History of Greece in Timeline
Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe on the southern Balkan peninsula. It borders Albania, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, and Turkey. The Aegean Sea is to the east, the Ionian Sea to the west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. Greece has a long coastline with numerous islands. Its population exceeds 10 million. Athens is the capital and largest city, followed by Thessaloniki and Patras.
2 hours ago : Mystery naval drone discovered in Greece, sparking investigation into its origin and purpose.
Greece is investigating a mystery drone found in the Ionian Sea. The drone was carrying explosives. Greek officials suspect a foreign state is linked to the drone. Investigation is underway.
1900: Jewish Population in Thessaloniki
By 1900, the Sephardi Jewish community in Thessaloniki numbered some 80,000, more than half of the city's population.
1900: High Fertility Rate
In 1900, the fertility rate in Greece was high at 5.5 children per woman.
1908: End of Macedonian Struggle
In 1908, the Macedonian Struggle ended with the Young Turk Revolution.
1909: Military Coup
In 1909, amidst dissatisfaction, military officers organised a coup and called on Cretan politician Eleftherios Venizelos.
1910: Venizelos Becomes Prime Minister
In 1910, after winning two elections, Eleftherios Venizelos became prime minister and initiated fiscal, social, and constitutional reforms.
1912: Balkan Wars
Greece pursued territorial expansion during the Balkan Wars in 1912.
1913: Territorial Expansion
By 1913, Greece's territory and population had doubled, annexing Crete, Epirus, and Macedonia.
1913: Balkan Wars
Greece pursued territorial expansion during the Balkan Wars in 1913.
1914: World War I
Greece pursued territorial expansion during World War I in 1914.
1917: Greece Enters World War I
In 1917, Greece entered World War I on the side of the Entente, uniting two separate governments.
1918: World War I
Greece pursued territorial expansion during World War I in 1918.
1923: Population Exchanges
After the population exchanges of 1923, Macedonia had an estimated 200,000 to 400,000 Slavic speakers.
1924: Establishment of a short-lived republic
A short-lived republic was established in Greece in 1924 but faced civil strife and the challenge of resettling refugees from Turkey.
1924: Abolishment of the monarchy
In 1924, following the catastrophic events in Asia Minor, the monarchy was abolished via a referendum, and the Second Hellenic Republic was declared.
1935: Restoration of the Monarchy
In 1935, Georgios Kondylis took power after a coup and abolished the republic, holding a rigged referendum, after which King George II was restored to the throne.
1936: Royalist Dictatorship
In 1936, a royalist dictatorship was established in Greece.
1936: Installation of Metaxas Dictatorship
In 1936, an agreement between Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas and George II installed Metaxas as head of a dictatorship known as the 4th of August Regime.
1941: Famine during the Winter
Over 100,000 civilians died of starvation during the winter of 1941–42.
1949: End of the Greek Civil War
In 1949, the Greek Civil War ended with the victory of the anti-communist Greek government.
1950: Rapid Economic Growth Period Begins
Beginning in 1950, Greece experienced a period of rapid economic growth.
1950: Economic Growth
Greece experienced record economic growth from 1950 to 1973.
1952: Women's Suffrage
In 1952, women's suffrage was legislated in Greece.
1959: National Centre of Scientific Research "Demokritos" Founded
In 1959, the National Centre of Scientific Research "Demokritos" was founded in Greece.
1964: First multiparty elections
The former prime minister Konstantinos Karamanlis was invited back from self-exile and the first multiparty elections since 1964 were held on the first anniversary of the Polytechnic uprising.
1965: Political Turbulence Era
King Constantine II's quick acceptance of George Papandreou's informal resignation as prime minister in 1965 prompted an era of political turbulence that was later called Iouliana.
1967: Military Dictatorship
A military dictatorship was established in Greece in 1967.
1967: Greek Junta Coup
In 1967, a coup by the Greek junta, led by Georgios Papadopoulos, suspended civil rights and intensified political repression.
1972: Plateauing of Economic Growth
In 1972, economic growth remained rapid before plateauing.
1973: End of Economic Growth Era
Greece experienced record economic growth from 1950 to 1973, ending an era of prosperity.
1973: Athens Polytechnic Uprising
In 1973, the brutal suppression of the Athens Polytechnic uprising set in motion the fall of the regime.
