History of Azerbaijan in Timeline
Azerbaijan is a transcontinental and landlocked country situated at the intersection of West Asia and Eastern Europe within the South Caucasus region. Its borders include 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. 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.
May 1918: Declaration of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic
In May 1918, 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: Resistance to Reconquest
In 1918, Azerbaijanis resisted the Russian reconquest following their brief independence.
1918: Independence of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic
In 1918, the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic proclaimed its independence from the Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic, becoming the first secular democratic Muslim-majority state.
1918: Adoption of the name Azerbaijan
In 1918, the government of Musavat adopted the name Azerbaijan after the collapse of the Russian Empire.
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 theatres 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: Incorporation into the Soviet Union
In 1920, Azerbaijan was conquered and incorporated into the Soviet Union as the Azerbaijan SSR.
1920: Cinema nationalization
In 1920, after the Soviet power was established, Nariman Narimanov, chairman of the Revolutionary Committee of Azerbaijan, signed a decree nationalizing Azerbaijan's cinema.
1920: Nationalization of Azerbaijani cinema
In 1920, after the Soviet power was established, Nariman Narimanov, chairman of the Revolutionary Committee of Azerbaijan, signed a decree nationalizing Azerbaijan's cinema.
1940: Cyrillic Spelling
From 1940, the country's name was also spelled in Cyrillic script as Азәрбајҹан.
1941: Azerbaijanis in WWII
In 1941, Azerbaijanis fought in the Second World War.
February 1942: Recognition of oil industry workers
In February 1942, by decree of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union, over 500 workers and employees in Azerbaijan's oil industry were awarded orders and medals for their commitment.
1945: Azerbaijanis in WWII
In 1945, Azerbaijanis fought in the Second World War.
1970: Literacy rates in 1970
According to Soviet data, in 1970, 100 percent of males and females (ages nine to forty-nine) in Azerbaijan were literate.
1970: Census of Ethnic Groups
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
In 1989, Armenian was the majority language in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh, spoken by about 76% of the regional population.
1990: Forest Cover Statistics
In 1990, forest cover in Azerbaijan was equivalent to 944,740 hectares.
1990: Declaration of Sovereignty
In 1990, the Supreme Council of the Azerbaijan SSR adopted the "Declaration of Sovereignty of the Azerbaijan Republic" and restored the flag of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic as the state flag.
August 1991: Proclamation of 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
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, after Azerbaijan gained independence, the Armed Forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan were created according to the law on the armed forces.
1991: Azerbaijan becomes a member of international financial institutions
After gaining independence in 1991, 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 Spelling
In 1991 the country stopped using Cyrillic script.
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: Post-Independence Environmental Measures
Since independence in 1991, the government has taken measures to preserve the environment of Azerbaijan.
1992: Creation of the National Bank
In 1992, the National (now Central) Bank was created based on the Azerbaijan State Savings Bank, an affiliate of the former State Savings Bank of the USSR.
1993: Overthrow of President Elchibey
In 1993, democratically elected President Abulfaz Elchibey was overthrown by a military insurrection.
1993: Rise of the New Azerbaijan Party
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 Rule
The Aliyev political family has continuously ruled Azerbaijan since 1993.
September 1994: Contract signed between SOCAR and oil companies
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 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's coup attempt
In 1994, Prime Minister Huseynov attempted a military coup against Heydar Aliyev but was arrested.
November 1995: Adoption of the Constitution
On 12 November 1995, the structural formation of the political system was completed with the adoption of the constitution.
1995: Base GDP
By 2012 the GDP of Azerbaijan had increased 20-fold from its 1995 level.
1995: Javadov's coup attempt
In 1995, another coup was attempted against Aliyev by Rovshan Javadov, resulting in his death.
November 1996: Bahrain recognizes Azerbaijan
On November 6, 1996, Bahrain became 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 as a deliberative body under the president.
October 1998: Aliyev's Re-election
In October 1998, Heydar Aliyev was re-elected for a second term as president of Azerbaijan.
June 1999: Legal status of local state administration adopted
In June 1999, a provision determining the legal status of local state administration on local executive authority was adopted.
December 2000: Proclamation of Filmmakers' Professional Holiday
In December 2000, former President Heydar Aliyev signed a decree proclaiming 2 August to be the professional holiday of filmmakers of Azerbaijan.
