History of Europe in Timeline

Europe is a continent situated primarily in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres. Its boundaries are defined by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east. Forming part of the Eurasia and Afro-Eurasia landmasses, its separation from Asia is conventionally marked by the Ural Mountains watershed, Ural River, Caspian Sea, Greater Caucasus, Black Sea, and the Bosporus Strait waterway. It is a diverse continent with a rich history and culture.

1900: Europe's Population in 1900

By 1900, Europe's population had increased to about 400 million.

1906: Boundary along the Kuma–Manych Depression used in Russia

As early as 1906, in Russia and the Soviet Union, the boundary along the Kuma–Manych Depression was the most commonly used boundary between Europe and Asia.

1912: Balkan Wars

The Balkan Wars occurred in 1912–1913, marking the end of Ottoman rule in the Balkans.

1913: Peak in World Population Living in Europe

Around the year 1913, the share of the world population living in Europe reached a peak of slightly above 25%.

1913: Balkan Wars

The Balkan Wars occurred in 1912–1913, marking the end of Ottoman rule in the Balkans.

1914: Start of World War I

In 1914, World War I began after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria. Most European nations were drawn into the conflict.

1918: End of World War I

World War I, which began in 1914, ended in 1918, leaving more than 16 million civilians and military personnel dead.

1919: Establishment of Weimar Republic and First Austrian Republic

In 1919, following The Great War, the Weimar Republic was established in Germany and the First Austrian Republic was established in Austria.

1919: Treaty of Versailles

In 1919, the Treaty of Versailles officially ended the First World War. The treaty placed full responsibility for the war on Germany and imposed heavy sanctions.

1922: Rise of Fascist Governments

In 1922, Mussolini's one-party fascist government was established in the Kingdom of Italy and Atatürk's Turkish Republic, adopting the Western alphabet and state secularism.

1929: Wall Street Crash

In 1929, the Wall Street crash triggered the worldwide Great Depression.

1932: Soviet Famine

In 1932–1933, under Stalin's leadership, confiscations of grain by the Soviet authorities contributed to the second Soviet famine which caused millions of deaths.

1933: Soviet Famine

In 1932–1933, under Stalin's leadership, confiscations of grain by the Soviet authorities contributed to the second Soviet famine which caused millions of deaths.

1933: Hitler Becomes Leader of Germany

In 1933, Hitler became the leader of Germany and began working towards building Greater Germany.

1933: Jewish Population in Europe

In 1933, there were about 9.5 million Jewish people in Europe, representing 1.7% of the population.

1935: Germany Re-expands

Germany re-expanded and took back the Saarland in 1935.

1936: Germany Re-expands

Germany re-expanded and took back the Rhineland in 1936.

1937: The Great Purge

In 1937–38, Stalin was responsible for the Great Purge in which the NKVD executed 681,692 people.

1938: Anschluss of Austria and Annexation of Sudetenland

In 1938, Austria became a part of Germany following the Anschluss. Later in 1938, Germany annexed the Sudetenland following the Munich Agreement.

September 1939: Germany Invades Poland, Starting WWII

On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland, prompting France and the United Kingdom to declare war on Germany on September 3, opening the European Theatre of the Second World War. On September 17, the Soviet Union attacked the Baltic countries.

1939: Division of Czechoslovakia

In early 1939, the remainder of Czechoslovakia was split into the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, controlled by Germany, and the Slovak Republic.

May 1940: Germany Attacks France

In May 1940, Germany attacked France through the Low Countries.

June 1940: France Capitulates

In June 1940, France capitulated to Germany.

December 1941: Japan Attacks Pearl Harbor

On December 7, 1941, Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor drew the United States into the conflict as allies of the British Empire and other allied forces.

1943: Battle of Stalingrad

After the staggering Battle of Stalingrad in 1943, the German offensive in the Soviet Union turned into a continual fallback.

June 1944: D-Day Landings

In June 1944, British and American forces invaded France in the D-Day landings, opening a new front against Germany.

1945: Fall of Berlin

In 1945, Berlin finally fell, ending the Second World War in Europe.

1947: Founding of the Free Territory of Trieste

In 1947, the Free Territory of Trieste was founded with the UN.

1948: Founding of the Council of Europe

In 1948, European integration was advanced institutionally with the founding of the Council of Europe.

1948: Berlin Blockade

The Berlin blockade occurred in 1948 and 1949 and was one of the great international crises of the Cold War.

1949: Council of Europe Founded

In 1949, the Council of Europe was founded following a speech by Sir Winston Churchill, with the aim of unifying Europe to achieve common goals. The council includes all European states except for Belarus, Russia, and Vatican City.

1949: Berlin Blockade

The Berlin blockade occurred in 1948 and 1949 and was one of the great international crises of the Cold War.

1954: Dissolution of Trieste

The Free Territory of Trieste, founded in 1947 with the UN, was dissolved in 1954 and 1975, respectively.

1957: Treaty of Rome Establishes European Economic Community

In 1957, the Treaty of Rome established the European Economic Community (EEC) between six Western European states. The goal of the EEC was to create a unified economic policy and common market.

1958: Soviet Geographical Society's Boundary Recommendation

In 1958, the Soviet Geographical Society formally recommended that the boundary between Europe and Asia be drawn in textbooks from Baydaratskaya Bay, on the Kara Sea, along the eastern foot of Ural Mountains, then following the Ural River until the Mugodzhar Hills, and then the Emba River; and Kuma–Manych Depression.

1961: Construction of the Berlin Wall

The construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961 was one of the great international crises of the Cold War.

1967: Formation of the European Community

In 1967, the EEC, European Coal and Steel Community, and Euratom merged to form the European Community.

