to the south. Its capital and largest city is Baku.

April 1918: March Days massacres

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

May 1918: Azerbaijan Democratic Republic declared independence

In May 1918, the leading Musavat party declared independence as the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR), adopting the name of "Azerbaijan".

June 1918: Creation of the National Army

On June 26, 1918, the National Army of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was created. This date is celebrated as Army Day.

1918: Azerbaijani Independence

In 1918, Azerbaijan had a brief independence.

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.

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", filmed on the first anniversary of Azerbaijan's independence from Russia on May 27, premiered in several theatres in Baku.

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April 1920: Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic established

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

1920: Azerbaijan conquered and incorporated into the Soviet Union

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

1920: Nationalization of Azerbaijan's cinema

In 1920, after the Soviet power was established, Nariman Narimanov signed a decree nationalizing Azerbaijan's cinema, which influenced the creation of Azerbaijani animation.

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 name spelled in Cyrillic script

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

1941: Azerbaijanis fight in the Second World War

In 1941, a fifth of all Azerbaijanis began to fight in the Second World War.

February 1942: Workers and employees of the oil industry 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: End of Second World War

In 1945, the Second World War ended.

1970: Literacy Rate

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

1970: Census of Ethnic Russians and Armenians in Azerbaijan

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 area in Azerbaijan

In 1990, Azerbaijan had 944,740 hectares (ha) of forest.

1990: Azerbaijan SSR drops "Soviet Socialist" from title

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: Formation of the 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 Armed Forces

On October 9, 1991, after Azerbaijan gained independence, the Armed Forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan were created according to the law on the armed forces.

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: Membership in International Financial Institutions

In 1991, after gaining independence, Azerbaijan became a member of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Islamic Development Bank, and the Asian Development Bank.

1991: End of Cyrillic script spelling

In 1991, the country's name stopped being spelled in Cyrillic script.

1991: Government takes measures to preserve the environment

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

1992: Creation of National Bank

In 1992, the National (now Central) Bank of Azerbaijan was created based on the Azerbaijan State Savings Bank, an affiliate of the former State Savings Bank of the USSR.

1993: Overthrow of President Abulfaz Elchibey

In 1993, democratically elected President Abulfaz Elchibey was overthrown by a military insurrection led by Colonel Surat Huseynov.

1993: New Azerbaijan Party in power

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

1993: Aliyev political family continuously in power

The Aliyev political family and the New Azerbaijan Party established by Heydar Aliyev have been continuously in power since 1993.

September 1994: Oil Contract Signed

In September 1994, a 30-year contract was signed between the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) and 13 oil companies including Amoco, BP, ExxonMobil, Lukoil and Equinor.

1994: End of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh War

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

1994: Huseynov attempts military coup

In 1994, Huseynov, by that time the prime minister, attempted another 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: Coup 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

In November 1996, Bahrain was the most recent country to recognize Azerbaijan's independence from the collapsing Soviet Union.

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: Provision on local executive authority adopted

In June 1999, Azerbaijan adopted a provision determining the legal status of local state administration on local executive authority (Yerli Icra Hakimiyati).

December 2000: Professional holiday of filmmakers

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

2001: Increased national protection of the environment

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

2001: Membership in Council of Europe

Since 2001, Azerbaijan has been a member of the Council of Europe and maintains good relations with the European Union.

2002: Christian Denominations

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

2002: Merchant Marine Fleet

In 2002, the Azerbaijani merchant marine had 54 ships.

2002: Ministry of Transport established

In 2002, the government established the Ministry of Transport with broad policy and regulatory functions. Also, in 2002 Azerbaijan became a member of the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic.

2003: Ilham Aliyev becomes President of Azerbaijan

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

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 fourth in the European Championship.

January 2006: Launch of New Currency

On January 1, 2006, Azerbaijan launched a new currency, the new Azerbaijani manat, to cement economic reforms and erase the vestiges of an unstable economy.

May 2006: Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline became operational

In May 2006, the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline (BTC) became operational, extending 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: Election 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

On June 19, 2006, Azerbaijan's term of office began as a member of the Human Rights Council.

2006: Gallup poll on religion 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 Area

At the beginning of 2007, there were 4,755,100 hectares of used agricultural area in Azerbaijan.

2007: Inflation Rate

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

2008: Debut at Eurovision Song Contest

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

2008: Gallup poll on religion 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 was 99.5 percent in 2009.

2009: Telephone and internet usage statistics

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

2009: Inclusion of Ashiq art in UNESCO list

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

2009: Eurovision Song Contest placement

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

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 secured bronze medals at the UEFA Futsal Cup.

November 2010: Azerbaijani carpet proclaimed a Masterpiece

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

2010: Parliamentary Election

In 2010, Azerbaijan held Parliamentary elections where opposition parties failed to win a single seat. European observers cited numerous irregularities both leading up to and on the election day.

