History of Belgium in Timeline

Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a Northwestern European country bordered by the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, France, and the North Sea. Covering 30,689 km2, it has a population exceeding 11.7 million, making it densely populated. Brussels is the capital and largest metropolitan region; other significant cities include Antwerp, Ghent, Charleroi, Liège, Bruges, Namur, and Leuven.

1900: Growing international concern for treatment of Congolese

Around 1900, there was growing international concern for the extreme and savage treatment of the Congolese population under Leopold II's rule.

1907: Development of Bakelite

Bakelite was developed in 1907–1909 by Leo Baekeland.

1908: Belgian state assumes responsibility for the Congo

In 1908, the Belgian state assumed responsibility for the government of the colony, which was then called the Belgian Congo.

1909: Development of Bakelite

Bakelite was developed in 1907–1909 by Leo Baekeland.

1910: Belgium Among Most Industrialized Nations

From 1830 to 1910, Belgium was one of the three most industrialized nations in the world due to mining and steelmaking developments.

1911: Solvay Conferences

In 1911, Ernest Solvay started a series of conferences, the Solvay Conferences on Physics and Chemistry.

1911: Maurice Maeterlinck wins Nobel Prize

In 1911, Maurice Maeterlinck, a Belgian poet and playwright, won the Nobel Prize in Literature.

August 1914: German invasion of Belgium

In August 1914, Germany invaded Belgium as part of the Schlieffen Plan, marking the beginning of the Rape of Belgium.

1919: Nobel Prize Awarded to Jules Bordet

In 1919, Jules Bordet (Université libre de Bruxelles) was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

1919: Population Estimate of Congo

In 1919, a Belgian commission estimated that the population of Congo was half of what it was in 1879, indicating significant population decline under Leopold II's rule.

1919: Abolishment of plural voting

In 1919, plural voting was abolished in Belgium.

1920: Summer Olympics held in Antwerp

In 1920, the Summer Olympics were held in Antwerp, Belgium.

1922: Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union

Since 1922, Belgium and Luxembourg have been a single trade market with customs and currency union through the Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union.

1924: League of Nations mandate for Ruanda-Urundi

In 1924, the League of Nations mandated Ruanda-Urundi to Belgium.

1925: Annexation of Eupen and Malmedy

In 1925, Belgium annexed the Prussian districts of Eupen and Malmedy, leading to the presence of a German-speaking minority.

1927: Big Bang Theory

In 1927, Monsignor Georges Lemaître proposed the Big Bang theory of the origin of the universe.

1938: Nobel Prize Awarded to Corneille Heymans

In 1938, Corneille Heymans (University of Ghent) was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

May 1940: German invasion

In May 1940, German forces invaded Belgium again.

September 1944: Allied liberation begins

From September 1944 to February 1945, the Allies liberated Belgium.

February 1945: Allied liberation ends

From September 1944 to February 1945, the Allies liberated Belgium.

March 1948: Treaty of Brussels

In March 1948, Belgium signed the Treaty of Brussels, prioritizing collective security in its foreign policy.

1949: Universal suffrage for women

In 1949, universal suffrage for women was introduced in Belgium.

1951: Founding member of the ECSC

In 1951, Belgium became one of the six founding members of the European Coal and Steel Community.

1951: King Leopold III Abdicates

In 1951, King Leopold III abdicated due to controversy over his role during World War II.

1957: Founding member of the EAEC and EEC

In 1957, Belgium became one of the six founding members of the European Atomic Energy Community and the European Economic Community.

1958: Christian Democrat Coalition Governments

A string of Christian Democrat coalition governments started from 1958.

1960: Independence of the Belgian Congo

In 1960, the Belgian Congo gained independence during the Congo Crisis.

1960: Life expectancy increasing

Since 1960, the life expectancy in Belgium, aligning with the European average, has grown by two months per year.

1962: Independence of Ruanda-Urundi

In 1962, Ruanda-Urundi followed the Belgian Congo with its independence two years later.

1967: Dutch version of the Constitution accepted

In 1967, the parliament accepted a Dutch version of the Constitution, officially recognizing Dutch.