2001: Acceleration of Environmental Protection
After 2001, national protection of the environment accelerated due to increased state budget revenues from the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline.
2001: Azerbaijan becomes a member of the Council of Europe
Since 2001, Azerbaijan has been a member of the Council of Europe and maintains good relations with the European Union.
2002: Other Christian Denominations in 2002
As of 2002, other Christian denominations in Azerbaijan included Lutherans, Baptists, and Molokans.
2002: Azerbaijani merchant marine
In 2002 the Azerbaijani merchant marine had 54 ships.
2002: Establishment of the Ministry of Transport and membership in the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic
In 2002, the government of Azerbaijan established the Ministry of Transport, which was given a broad range of policy and regulatory functions. In the same year, Azerbaijan became a member of the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic.
2003: Ilham Aliyev Becomes President
In 2003, Ilham Aliyev became President of Azerbaijan upon his father's death.
2003: Number of Roman Catholics in 2003
In 2003, there were 250 Roman Catholics in Azerbaijan.
2005: Azerbaijan Women's Volleyball Super League placed fourth at the 2005 European Championship
Azerbaijan Women's Volleyball Super League placed fourth at the 2005 European Championship.
January 2006: Launch of the new Azerbaijani manat
On January 1, 2006, a new currency, the new Azerbaijani manat, was launched to cement the economic reforms and erase the vestiges of an unstable economy.
May 2006: Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline becomes operational
In May 2006, the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline (BTC) became operational. This pipeline extends over 1,774 km through Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey, and it is 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 in Human Rights Council begins
On June 19, 2006, Azerbaijan's term of office in the Human Rights Council began.
2006: Gallup Poll on Religion Importance in Daily Life
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
At the beginning of 2007 there were 4,755,100 hectares of used agricultural area.
2007: Q1 inflation rate
Pushed up by spending and demand growth, the 2007 Q1 inflation rate reached 16.6%.
2008: Azerbaijan's debut in the Eurovision Song Contest
Azerbaijan made its debut appearance at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2008.
2008: Gallup Poll on Religion Importance in Daily Life
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 rates in 2009
According to the United Nations Development Program Report, in 2009, the literacy rate in Azerbaijan was 99.5 percent.
2009: Telephone lines and Internet users in 2009
As of 2009, Azerbaijan had 1,397,000 main telephone lines and 1,485,000 internet users. There were also four GSM providers: Azercell, Bakcell, Azerfon (Nar Mobile), Nakhtel mobile network operators and one CDMA.
2009: Azerbaijan wins European Team Chess Championship
Azerbaijan became European Team Chess Championship winners in 2009.
2009: Araz Naxçivan clinched bronze medals at the 2009–10 UEFA Futsal Cup
Azerbaijan's domestic club Araz Naxçivan clinched bronze medals at the 2009–10 UEFA Futsal Cup.
2009: Rhythmic Gymnastics European Championships
In 2009, Azerbaijan hosted the Rhythmic Gymnastics European Championships.
2009: Inclusion of Ashiq art in UNESCO's list of Intangible Cultural Heritage
In 2009, Azerbaijan's ashiq art was included in the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO.
2009: Azerbaijan's third place in the Eurovision Song Contest
In 2009, Azerbaijan's entry gained third place in the Eurovision Song Contest.
November 2010: Azerbaijani carpet proclaimed a Masterpiece of Intangible Heritage by UNESCO
In November 2010, the Azerbaijani carpet was proclaimed a Masterpiece of Intangible Heritage by UNESCO.
2010: Azerbaijan growth in visitor exports
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 ranked in the Global Competitiveness Report
Azerbaijan is ranked 57th in the Global Competitiveness Report for 2010–2011.
2010: Railway and airport infrastructure in 2010
By 2010, Azerbaijan had 2,918 km of broad-gauge railways, 1,278 km of electrified railways, 35 airports and one heliport.
2010: Parliamentary Election
During the 2010 Parliamentary election, the opposition parties Musavat and Azerbaijani Popular Front Party failed to win a single seat, and European observers found irregularities.
2010: European Wrestling Championships
In 2010, Azerbaijan hosted the European Wrestling Championships.