2010: 2010 European Wrestling Championships

In 2010, Azerbaijan hosted the European Wrestling Championships.

2010: Visitor Exports Growth

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

2010: Railway statistics in Azerbaijan

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

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: 2011 AIBA World Boxing Championships

In 2011, Azerbaijan hosted the AIBA World Boxing Championships.

2011: Election to 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 2011, Azerbaijan's population growth rate was 0.85%, and the migration rate was -1.14/1,000 people.

2011: Victory at Eurovision Song Contest

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

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June 2012: Regulation Granting Additional Powers

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

2012: GDP Increase

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

2012: Start of Covert Payments

From 2012 to 2014, leaked data shows that the Azerbaijani leadership made more than 16,000 covert payments.

2012: Hosting Eurovision Song Contest

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

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 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 of the Internet sector

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

2012: Construction of Kars–Tbilisi–Baku railway

In 2012, the construction of the Kars–Tbilisi–Baku railway was meant 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

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

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. AzerSat 1 covers Europe, Asia, and Africa, serving for TV and radio broadcasting and Internet transmission.

October 2013: Ilham Aliyev re-elected for third term

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

2013: Freedom House Report

According to the 2013 Freedom House Freedom of the Press report, Azerbaijan's press freedom status is "not free", and Azerbaijan ranks 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

After several years of decline in press and media freedom, in November 2014, the media environment in Azerbaijan deteriorated rapidly under a governmental campaign to silence any opposition and criticism, even while the country led the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.

2014: country's home of Shamkir Chess a category 22 event as of 2014

As of 2014, Azerbaijan was home to Shamkir Chess, a category 22 chess event.

2014: End of Covert Payments

From 2012 to 2014, leaked data shows that the Azerbaijani leadership made more than 16,000 covert payments.

2014: 2014 European Taekwondo Championships

In 2014, Azerbaijan hosted the European Taekwondo Championships and the Rhythmic Gymnastics European Championships.

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

In 2014, Azerbaijan was the main sponsor of the Spanish football club Atlético de Madrid.

2014: Qarabağ advances to group stage

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

October 2015: Amnesty International Report

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

2015: Forest Ownership

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

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

In 2015, Azerbaijan continued as the main sponsor of the Spanish football club Atlético de Madrid.

2015: Journalists Imprisoned

In 2015, Azerbaijan had the largest number of journalists imprisoned in Europe, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, and is the 5th most censored country in the world.

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: Biocapacity Deficit

In 2016, Azerbaijan had a biocapacity deficit, using more biocapacity than it contains within its territory.

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 ranked first (46.1%) among countries with the fastest-developing travel and tourism economies, demonstrating strong indicators for inbound international visitor spending.

April 2017: Report on Azerbaijani Laundering Scheme

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: ACG Development Agreement Extended

On September 14, 2017, Azerbaijan extended the agreement on the development of ACG until 2050 according to the amended PSA signed by SOCAR and co-ventures (BP, Chevron, Inpex, Equinor, ExxonMobil, TP, ITOCHU and ONGC Videsh).

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

2017: the Azerbaijan Grand Prix since 2017

Since 2017, Azerbaijan has hosted the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

April 2018: Ilham Aliyev secures fourth term

In April 2018, Ilham Aliyev secured his fourth consecutive term in an election boycotted by opposition parties.

2018: Entry to Eurovision Song Contest

In 2018, Azerbaijan entered the Eurovision Song Contest with "X My Heart" by singer Aisel.

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2018: Forest Landscape Integrity Index score

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

January 2019: Female population statistics

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

2019: Population census results

According to the 2019 population census, the ethnic composition of Azerbaijan's population was: 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.

2019: the 2019 European Youth Summer Olympic Festival

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

September 2020: Resumption of clashes in Nagorno-Karabakh

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

2020: Defense Budget

As of 2020, Azerbaijan spent $2.24 billion on its defence budget, which amounted to 5.4% of its total GDP.

2020: Second Nagorno-Karabakh War

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

2020: Forest cover in Azerbaijan

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

July 2021: US Congress Legislation on Military Aid

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: Active Military Personnel

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

2021: Full Gasification Intention

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

March 2022: Urban vs. Rural Population

As of March 2022, 52.9% of Azerbaijan's population of 10,164,464 was urban, with 47.1% being rural.

September 2023: Azerbaijan launches offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh

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

2023: Azerbaijani offensive ends Republic of Artsakh

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

January 2024: Dissolution and reintegration of Artsakh

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

2024: Azerbaijan ranked as "not free" by Freedom House

In 2024, Azerbaijan was categorised as "not free" by Freedom House, who ranked it 7/100 on Global Freedom Score, calling its regime authoritarian.

2024: Global Innovation Index ranking

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

2024: Prosecution of Journalists

In 2024, journalists from the independent Abzas Media, Toplum TV, and Meydan TV were prosecuted in Azerbaijan.

August 2025: Joint declaration signed by Azerbaijan and Armenia

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.