1970: Motorway Network

From 1970 to 1999, there has seen a huge growth (+56%) of the motorway network.

1970: Constitutional Revision

In 1970, the Belgian constitution underwent a revision as part of a series of revisions that established a unique form of a federal state.

1970: State reforms initiated

In 1970, the transition from a unitary to a federal structure began as part of far-reaching state reforms.

1970: Splitting of political parties

Since about 1970, the significant national Belgian political parties have split into distinct components that mainly represent the political and linguistic interests of communities.

1972: Euro hosted by Belgium

In 1972, Belgium hosted the Euro.

1973: Oil Crisis

The 1973 oil crisis sent the Belgian economy into a recession.

1974: Nobel Prize for Albert Claude and Christian de Duve

In 1974, Albert Claude (Université libre de Bruxelles) together with Christian de Duve (Université catholique de Louvain) were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

1977: Nobel Prize Awarded to Ilya Prigogine

Ilya Prigogine (Université libre de Bruxelles) was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1977.

1977: European Basketball Championship

In 1977, the European Basketball Championship was held in Liège and Ostend, Belgium.

1978: Fields Medal for Pierre Deligne

Pierre Deligne was awarded the Fields Medal in 1978.

1979: Oil Crisis

The 1979 oil crisis sent the Belgian economy into a recession.

1980: Constitutional Revision

In 1980, the Belgian constitution underwent a revision as part of a series of revisions that established a unique form of a federal state.

1980: Creation of Communities and Regions

In 1980, when the Communities and Regions were created, Flemish politicians decided to merge both, resulting in a single institutional body for all except federal and specific municipal matters.

1980: Euro

In the Euro 1980, the Belgium national football team achieved the silver medals.

1984: Modification of Nationality Law

Since the modification of the Belgian nationality law in 1984, more than 1.3 million migrants have acquired Belgian citizenship.

1988: Constitutional Revision

In 1988, the Belgian constitution underwent a revision as part of a series of revisions that established a unique form of a federal state.

1990: Forest Cover Statistics

In 1990, forest cover in Belgium was 677,400 hectares (ha) of forest, compared to 689,300 hectares (ha) of forest in 2020.

1993: Constitutional Revision

In 1993, the Belgian constitution underwent a revision as part of a series of revisions that established a unique form of a federal state.

1993: Transition to federal structure

In 1993, the transition from a unitary to a federal structure was completed.

1994: Fields Medal for Jean Bourgain

Jean Bourgain was awarded the Fields Medal in 1994.

1995: Abolishment of conscription

Conscription was abolished in 1995

1997: Book Edition

7th edition of book published in 1997.

1998: Sunday church attendance

In 1998, Sunday church attendance in Belgium was 11%.

1999: Rail Network Density

In 1999, Belgium still had the highest rail network density within the European Union with 113.8 km/1 000 km.

1999: First Dioxin Crisis and Rainbow Coalition

In 1999, the first dioxin crisis broke the Christian Democrat coalition, leading to a "rainbow coalition" of Liberals, Social Democrats and Greens.

1999: Minting of Euro Coins

In 1999, the first sets of Belgian euro coins were minted.

1999: Verhofstadt Government

The government led by Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt started in 1999 and achieved a balanced budget, some tax reforms, and a labor-market reform.

2000: Temperature and Rainfall Averages

From the years 2000 to 2006, data shows the daily temperature minimums averaged at 7 °C and maximums at 14 °C with a monthly rainfall of 74 mm.

2000: Euro co-hosted by Belgium

In 2000, Belgium co-hosted the Euro with the Netherlands.

2000: Port of Antwerp Growth

In 2000, the port of Antwerp was the second European harbor with a gross weight of goods handled of 115 988 000 t after a growth of 10.9% over the preceding five years.

2002: Switch to the Euro

In 2002, Belgium switched to the euro as its currency.

2002: Postsecondary education enrollment

In 2002, among OECD countries, Belgium had the third-highest proportion of 18- to 21-year-olds enrolled in postsecondary education, at 42%.