1973: Rapid Economic Growth Period Ends
In 1973, the period of rapid economic growth in Greece came to an end.
1974: Transition to Democracy
In 1974, Greece began transitioning to democracy, leading to the current parliamentary republic.
1974: End of Authoritarian Rule
The authoritarian rule inaugurated in 1936 lasted until 1974.
1975: Restoration of Democracy
In 1975, Greece saw the restoration of democracy.
1975: Promulgation of a Democratic and Republican Constitution
In 1975, a democratic and republican constitution was promulgated following a referendum which chose not to restore the monarchy.
1975: Enactment of the Constitution
In 1975, the current Constitution was enacted, establishing Greece as a parliamentary republic after the fall of the military dictatorship.
1979: Accession to the European Communities Signed
In 1979, Greece's accession to the European Communities and the single market was signed.
1980: Decline in Manufacturing
After 1980, Greece experienced a sharp decline in manufacturing as services rapidly replaced it.
1981: Greece joins the European Communities
In 1981, Greece became the tenth member of the European Communities, ushering in sustained growth, Andreas Papandreou came to power and implemented an ambitious program of social reforms.
1981: European Union Membership
In 1981, Greece became the tenth member to join what is today the European Union.
1981: Marriage Rates
In 1981, marriage rates in Greece were almost 71 per 1,000 inhabitants.
1982: Accession to European Communities Completed
In 1982, Greece completed its accession to the European Communities and the single market.
1984: Establishment of the Hellenic Police
In 1984, the Hellenic Police was established after the merge of the Hellenic Gendarmerie and the Cities Police forces.
1986: Constitutional Amendment
In 1986, a Constitutional amendment rendered the President's office largely ceremonial, making the prime minister the most powerful officeholder.
1994: Cooperation with European Space Agency
In 1994, the Hellenic National Space Committee began cooperating with the European Space Agency (ESA).
June 2000: Acceptance into Economic and Monetary Union
In June 2000, Greece was accepted into the Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union.
2000: World Health Organisation Report
Per a 2000 World Health Organisation report, Greece's health system ranked 14th in overall performance of 191 countries surveyed.
January 2001: Adoption of the Euro
In January 2001, Greece adopted the euro as its currency, replacing the Greek drachma.
2001: Non-Citizen Residents
According to a study from the Mediterranean Migration Observatory, the 2001 census recorded 762,191 persons residing in Greece without Greek citizenship.
2001: Population Age Distribution
In 2001, 17% of the population in Greece were 65 years old and older, 68% were between 15 and 64, and 15% were 14 years old and younger.
2002: Christos Papadimitriou receives Knuth Prize
In 2002, Christos Papadimitriou received the Knuth Prize.
2004: Marriage Rates Decline
By 2004, marriage rates in Greece had declined to 51 per 1,000 inhabitants.
2004: Hosting the Summer Olympic Games
In 2004, Greece successfully hosted the Summer Olympic Games in Athens.
2005: Mihalis Yannakakis receives Knuth Prize
In 2005, Mihalis Yannakakis received the Knuth Prize.
2005: Membership in European Space Agency
In 2005, the Hellenic National Space Committee became a member of the European Space Agency (ESA).
2007: Health Care Expenditures
Greece's health care expenditures was 9.6% of GDP in 2007.
2007: John Iliopoulos receives Dirac Prize, Joseph Sifakis receives Turing Award
In 2007, John Iliopoulos received the Dirac Prize for his contributions to the physics of the charm quark, and Joseph Sifakis received the Turing Award for Computer Science.
2007: OECD average infant mortality
In 2008, infant mortality in Greece, with a rate of 3.6 deaths per 1,000 live births, was below the 2007 OECD average of 4.9.
2008: Ethnic Greeks from Southern Albania
189,000 people of the total population of Albanian citizens were reported in 2008 as ethnic Greeks from Southern Albania, in the irredentist region of Northern Epirus.
2008: Infant Mortality Rate
In 2008, infant mortality in Greece, with a rate of 3.6 deaths per 1,000 live births, was below the 2007 OECD average of 4.9.
2008: Financial Crisis Looming
Up to 2008, Greece maintained high growth rates coupled with high structural deficits.
2009: GDP Drop
Between 2009 and 2015, Greece experienced a 25% drop in GDP due to imposed austerity measures.