2010: Azerbaijan's national futsal team reached fourth place in the 2010 UEFA Futsal Championship
The Azerbaijan national futsal team reached fourth place in the 2010 UEFA Futsal Championship.
2011: Azerbaijan ranked in the Global Competitiveness Report
Azerbaijan is ranked 57th in the Global Competitiveness Report for 2010–2011.
2011: Azerbaijan wins the Eurovision Song Contest
Ell and Nikki won the first place at the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 with the song "Running Scared", entitling Azerbaijan to host the contest in 2012, in Baku.
2011: AIBA World Boxing Championships
In 2011, Azerbaijan hosted the AIBA World Boxing Championships.
2011: Azerbaijan elected 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
In 2011, Azerbaijan's population growth-rate was 0.85%. The country also experienced a migration rate of −1.14/1,000 people in 2011.
June 2012: Additional powers granted to local executive authorities
In June 2012, the president approved a regulation that granted additional powers to local executive authorities, which strengthened their dominant position in local affairs.
2012: Increase in GDP
By 2012 the GDP of Azerbaijan had increased 20-fold from its 1995 level.
2012: Covert Payments by Azerbaijan Leadership
From 2012, the Azerbaijani leadership made covert payments from 2012 to 2014.
2012: Formula One racetrack constructed
In 2012, Azerbaijan constructed a Formula One racetrack.
2012: Azerbaijan hosts the Eurovision Song Contest
In 2012, Azerbaijan hosted the Eurovision Song Contest in Baku after winning the competition in 2011.
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 the group stage of a European competition
In 2012, Neftchi Baku became the first Azerbaijani team to advance to the group stage of a European competition.
2012: Rapid Growth Forecast for Internet Sector
In 2012, rapid growth was forecast for Azerbaijan's Internet sector for at least five more years.
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: US sent military aid to Azerbaijan
Since 2012, Washington had been sending military aid to Azerbaijan.
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. The satellite covers Europe, Asia, and Africa and serves the transmission of TV and radio broadcasting as well as the Internet.
October 2013: Ilham Aliyev's Third Term
In October 2013, Ilham Aliyev was re-elected to a third term as president of Azerbaijan.
2013: Azerbaijan's press freedom status
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 wins European Team Chess Championship
Azerbaijan became European Team Chess Championship winners in 2013.
2013: Araz Naxçivan clinched bronze medals at the 2013–14 UEFA Futsal Cup.
Azerbaijan's domestic club Araz Naxçivan clinched bronze medals at the 2013–14 UEFA Futsal Cup.
2013: F1 Powerboat World Championship
In 2013, Azerbaijan hosted the F1 Powerboat World Championship.
November 2014: Deterioration of media environment
After several years of decline in press and media freedom, in November 2014, the media environment 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: Shamkir Chess event
As of 2014, country's home of Shamkir Chess a category 22 event and one of the highest rated tournaments of all time.
2014: Azerbaijan sponsors Atlético de Madrid during seasons 2013/2014 and 2014/2015
Azerbaijan was the main sponsor of Spanish football club Atlético de Madrid during seasons 2013/2014 and 2014/2015.
2014: European Taekwondo and Rhythmic Gymnastics European Championships
In 2014, Azerbaijan hosted the European Taekwondo Championships and the Rhythmic Gymnastics European Championships.
2014: Qarabağ advances to the group stage of UEFA Europa League
In 2014, Qarabağ became the second Azerbaijani club advancing to the group stage of UEFA Europa League.
2014: Covert Payments by Azerbaijan Leadership
The Azerbaijani leadership made covert payments from 2012 to 2014.
October 2015: Deterioration of Human Rights
In October 2015, a report by an Amnesty International researcher pointed to the severe deterioration of human rights in Azerbaijan over the past few years.
2015: Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report
According to the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2015 of the World Economic Forum, Azerbaijan holds 84th place.
2015: Azerbaijan sponsors Atlético de Madrid during seasons 2013/2014 and 2014/2015
Azerbaijan was the main sponsor of Spanish football club Atlético de Madrid during seasons 2013/2014 and 2014/2015.
2015: Selected to host European Games
Baku was selected to host the 2015 European Games.