2003: Purple Coalition

After the Greens lost most of their seats in the 2003 election, a "purple coalition" of Liberals and Social Democrats formed.

2003: Legalisation of same-sex marriage

In 2003, Belgium became one of the first countries in the world to legalise same-sex marriage.

2005: GDP Growth

In 2005, Belgium's real GDP growth rate was 1.5%.

2006: Budget Balanced

As of 2006, Belgium's budget was balanced, and public debt was equal to 90.30% of GDP.

2006: Temperature and Rainfall Averages

From the years 2000 to 2006, data shows the daily temperature minimums averaged at 7 °C and maximums at 14 °C with a monthly rainfall of 74 mm.

2006: Flanders religious inquiry

In 2006, an inquiry in Flanders revealed that 55% of residents considered themselves religious, and 36% believed in divine creation.

June 2007: Elections and Political Crisis

In June 2007, Verhofstadt's coalition fared badly in the elections, leading to a political crisis in Belgium.

June 2007: Federal elections

In June 2007, the federal elections were held with Yves Leterme's party emerging as the winner.

December 2007: Verhofstadt III Government

From 21 December 2007, the temporary Verhofstadt III Government was in office.

2007: Citizenship Statistics

As of 2007, nearly 92% of the population had Belgian citizenship, and other European Union member citizens account for around 6%.

2007: Economic Gap Between Flanders and Wallonia

As of 2007, the unemployment rate of Wallonia is over double that of Flanders.

2007: Belgium's Ranking as a Trading Nation

In 2007, Belgium's location helped make it the world's 15th largest trading nation.

2007: End of Verhofstadt Government

The government led by Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt ended in 2007 after the elections.

March 2008: End of Verhofstadt III Government

On 20 March 2008, the temporary Verhofstadt III Government was out of office.

July 2008: Leterme's First Resignation

On 15 July 2008, Prime Minister Leterme offered the resignation of the cabinet to the king due to lack of progress in constitutional reforms.

December 2008: Leterme's Second Resignation and Van Rompuy's Appointment

In December 2008, Leterme offered his resignation again after the Fortis crisis, and Herman Van Rompuy was sworn in as Prime Minister on 30 December 2008.

2008: Muslim population estimate

In 2008, an estimated 6% of the Belgian population, or 628,751 people, were identified as Muslim.

November 2009: Van Rompuy's Resignation

On 19 November 2009, after Herman Van Rompuy was designated the first permanent President of the European Council, he offered the resignation of his government to King Albert II on 25 November 2009.

2009: Church attendance declines

In 2009, Sunday church attendance in Belgium dropped to 5%, approximately half of what it was in 1998.

April 2010: Leterme's Resignation

On 22 April 2010, Prime Minister Leterme again offered the resignation of his cabinet to the king after the OpenVLD withdrew from the government, with the resignation accepted on 26 April 2010.

June 2010: Parliamentary elections

The Parliamentary elections in Belgium on 13 June 2010 saw the Flemish nationalist N-VA become the largest party in Flanders, and the Socialist Party PS the largest party in Wallonia.

October 2010: Unemployment Rate

By October 2010, the Belgian unemployment rate had grown to 8.5%.

2010: Eurobarometer survey on religious beliefs

According to the Eurobarometer in 2010, 37% of Belgian citizens believed in God, 31% believed in a spirit or life-force, and 27% held no such beliefs.

2010: Traffic Congestion

In 2010, commuters to Brussels and Antwerp spent significant time in traffic jams, 65 and 64 hours a year respectively.

2010: Federal election and government formation crisis

The 2010 federal election resulted in a record 589 days without a government formation, indicating a fragmented political landscape.

March 2011: New world record for time without government

By 30 March 2011, Belgium set a new world record for the elapsed time without an official government.

December 2011: Di Rupo Government

In December 2011, the Di Rupo Government led by Walloon socialist Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo was sworn in.

2012: Eurobarometer survey on religious beliefs

According to the Eurobarometer in 2012, Christianity was the largest religion in Belgium, accounting for 65% of Belgians.

