History of Canada in Timeline

Canada is a North American country spanning from the Atlantic to Pacific and Arctic Oceans, making it the world's second-largest by area and possessing the longest coastline. It shares the world's longest international land border with the United States. The country exhibits diverse geological and meteorological regions. Its population exceeds 41 million, with most inhabitants residing in urban centers, resulting in sparsely populated regions. Ottawa is the capital, while Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver are its largest metropolitan areas.

1905: Alberta and Saskatchewan Become Provinces

In 1905, Alberta and Saskatchewan became provinces of Canada.

1914: Canada Enters First World War

In 1914, Canada automatically entered the First World War due to Britain's declaration of war.

1917: Conscription Crisis of 1917

In 1917, the Conscription Crisis erupted over the proposal to augment the military with conscription, which was opposed by French-speaking Quebecers.

1919: Canada Joins League of Nations

In 1919, Canada joined the League of Nations independently of Britain.

1921: Previous record of landed immigrants

The 2021 census indicated that 8.3 million people, or almost one-quarter (23.0 percent) of the population, reported themselves as being or having been a landed immigrant or permanent resident in Canada—above the 1921 census previous record of 22.3 percent.

1931: Statute of Westminster Affirms Canada's Independence

In 1931, the Statute of Westminster affirmed Canada's independence.

1931: Statute of Westminster

In 1931, the Statute of Westminster granted Canada full autonomy.

1934: Newfoundland Relinquishes Responsible Government

In 1934, the Dominion of Newfoundland relinquished responsible government and became a Crown colony.

September 10, 1939: Canada Declares War on Germany

On September 10, 1939, Canada declared war on Germany, seven days after the United Kingdom, underscoring Canada's independence.

December 1939: First Canadian Army Units Arrive in Britain

In December 1939, the first Canadian Army units arrived in Britain.

1942: Dieppe Raid

In 1942, Canadian troops played a role in the failed Dieppe Raid.

1944: Conscription Crisis in Quebec

In 1944, another conscription crisis occurred in Quebec.

1945: Canada becomes a founding member of the UN

In 1945, Canada was a founding member of the United Nations (UN).

1948: Canada ratifies the UDHR

In 1948, Canada ratified the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).

1948: Temperature Increase

Since 1948, Canada's annual average temperature over land has risen by 1.7 °C (3.1 °F).

1949: Newfoundland Joins Canada

In 1949, Newfoundlanders voted to join Canada as a province.

1958: Formation of NORAD

In 1958, Canada formed the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) with the United States.

1961: Size of visible minority groups in 1961

In 1961, about 300,000 people, less than two percent of Canada's population, were members of visible minority groups.

1962: Launch of Alouette 1

In 1962, Canada launched its first satellite, Alouette 1.

1965: Adoption of the Maple Leaf Flag

In 1965, Canada adopted the maple leaf flag.

1969: Implementation of Official Bilingualism

In 1969, Canada implemented official bilingualism (English and French).

1970: October Crisis

In 1970, the Front de libération du Québec (FLQ) ignited the October Crisis with bombings and kidnappings.

1971: Institution of Official Multiculturalism

In 1971, Canada instituted official multiculturalism.

1974: Quebec's Official Language Act

In 1974, Quebec's Official Language Act established French as the only official language of the province.

1976: 1976 Summer Olympics

Canada hosted the 1976 Summer Olympics.

1976: Parti Québécois Elected

In 1976, the sovereigntist Parti Québécois was elected in Quebec.

1980: "O Canada" Adopted

In 1980, "O Canada", originally composed in French in 1880, was adopted as the country's official anthem.

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1980: Referendum on Sovereignty-Association

In 1980, a referendum on sovereignty-association was held in Quebec but was unsuccessful.

1982: Section 35 of the Constitution Act

In 1982, Section 35 of the Constitution Act reaffirmed the role of Aboriginal law and the rights they support.

1982: Canada Act 1982 and Constitution Patriation

In 1982, the Canada Act 1982 patriated Canada's constitution from the United Kingdom and created the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

1982: Canada Act 1982

In 1982, the Canada Act 1982 severed the vestiges of legal dependence on the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

1982: Canada Act and Canada Day

In 1982, the Canada Act brought the Constitution of Canada fully under Canadian control and the name of the national holiday was changed from Dominion Day to Canada Day.

1982: Constitution Act

The Constitution Act in 1982 requires that no more than five years pass between elections.

1984: Canada Health Act

In 1984, the Canada Health Act was established, guiding the provincial and territorial systems of publicly funded healthcare, known as Medicare, ensuring universal access to healthcare services.

1985: Air India Flight 182 Explosion

In 1985, Air India Flight 182 exploded, marking the largest mass murder in Canadian history.

1988: 1988 Winter Olympics

Canada hosted the 1988 Winter Olympics.

1988: Canada – United States Free Trade Agreement (FTA)

In 1988, the Canada – United States Free Trade Agreement (FTA) eliminated tariffs between the two countries.

1989: Founding member of APEC

In 1989, Canada was a founding member of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC).

1989: École Polytechnique Massacre

In 1989, the École Polytechnique massacre occurred, a university shooting targeting female students.

1990: Canada joins the OAS

In 1990, Canada joined the Organization of American States (OAS).

1990: Failure of Meech Lake Accord

In 1990, the Meech Lake Accord, an attempt to accommodate Quebec nationalism constitutionally, failed.

1990: Oka Crisis and Gulf War

In 1990, the Oka Crisis, a violent confrontation between provincial governments and Indigenous groups, occurred, and Canada joined the Gulf War.

1990: Greenhouse Gas Emitters

Since 1990, Canada is one of the largest greenhouse gas emitters globally.

1994: North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)

In 1994, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) expanded the free-trade zone to include Mexico.

