History of Belgium in Timeline

Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe in the Low Countries. Bordered by the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, and France, it has a population exceeding 11.8 million and a high population density. Brussels is the capital and largest metropolitan region, with other major cities including Antwerp, Ghent, Charleroi, Liège, Bruges, Namur, and Leuven.

1900: Growing international concern for the extreme and savage treatment of the Congolese population

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

1907: Bakelite Development

Bakelite was developed in 1907–1909 by Leo Baekeland.

1908: Belgian state assumed responsibility for the government of the colony

In 1908, the Belgian state assumed responsibility for the government of the colony, henceforth called the Belgian Congo.

1909: Bakelite Development

Bakelite was developed in 1907–1909 by Leo Baekeland.

1910: Belgium as one of the most industrialized nations

By 1910, Belgium was one of the three most industrialized nations in the world.

1911: First Solvay Conferences on Physics and Chemistry

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

1911: Maurice Maeterlinck wins Nobel Prize

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

August 1914: Germany invaded Belgium

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

1919: Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine awarded to Jules Bordet

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

1919: Belgian commission estimated Congo's population was half what it was in 1879

In 1919, a Belgian commission estimated that Congo's population was half what it was in 1879.

1919: Universal suffrage for men introduced

Until 1919 plural voting was used for men, after that date universal suffrage was introduced.

1920: Summer Olympics in Antwerp

The 1920 Summer Olympics were held in Antwerp.

1922: Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union

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

1924: League of Nations mandated Ruanda-Urundi to Belgium

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

1925: Belgium annexed the Prussian districts of Eupen and Malmedy

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

1927: Big Bang theory proposed

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

1938: Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine awarded to Corneille Heymans

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

May 1940: German forces invaded Belgium

In May 1940, German forces again invaded Belgium, leading to the occupation and the Holocaust.

September 1944: Allies liberated Belgium

From September 1944 to February 1945 the Allies liberated Belgium.

February 1945: Allies liberated Belgium

From September 1944 to February 1945 the Allies liberated Belgium.

March 1948: Belgium signs the Treaty of Brussels

In March 1948 Belgium signed the Treaty of Brussels, making collective security a priority for Belgian foreign policy.

1949: Universal suffrage for women introduced

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

1951: Belgium became one of the six founding members of the European Coal and Steel Community

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

1951: King Leopold III abdicated

In 1951, King Leopold III abdicated in favour of his son, Prince Baudouin, due to accusations of collaboration with Germany during World War II.

1957: Belgium became one of the six founding members of the European Atomic Energy Community and European Economic Community

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

1958: String of Christian Democrat coalition governments

A string of Christian Democrat coalition governments from 1958 was broken in 1999 after the first dioxin crisis.

1960: Belgian Congo gained independence

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

1960: Independence of the Belgian Congo

In 1960, the Belgian Congo gained independence, marking a significant shift in Belgium's colonial history.

1960: Life expectancy growth

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

1962: Independence of Ruanda-Urundi

In 1962, Ruanda-Urundi gained independence from Belgium, completing the decolonization of Belgium's major African territories.

1967: Parliament accepted a Dutch version of the Constitution

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

1970: Decrease in Rail Network Density

From 1970 to 1999, Belgium saw an 18% decrease in rail network density.

1970: Transition from unitary to federal structure

In 1970, Belgium initiated a transition from a unitary to a federal structure, driven by rising tensions between Dutch-speakers and French-speakers.

1970: Constitutional Revisions

In 1970, consecutive revisions of the country's constitution began, establishing a unique form of a federal state with segregated political power into three levels.

1970: National political parties split

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

1972: Euro

Belgium hosted the Euro 1972.

1973: Oil Crisis

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

1974: Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine awarded to 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 in Chemistry awarded to Ilya Prigogine

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

1977: European Basketball Championship

The 1977 European Basketball Championship was held in Liège and Ostend.

1978: Fields Medal awarded to Pierre Deligne

In 1978, Pierre Deligne was awarded the Fields Medal.

1979: Oil Crisis

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

1980: Constitutional Revisions

In 1980, consecutive revisions of the country's constitution continued, establishing a unique form of a federal state with segregated political power into three levels.

1980: Creation of Communities and Regions

In 1980, when the Communities and Regions were created, Flemish politicians decided to merge both entities.

1980: Euro

The Belgium national football team achieved silver medals at Euro 1980.

