History of Canada in Timeline
Canada is a North American country, the second-largest in the world by area, stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific and into the Arctic Ocean, boasting the world's longest coastline and land border with the United States. Characterized by diverse geographic and meteorological regions, Canada has a population of over 41 million. Population density varies greatly, with most Canadians living in urban areas. Ottawa is the capital city, and the largest metropolitan areas include Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver.
1905: Alberta and Saskatchewan become provinces
In 1905, Alberta and Saskatchewan became provinces of Canada.
1908: Anne of Green Gables published
In 1908, L. M. Montgomery produced Anne of Green Gables, the first in a series of children's novels.
1914: Canada enters the First World War
In 1914, Britain's declaration of war automatically brought Canada into the First World War.
1917: Conscription Crisis
In 1917, the Conscription Crisis erupted due to objections from French-speaking Quebecers to augmenting the military with conscription.
1919: Canada joins League of Nations
In 1919, Canada joined the League of Nations independently of Britain.
1920: Founding of the Group of Seven
In 1920, the Group of Seven was founded, aiming to capture the Canadian wilderness in their artwork.
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
In 1931, the Statute of Westminster affirmed Canada's independence.
1934: Newfoundland relinquishes responsible government
In 1934, the financial crisis led the Dominion of Newfoundland to relinquish responsible government and become a Crown colony.
September 10, 1939: Canada declares war on Germany
On September 10, 1939, Canada, under King George VI, declared war with 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 during the Second World War.
1942: Dieppe Raid
In 1942, Canadian troops played an important role in the failed Dieppe Raid.
1944: Battle of the Scheldt
In 1944, Canadian troops participated in the Battle of the Scheldt.
1944: Conscription Crisis in Quebec
In 1944, despite another Conscription Crisis in Quebec, Canada finished the war with a large army and strong economy.
1945: Founding member of the United Nations
In 1945, Canada was a founding member of the United Nations (UN).
1948: Ratified the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
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: Formed North American Aerospace Defense Command
In 1958, Canada formed the North American Aerospace Defense Command together with the United States.
1961: Visible minority groups
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
Quebec's 1974 Official Language Act established French as the only official language of the province.
1976: Parti Québécois elected
In 1976, the sovereigntist Parti Québécois was elected in Quebec.
1980: "O Canada" adopted as official anthem
In 1980, "O Canada" was adopted as Canada's official national anthem.
1980: Referendum on sovereignty-association
In 1980, an unsuccessful referendum on sovereignty-association was organized in Quebec.
1982: Constitution Act
In 1982, Section 35 of the Constitution Act reaffirmed Aboriginal law and the rights they support, including provision of services, such as healthcare through the Indian Health Transfer Policy, and exemption from taxation.
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: Canada Act and Charter of Rights and Freedoms
In 1982, the Canada Act patriated Canada's constitution from the United Kingdom and created the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
1984: Canada Health Act
Healthcare in Canada is guided by the provisions of the Canada Health Act of 1984.
1985: Air India Flight 182 explosion
In 1985, Air India Flight 182 exploded, marking the largest mass murder in Canadian history.
1988: Canada – United States Free Trade Agreement
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: Increase in Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Between 1990 and 2022, Canada's greenhouse gas emissions increased by 16.5 percent.
1990: Joined the Organization of American States
In 1990, Canada joined the Organization of American States (OAS).
1990: Failure of Meech Lake Accord
In 1990, attempts to accommodate Quebec nationalism constitutionally through the Meech Lake Accord failed.
1990: Oka Crisis and Gulf War
In 1990, the Oka Crisis occurred, and Canada joined the Gulf War.
1994: North American Free Trade Agreement
In 1994, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) expanded the free-trade zone to include Mexico.
1995: Second referendum
In 1995, a second referendum was held in Quebec, in which sovereignty was rejected by a slim margin.
1997: Residential Schools funding ends
In 1997, the Canadian government stopped funding the Canadian Indian residential schools.
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 by Parliament.
1999: Nunavut becomes a territory
In 1999, Nunavut became Canada's third territory.
2001: Troops sent to Afghanistan
In 2001, Canada sent troops to Afghanistan.