2015: Forest Ownership
In 2015, 100% of the forest area in Azerbaijan was reported to be under public ownership.
2015: Journalists Imprisoned
In 2015, Azerbaijan had the largest number of journalists imprisoned in Europe, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
2016: Azerbaijan growth in visitor exports
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. In addition, 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.
2016: Azerbaijan Biocapacity
In 2016, Azerbaijan had 0.8 global hectares of biocapacity per person within its territory, half the world average of 1.6 global hectares per person. In 2016 Azerbaijan used 2.1 global hectares of biocapacity per person – their ecological footprint of consumption, resulting in a biocapacity deficit.
2016: First Formula One Grand Prix
In 2016, Azerbaijan hosted its first Formula One Grand Prix.
2016: World Chess Olympiad
In 2016, Baku hosted the World Chess Olympiad.
April 2017: Report on secret scheme to pay 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: Azerbaijan extended the agreement on development of ACG
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 (BP, Chevron, Inpex, Equinor, ExxonMobil, TP, ITOCHU and ONGC Videsh).
2017: Azerbaijan wins European Team Chess Championship
Azerbaijan became European Team Chess Championship winners in 2017.
2017: Islamic Solidarity Games
In 2017, Baku hosted the fourth Islamic Solidarity Games.
2017: Qarabağ reaches the group stage of UEFA Champions League
In 2017, after beating Copenhagen 2–2 in the play-off round of the UEFA Champions League, Qarabağ became the first Azerbaijani club to reach the group stage.
2017: Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Since 2017, Azerbaijan has hosted the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
April 2018: Aliyev's Fourth Term
In April 2018, Ilham Aliyev secured his fourth consecutive term in an election.
2018: Azerbaijan qualifies for Eurovision Grand Final
Azerbaijan qualified for the Eurovision Grand Final up until the 2018 edition of the contest, entering with X My Heart by singer Aisel.
2018: Forest Landscape Integrity Index
In 2018, Azerbaijan had a Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 6.55/10, ranking it 72nd globally.
January 2019: Female population percentage in January 2019
In January 2019, 50.1% of the total population of Azerbaijan was female.
2019: Ethnic composition of the population in 2019
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: European Youth Summer Olympic Festival
In 2019, Baku hosted the European Youth Summer Olympic Festival.
September 2020: Resumption of Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict
On 27 September 2020, clashes in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resumed along the Line of Contact.
2020: Azerbaijan Defence Budget
As of 2020, Azerbaijan spent $2.24 billion on its defence budget, which amounted to 5.4% of its total GDP, and some 12.7% of general government expenditure.
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 Statistics
In 2020, forest cover in Azerbaijan was around 14% of the total land area, equivalent to 1,131,770 hectares.
July 2021: US Congress advances legislation impacting military aid
On July 1, 2021, the US Congress advanced legislation that will impact the military aid that Washington has sent to Azerbaijan since 2012, because the packages to Armenia are significantly smaller.
2021: Azerbaijan active military personnel
As of 2021, Azerbaijan had 126,000 active personnel in its armed forces.
2021: Azeriqaz gasification target
Azeriqaz, a sub-company of SOCAR, intends to ensure full gasification of the country by 2021.
March 2022: Urban population percentage in March 2022
As of March 2022, 52.9% of the population of Azerbaijan, which totals 10,164,464, is urban.
September 2023: Azerbaijani Offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh
In September 2023, Azerbaijan launched an offensive against the breakaway Republic of Artsakh in Nagorno-Karabakh.
2023: Dissolution of the Republic of Artsakh
In 2023, an Azerbaijani offensive ended the Republic of Artsakh, leading to the flight of Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians.
January 2024: Dissolution and reintegration of Artsakh
On 1 January 2024 the Republic of Artsakh was dissolved and reintegrated and nearly all ethnic Armenians fled the region.
2024: Azerbaijan's ranking in the Global Innovation Index
In 2024, Azerbaijan was ranked 95th in the Global Innovation Index.
2024: Freedom House Ranking
In 2024, Freedom House ranked Azerbaijan 7/100 on its Global Freedom Score, categorising it as "not free".
2050: ACG development agreement end date
Azerbaijan extended the agreement on development of ACG until 2050 according to the amended PSA signed on 14 September 2017.
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