1984: Modification of Belgian nationality law

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

1988: Constitutional Revisions

In 1988, consecutive revisions of the country's constitution continued, establishing a unique form of a federal state with segregated political power into three levels.

1990: Forest cover

In 1990, forest cover in Belgium was 677,400 hectares (ha).

1993: Federal structure transition

In 1993, Belgium transitioned from a unitary to federal structure, fueled by differences in political culture and unequal economic development.

1993: Constitutional Revisions

In 1993, consecutive revisions of the country's constitution concluded, establishing a unique form of a federal state with segregated political power into three levels.

1994: Fields Medal awarded to Jean Bourgain

In 1994, Jean Bourgain was awarded the Fields Medal.

1995: Abolishment of conscription

Conscription was abolished in Belgium in 1995 and the Belgian military consists of volunteers.

1997: English Edition

An English edition was released in 1997.

1998: Sunday church attendance in Belgium

Sunday church attendance in 1998 was 11% for the total of Belgium.

1999: Growth of the Motorway Network

From 1970 to 1999, Belgium experienced a 56% growth in the motorway network. In 1999, the density of km motorways per 1000 km and 1000 inhabitants amounted to 55.1 and 16.5 respectively.

1999: Guy Verhofstadt became Prime Minister

From 1999 to 2007, the government led by Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt achieved a balanced budget, some tax reforms, a labor-market reform, scheduled nuclear phase-out and instigated legislation allowing more stringent war crime and more lenient soft drug usage prosecution.

1999: Minting of Euro Coins

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

1999: Dioxin crisis

The string of Christian Democrat coalition governments from 1958 was broken in 1999 after the first dioxin crisis, a major food contamination scandal.

2000: Average temperatures and rainfall higher than last century's normal values

Averages for the years 2000 to 2006 show daily temperature minimums of 7 °C (44.6 °F) and maximums of 14 °C (57.2 °F) and monthly rainfall of 74 mm (2.9 in); these are about 1 °C and nearly 10 millimeters above last century's normal values, respectively.

2000: Euro

Belgium co-hosted the Euro 2000 with the Netherlands.

2000: Growth of the port of Antwerp

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: Postsecondary education enrollment

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

2002: Introduction of the Euro

In 2002, Belgium switched to the euro from the Belgian franc.

2003: Greens lost most of their seats in the election

A "purple coalition" of Liberals and Social Democrats formed after the Greens lost most of their seats in the 2003 election.

2003: Belgium legalised same-sex marriage

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

2005: Real GDP growth rates and unemployment rates

In 2005, Belgium's real GDP growth rate was 1.5% and the unemployment rate was 8.4%.

2006: Budget balance and public debt

As of 2006, Belgium's budget was balanced and public debt was equal to 90.30% of GDP. Real GDP growth rate was 3.0% and unemployment rate was 8.2%.

2006: Average temperatures and rainfall higher than last century's normal values

June 2007: Verhofstadt's coalition fared badly in the elections

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

June 2007: Yves Leterme winner of the federal elections

Yves Leterme was the actual winner of the federal elections of June 2007.

December 2007: Temporary Verhofstadt III Government

From 21 December 2007 until 20 March 2008 the temporary Verhofstadt III Government was in office.

2007: Economic Gap Between Flanders and Wallonia

As of 2007, the unemployment rate of Wallonia is over double that of Flanders, playing a key part in the tensions between the Flemish and Walloons.

2007: End of Verhofstadt government

2007: Belgium's Global Trade Ranking

In 2007, Belgium's location at the heart of a highly industrialized region helped make it the world's 15th largest trading nation.

2007: Belgian citizenship statistics

In 2007, nearly 92% of the population had Belgian citizenship, with other European Union member citizens accounting for around 6%. The most prevalent foreign nationals included Italian, French, Dutch, Moroccan, Portuguese, Spanish, Turkish, and German citizens. Also in 2007, there were 1.38 million foreign-born residents in Belgium, which was 12.9% of the total population.

March 2008: Temporary Verhofstadt III Government

From 21 December 2007 until 20 March 2008 the temporary Verhofstadt III Government was in office.

July 2008: Leterme offered the resignation of the cabinet to the King

On 15 July 2008 Leterme offered the resignation of the cabinet to the King, as no progress in constitutional reforms had been made.

December 2008: Leterme offered his resignation after a crisis surrounding the sale of Fortis to BNP Paribas

In December 2008, Leterme once more offered his resignation after a crisis surrounding the sale of Fortis to BNP Paribas.