1995: Second Referendum on Sovereignty

In 1995, a second referendum was held, in which sovereignty was rejected by a slimmer margin of 50.6 to 49.4 percent.

1997: Supreme Court Ruling and Clarity Act

In 1997, the Supreme Court ruled unilateral secession by a province would be unconstitutional, and the Clarity Act was passed.

1999: Nunavut Became Canada's Third Territory

In 1999, Nunavut became Canada's third territory after negotiations with the federal government.

2001: Canada Sends Troops to Afghanistan

In 2001, Canada sent troops to Afghanistan, resulting in the largest amount of Canadian deaths for any single military mission since the Korean War.

2003: Reluctance to participate in Iraq invasion

Since the 21st century, Canadian direct participation in UN peacekeeping efforts has greatly declined. Canada has long been reluctant to participate in military operations that are not sanctioned by the United Nations, such as the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

2008: Reconciliation Commission Formation

In 2008, the Government of Canada formed a reconciliation commission to address Indigenous issues.

2010: 2010 Winter Olympics

Canada hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics.

2011: Visible minority population growth

Between 2011 and 2016, the visible minority population rose by 18.4 percent.

2011: Participation in the Libyan Civil War

In 2011, Canadian forces participated in the NATO-led intervention into the Libyan Civil War.

2015: Lake Superior NMCA Established

Established in 2015, Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area is the world's largest freshwater protected area.

2015: 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, 2015 Pan American Games and 2015 Parapan American Games

In 2015, Canada hosted the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, the 2015 Pan American Games, and the 2015 Parapan American Games.

2016: Visible minority population growth

Between 2011 and 2016, the visible minority population rose by 18.4 percent.

2016: Growth of Indigenous population

From 2016 to 2021, the Indigenous population grew by 9.4 percent, compared to the non-Indigenous population, which grew by 5.3 percent.

2016: Health Report

In 2016, a report indicated that 88 percent of Canadians reported having good or very good health.

2016: Canadian census of 2016

The 2021 Canadian census enumerated a total population of 36,991,981, an increase of around 5.2 percent over the 2016 figure.

2017: Richard Wagner becomes Chief Justice

In 2017, Richard Wagner became the Chief Justice of Canada, leading the Supreme Court.

2018: Scott Islands Marine National Wildlife Area Established

Established in 2018, Scott Islands Marine National Wildlife Area is Canada's largest national wildlife region.

2018: Trade deficit in 2018

In 2018, Canada had a trade deficit in goods of $22 billion and a trade deficit in services of $25 billion.

January 27, 2020: Start of the COVID-19 Pandemic

On January 27, 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic began in Canada, causing widespread social and economic disruption.

2020: Expenditure on domestic research and development

In 2020, Canada spent approximately $41.9 billion on domestic research and development.

2021: Largest religion in Canada

According to the 2021 census, Christianity is the largest religion in Canada.

2021: Canadians listed a non-official language

As of the 2021 census, just over 7.8 million Canadians listed a non-official language as their first language.

2021: Canadian trade in goods and services

In 2021, Canadian trade in goods and services reached $2.016 trillion.

2021: Commonwealth Fund's Report

In 2021, The Commonwealth Fund's report compared the healthcare systems of the 11 most developed countries and ranked Canada second-to-last, citing issues such as infant mortality rate, chronic conditions, wait times, after-hours care, and coverage for prescription drugs and dental care.

2021: Possible Gravesites Found Near Residential Schools

In 2021, possible gravesites of Indigenous children were found near former Canadian residential schools.

2021: Population demographics in 2021

Of the 36.3 million people enumerated in 2021, approximately 24.5 million reported being "White", representing 67.4 percent of the population.

2021: Ethnic or cultural origins reported

Respondents in the 2021 Canadian census self-reported over 450 "ethnic or cultural origins".

2021: Canadian census of 2021

The 2021 Canadian census enumerated a total population of 36,991,981, an increase of around 5.2 percent over the 2016 figure.

2021: Number of landed immigrants

2021: Largest ethnic origins reported in 2021

The country's ten largest self-reported ethnic or cultural origins in 2021 were Canadian, English, Irish, Scottish, French, German, Chinese, Italian, Indian, and Ukrainian.

2022: OECD Report on Education

According to a 2022 report by the OECD, Canada ranks first worldwide in the percentage of adults having tertiary education, with over 56 percent of Canadian adults having attained at least an undergraduate college or university degree. Also as of 2022, 89 percent of adults aged 25 to 64 have earned the equivalent of a high-school degree.

2022: Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Between 1990 and 2022, Canada's greenhouse gas emissions increased by 16.5 percent.

2022: Refugee resettlement

Canada resettled more than 47,600 refugees in 2022.

2022: Canada's military expenditure in 2022

In 2022, Canada's military expenditure totalled approximately $26.9 billion, about 1.2 percent of the country's GDP.

2022: Per-Capita Spending on Health Expenditures

In 2022, Canada's per-capita spending on health expenditures ranked 12th among OECD health-care systems.

2022: Supplementary estimates for research and development

Supplementary estimates for 2022 placed Canada's expenditure on domestic research and development at $43.2 billion.

2023: Nobel laureates in 2023

As of 2023, Canada has produced 15 Nobel laureates in physics, chemistry, and medicine.

2023: Free trade agreements in 2023

As of 2023, Canada is a signatory to 15 free trade agreements with 51 different countries.

2023: Corruption Perceptions Index rank

Canada ranked low in the Corruption Perceptions Index in 2023, placing 14th.

2023: Most Commonly Reported Sport

In 2023, swimming was the most commonly reported sport by over one-third (35 percent) of Canadians, followed by cycling (33 percent) and running (27 percent).