1975: Dissolution of Trieste

The Free Territory of Trieste, founded in 1947 with the UN, was dissolved in 1954 and 1975, respectively.

1989: Increased Trade After 1989

After 1989, trade between East and West, as well as towards Asia, increased sharply after being disrupted by world wars, new borders, and the Cold War.

1989: Fall of the Berlin Wall

In 1989 the symbolic fall of the Berlin Wall happened and the maps of Central and Eastern Europe were redrawn once more.

1989: Revolutions of 1989 and Fall of the Berlin Wall

The Revolutions of 1989, marked by the fall of the Berlin Wall, led to the dissolution of the Soviet Union. This event allowed European integration to advance significantly and marked the end of the Cold War divide.

1990: Reunification of Germany

After East and West Germany were reunited in 1990, West Germany's economy struggled to support and rebuild East Germany's infrastructure, while East Germany experienced mass unemployment and a decline in industrial production.

1990: Expansion of the European Community

Until 1990, the European Community was expanded from 6 founding members to 12.

1991: Dissolution of the Soviet Union

In 1991, the dissolution of the Soviet Union allowed the European Union to expand eastward.

1991: Economic Liberalization in Central and Eastern Europe

With the fall of communism in Central and Eastern Europe in 1991, post-socialist states underwent shock therapy measures to liberalize their economies and implement free market reforms.

1993: Formation of the European Union

In 1993, the European Community evolved into the European Union (EU), establishing a parliament, a court, and a central bank. The EU also introduced the euro as a unified currency.

1999: Introduction of the Euro

In 1999, 12 of the 15 members of the EU joined the Eurozone, replacing their national currencies with the euro.

2004: Expansion of the European Union

Beginning in 2004, more Central European countries began joining the EU, expanding it to 28 European countries.

2004: Peoples of Europe Count

In 2004, Pan and Pfeil counted 87 distinct "peoples of Europe", of which 33 form the majority population in at least one sovereign state, while the remaining 54 constitute ethnic minorities.

2005: EU Net Migration Gain

In 2005, the EU had an overall net gain from immigration of 1.8 million people, accounting for almost 85% of Europe's total population growth.

2008: Eurozone Recession

Figures released by Eurostat in 2009 confirmed that the Eurozone had entered a recession in 2008, affecting much of the region.

2008: Europe's Wealth in 2008

In 2008, the economy of Europe was the largest on Earth and the richest region, with over $32.7 trillion in assets under management compared to North America's $27.1 trillion.

2009: Europe's Wealth in 2009

In 2009, Europe remained the wealthiest region, with $37.1 trillion in assets under management, representing one-third of the world's wealth. Wealth surpassed its pre-crisis year-end peak.

2009: Eurostat Confirms Eurozone Recession

In 2009, Eurostat confirmed that the Eurozone had entered a recession in 2008.

2010: Sovereign Debt Crisis in Europe

In 2010, fears of a sovereign debt crisis developed concerning some countries in Europe, especially Greece, Ireland, Spain, and Portugal. Measures were taken by leading Eurozone countries, particularly for Greece.

2012: EU-27 Unemployment Rate

In 2012, the EU-27 unemployment rate was 10.3%, with a rate of 22.4% for those aged 15–24.

2013: Continued Expansion of the European Union

By 2013, the European Union had expanded to include 28 European countries, reinforcing Europe as a major economical and political power.

2014: Start of Russo-Ukrainian War

Since 2014, the Russo-Ukrainian War has been ongoing.

June 2016: Referendum on EU Membership in the United Kingdom

In June 2016, a referendum on EU membership was held in the United Kingdom.

2016: Europe's GDP per Capita

According to a 2016 International Monetary Fund assessment, Europe's GDP per capita was US$21,767.

2016: Income Inequality in Europe

In 2016, the richest 20% of households in Europe earned over five times more than the poorest 20%.

2018: Richest Country in Europe

In 2018, Monaco was the richest European country in terms of nominal GDP, with US$185,829 per capita.

2019: Poorest Country in Europe

In 2019, Ukraine was the poorest European country in terms of nominal GDP, with US$3,659 per capita.

January 2020: United Kingdom Withdraws from the EU

On January 31, 2020, the United Kingdom officially withdrew from the European Union, following the results of the June 2016 referendum.

2020: Migrant Population in Europe

According to the International Organisation for Migration, Europe was home to nearly 87 million migrants in 2020.

2021: EU Citizenship Granted

In 2021, 827,000 persons were given citizenship of an EU member state, an increase of about 14% compared with 2020. In addition, 2.3 million immigrants from non-EU countries entered the EU in 2021.

2021: Europe's Population in 2021

In 2021, Europe had a total population of about 745 million, which is about 10% of the world's population. This made it the third-largest continent by population after Asia and Africa.

2021: Elderly Population in Europe

In 2021, the percentage of people over 65 years old was 21% in Western Europe and Southern Europe, compared to 19% in all of Europe.

February 2022: Russia Launches Full-Scale Invasion of Ukraine

On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, escalating the Russo-Ukrainian War and causing a major humanitarian and refugee crisis in Europe.

2022: Projected Population Decline

The United Nations predicts that Europe will decline in population between 2022 and 2050 by −7 per cent, without changing immigration movements.

2023: European Population in 2023

In 2023, the population of Europe was estimated to be about 742 million according to UN estimates.

2024: Democracy Indices in Europe

In 2024, according to the V-Dem Democracy indices, Belarus, Russia, and Turkey are considered the least democratic countries in Europe.

2050: Projected Population of Europe by 2050

According to a population projection by the UN Population Division, Europe's population may fall to between 680 and 720 million people by 2050.

2050: Projected Elderly Population in Europe

Projections suggest that by 2050 Europe will reach 30% of people over 65 years old.

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