November 2009: Herman Van Rompuy designated the first permanent President of the European Council

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

2009: Sunday church attendance

By 2009, Sunday church attendance was 5% for Belgium in total; 3% in Brussels, and 5.4% in Flanders.

April 2010: Leterme offered the resignation of his cabinet to the King

On 22 April 2010, Leterme again offered the resignation of his cabinet to the King after one of the coalition partners, the OpenVLD, withdrew from the government, and on 26 April 2010 King Albert officially accepted the resignation.

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 unemployment rate in Belgium had grown to 8.5%.

2010: Eurobarometer survey on beliefs

According to the Eurobarometer 2010, 37% of Belgian citizens believed in God, and 31% believed in some sort of spirit or life-force. 27% did not believe in any sort of spirit, God, or life-force.

2010: Traffic Congestion in Brussels and Antwerp

In 2010, commuters to the cities of Brussels and Antwerp spent respectively 65 and 64 hours a year in traffic jams.

2010: Federal election

The 2010 federal election resulted in a record 589 days without a government formation, highlighting the fragmented political landscape and tensions within Belgium.

March 2011: Set a new world record for the elapsed time without an official government

By 30 March 2011, Belgium set a new world record for the elapsed time without an official government, previously held by war-torn Iraq.

December 2011: Di Rupo Government was sworn in

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

2012: Average life expectancy

According to 2012 estimates, the average life expectancy in Belgium is 79.65 years.

2012: Foreign background population estimate

At the beginning of 2012, people of foreign background and their descendants were estimated to have formed around 25% of the total population, which is about 2.8 million new Belgians.

2012: Philippe Gilbert world champion

Philippe Gilbert was the 2012 world champion.

2013: Nobel Prize in Physics awarded to François Englert

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

2013: King Philippe Portrait 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

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

2014: Senate members directly elected before 2014

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

November 2015: Belgium national football team FIFA ranking

The Belgium national football team has been among the best on the FIFA World Rankings ever since November 2015, when it reached the top spot for the first time.

2015: Forest area ownership

For the year 2015, 47% of the forest area was reported to be under public ownership, 53% private ownership and 0% with ownership listed as other or unknown.

2016: Biocapacity Deficit

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

2016: Tons handled by the port of Antwerp

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

2018: Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score

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

2018: New calculation method used to measure the country's statistics

In 2018, when the country's statistics were measured, a new calculation method was used. Unlike previous calculations, this one included the area from the coast to the low-water line, revealing the country to be 160 km (62 sq mi) larger in surface area than previously thought.

2018: World Cup

The Belgium national football team achieved the bronze medals at World Cup 2018.

May 2019: Federal Elections in Flanders

In May 2019, the federal elections in Flanders saw major gains for the far-right Vlaams Belang party, while the Socialists remained strong in Wallonia, and the N-VA remained the largest party in parliament.

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 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 ($4.921 billion), representing .93% of its GDP.

October 2020: Alexander De Croo Becomes Prime Minister

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

2020: Forest cover around 23% of the total land area

In 2020, forest cover in Belgium was around 23% of the total land area, equivalent to 689,300 hectares (ha) of forest, up from 677,400 hectares (ha) in 1990.

January 2021: Belgian population origin figures released

According to Statbel figures released in January 2021, 67.3% of the Belgian population was of ethnic Belgian origin, and 32.7% were of foreign origin or nationality, with 20.3% of those of a foreign nationality or ethnic group originating from neighbouring countries.

2021: Eurobarometer on religion adherence

According to the Eurobarometer 2021, 49% of the total population of Belgium adhered to Christianity, with Catholicism being the largest denomination with 44%. Non-religious people comprised 41% of the population.

2022: Estimate of Muslim population

In 2022, sociologist Jan Hertogen estimated that approximately 9.6% of the Belgian population was Muslim.

2022: Remco Evenepoel world champion

Remco Evenepoel was the 2022 world champion.

2023: Total Fertility Rate

In 2023 the average total fertility rate (TFR) across Belgium was 1.38 children per woman and the average age was 41.6 years.

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: Active Personnel in the Belgian Armed Forces

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

2023: European Social Survey on religion

The European Social Survey in 2023 found that 59% of the population did not belong to a religion. The share of Christians was 34%, with Catholicism being the largest denomination at 31% of the population. Islam is the second largest religion with 6% of the population.