2012: Population with Foreign Background

At the beginning of 2012, people of foreign background and their descendants were estimated to have formed around 25% of the total population of Belgium.

2012: Philippe Gilbert world champion

In 2012, Philippe Gilbert became the world champion.

2012: Average life expectancy

In 2012, the average life expectancy in Belgium was estimated to be 79.65 years.

2013: Nobel Prize for François Englert

In 2013, François Englert (Université libre de Bruxelles) was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics.

2013: King Philippe on Euro Coins

Since 2013, the standard Belgian euro coins designated for circulation show the portrait of King Philippe.

July 2014: Nomination of Charles Michel and Kris Peeters

On 22 July 2014, King Philippe nominated Charles Michel (MR) and Kris Peeters (CD&V) to lead the formation of a new federal cabinet.

2014: Senate Composition Change

Prior to 2014, most of the Senate's members were directly elected.

November 2015: Belgium national football team ranked first

In November 2015, the Belgium national football team achieved the top spot in the FIFA World Rankings for the first time.

2015: Eurobarometer survey on religious beliefs

According to the Eurobarometer in 2015, 60.7% of the Belgian population identified as Christian, with Catholicism being the largest denomination at 52.9%.

2015: Forest Ownership Statistics

For the year 2015, 47% of the forest area in Belgium was reported to be under public ownership, 53% private ownership.

2016: Biocapacity Deficit

In 2016, Belgium was running a biocapacity deficit of 5.5 global hectares per person.

2016: Port of Antwerp

In 2016, the port of Antwerp handled 214 million tons after a year-on-year growth of 2.7%.

2017: Total Fertility Rate

In 2017, the average total fertility rate (TFR) across Belgium was 1.64 children per woman.

2018: Forest Landscape Integrity Index

In 2018, Belgium had a Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 1.36/10, ranking it 163rd globally out of 172 countries.

2018: New area calculation method

In 2018, a new calculation method for Belgium's total surface area was used, revealing the country to be 160 km² larger than previously thought.

2018: World Cup

In the World Cup 2018, the Belgium national football team achieved the bronze medals.

May 2019: Federal elections in Flanders

In May 2019, federal elections in the Flemish-speaking northern region of Flanders saw major gains for the far-right Vlaams Belang party. The Socialists were strong in Wallonia, while the N-VA remained the largest party.

July 2019: Charles Michel Selected as President of the European Council

In July 2019, Prime Minister Charles Michel was selected to hold the post of President of the European Council.

October 2019: Sophie Wilmès becomes Belgium's First Female Prime Minister

In October 2019, Sophie Wilmès became Belgium's first female prime minister, leading the caretaker government.

2019: Defense Budget

In 2019, Belgium's defense budget totaled €4.303 billion, representing 0.93% of its GDP.

October 2020: Alexander De Croo becomes Prime Minister

In October 2020, Alexander De Croo became the new prime minister of Belgium after parties agreed on the federal government, 16 months after the elections.

2020: Forest Cover Statistics

In 2020, forest cover in Belgium was around 23% of the total land area, equivalent to 689,300 hectares (ha) of forest.

January 2021: Belgian population origin figures released

In January 2021, Statbel released data indicating that 67.3% of the Belgian population was of ethnic Belgian origin, while 32.7% was of foreign origin or nationality.

2022: Remco Evenepoel world champion

In 2022, Remco Evenepoel became the world champion.

2023: Greenhouse Gas Emissions

In 2023, Belgium emitted 106.82 million tonnes of greenhouse gases (around 0.2% of the global total emissions), equivalent to 9.12 tonnes per person.

2023: Belgian Armed Forces Personnel

In 2023, the Belgian Armed Forces had 23,200 active personnel.

January 2024: Population of Belgium

As of 1 January 2024, the total population of Belgium was 11,763,650.

2024: Global Peace Index Ranking

According to the 2024 Global Peace Index, Belgium is the 16th most peaceful country in the world.

2050: Estimated Costs of Climate Change

By 2050, the costs of climate change in Belgium are estimated to amount to €9.5 billion a year (2% of Belgian GDP), mainly due to extreme heat, drought and flooding.