2003: Reluctance to participate in the invasion of Iraq
In 2003, Canada was reluctant to participate in military operations that were not sanctioned by the United Nations, such as the invasion of Iraq.
2008: Reconciliation Commission Formation
In 2008, a period of redress began with the formation of a reconciliation commission by the Government of Canada.
2011: Visible minority population rise
Between 2011 and 2016, the visible minority population rose by 18.4 percent.
2015: 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup and Pan American Games
Canada hosted the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, the 2015 Pan American Games, and the 2015 Parapan American Games.
2015: Canada is a well-performing OECD country
In 2015, Canada was a well-performing OECD country in reading literacy, mathematics, and science.
2016: Good Health
A 2016 report by the chief public health officer found that 88 percent of Canadians indicated that they "had good or very good health".
2016: Number of homeschooled children
As of 2016, just over 60,000 children are homeschooled in Canada.
2016: Visible minority population rise
Between 2011 and 2016, the visible minority population rose by 18.4 percent.
2016: Comparison with the non-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: Canadian Census population
The population in 2016 was used for comparison in the 2021 census.
2017: Sesquicentennial Celebration
In 2017, Canada celebrated its sesquicentennial.
2017: Richard Wagner becomes Chief Justice of Canada
Since 2017, Richard Wagner has served as the Chief Justice of Canada.
2018: Canada trade deficit
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 COVID-19 pandemic
On January 27, 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic began in Canada, leading to widespread social and economic disruption.
2020: Research and Development Spending
In 2020, Canada spent approximately $41.9 billion on domestic research and development.
2021: Canadian Census
According to the 2021 census, Christianity is the largest religion in Canada.
2021: Non-official languages listed
As of the 2021 census, just over 7.8 million Canadians listed a non-official language as their first language.
2021: Healthcare spending reaches $308 billion
In 2021, Canadian healthcare spending reached $308 billion, accounting for 12.7 percent of Canada's GDP.
2021: Canadian trade in goods and services
In 2021, Canadian trade in goods and services reached $2.016 trillion.
2021: Average age in Canada
In 2021, the average age in Canada was 41.9 years.
2021: Largest self-reported ethnic or cultural origins
In 2021, the country's ten largest self-reported ethnic or cultural origins were Canadian, followed by English, Irish, Scottish, French, German, Chinese, Italian, Indian, and Ukrainian.
2021: Discovery of possible graves near residential schools
In 2021, the possible graves of hundreds of Indigenous people were discovered near the former sites of Canadian Indian residential schools.
2021: Federal Election
In the 2021 election, five parties had representatives elected to the Parliament.
2021: 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.
2022: Canada is one of the most educated countries in the world
According to a 2022 report, Canada ranks first worldwide in the percentage of adults having tertiary education, with over 56 percent having attained at least an undergraduate degree.
2022: Refugee Resettlement
Canada resettled more than 47,600 refugees in 2022.
2022: Greenhouse Gas Emissions
In 2022, Canada's greenhouse gas emissions had increased by 16.5 percent since 1990.
2022: Military Expenditure
In 2022, Canada's military expenditure totalled approximately $26.9 billion, or around 1.2 percent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP), placing it 14th for military expenditure by country.
2022: Canada's per-capita spending on health expenditures ranked 12th
In 2022, Canada's per-capita spending on health expenditures ranked 12th among OECD health-care systems.
2022: Research and Development Spending Estimate
In 2022, supplementary estimates for research and development spending were at $43.2 billion.
2023: Canada's Economy
As of 2023, Canada has the world's ninth-largest economy.
2023: Canada Free Trade Agreements
As of 2023, Canada is a signatory to 15 free trade agreements with 51 different countries.
2023: Nobel laureates
As of 2023, the country has produced 15 Nobel laureates in physics, chemistry, and medicine.
2023: Corruption Perceptions Index
In 2023, Canada ranked low in the Corruption Perceptions Index (14th).
2023: Most commonly reported sport
In 2023, the most commonly reported sport by Canadians was swimming (35%).
2023: Canada Population estimate
It is estimated that Canada's population surpassed 40,000,000 in 2023.
2024: Global Competitiveness Report
In 2024, Canada ranked high in the Global Competitiveness Report (19th).