2009: Deficits Revealed
In 2009, it was revealed that Greece's deficits had been considerably higher than official figures.
2009: Government-Debt Crisis Outbreak
In 2009, the government-debt crisis broke out in Greece, leading to a decline in popularity for PASOK and New Democracy.
2009: Pre-Crisis Size
In 2024, the Greek economy was forecast to grow by nearly 3%, approaching its pre-crisis size of 2009.
May 2010: First Bailout Package
In May 2010, Greece, other eurozone members, and the International Monetary Fund agreed on a €110 billion rescue package.
2010: Start of the Greek government-debt crisis
In 2010, Greece suffered from the Great Recession and related Eurozone crisis.
2010: Belief in God
In a 2010 Eurostat–Eurobarometer poll, 79% of Greek citizens responded that they "believe there is a God".
2010: Crisis of Confidence
In early 2010, Greece faced a crisis of confidence due to increased borrowing rates and concerns about its ability to repay loans.
2010: Emigration since economic crisis
Since 2010, when the population reached its peak of 11.1 million, 350,000–450,000 Greeks have emigrated due to the economic crisis.
January 2011: Kallikratis Programme Reform
In January 2011, the Kallikratis Programme reform came into effect, changing the administrative divisions of Greece.
2011: Adult Daily Smokers
A 2011 OECD report showed Greece had the largest percentage of adult daily smokers of any of the 34 OECD members.
2011: Santorini Voted Best Island
In 2011, Santorini was voted as "The World's Best Island" in Travel + Leisure.
2011: Renewable Energy
In 2011, renewable energy in Greece accounted for 11% of electricity.
2011: Broadband connections in Greece
In early 2011, Greece had 2,252,653 broadband connections, translating to 20% broadband penetration.
2011: Greek citizenship
The 2011 census recorded 9,903,268 Greek citizens (92%).
May 2012: Parliamentary Elections
In May 2012, the Greek parliamentary elections saw the left-wing SYRIZA becoming the second major party, surpassing PASOK.
2012: Growth of Greek Scientific Publications
From 2012 to 2016, Greek scientific publications grew significantly in terms of research impact, surpassing both the EU and global average.
2012: Christos Papadimitriou receives Gödel Prize
In 2012, Christos Papadimitriou received the Gödel Prize.
2012: Second Bailout Package
In 2012, a second bail-out of €130 billion was agreed upon for Greece, subject to financial reforms and further austerity.
2012: Illegal Immigrants Origin
In 2012, most illegal immigrants entering Greece came from Afghanistan, followed by Pakistanis and Bangladeshis.
2012: Major political change
In the 2012 elections, there was major political change, with new parties emerging from the collapse of the two main parties, PASOK and New Democracy.
2013: IMF Admits Underestimation
In 2013, the IMF admitted it had underestimated the effects of tax hikes and budget cuts.
2013: Save the Children Report
In a 2013 Save the Children report, Greece was ranked 19th out of 176 countries for the state of mothers and newborn babies.
2014: Public Hospitals
As of 2014, there were 124 public hospitals in Greece, with a total capacity of about 30,000 beds.
2014: Increase in Refugee Arrivals
In 2015, there was an almost fivefold increase of refugee arrivals by sea compared to the same period in 2014.
2015: GDP Drop
Between 2009 and 2015, Greece experienced a 25% drop in GDP due to imposed austerity measures.
2015: Health Care Expenditures
By 2015, Greece's health care expenditures had declined to 8.4% of GDP.
2015: Alexis Tsipras elected as prime minister
In 2015, Alexis Tsipras was elected as prime minister of Greece, the first outside the two main parties.
2015: Refugee Arrivals
In 2015, arrivals of refugees by sea had increased dramatically due to the Syrian civil war, with 856,723 arrivals by sea in Greece.
2015: Life Expectancy
In 2015, life expectancy in Greece was 81.1 years, slightly above the EU average of 80.6.
2015: Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)
The average Greek pupil scored 458 in reading literacy, maths, and science in the OECD's 2015 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).
2016: Growth of Greek Scientific Publications
From 2012 to 2016, Greek scientific publications grew significantly in terms of research impact, surpassing both the EU and global average.
2016: Crude Birth Rate
In 2016, the crude birth rate in Greece was 8.5 per 1,000 inhabitants.
2017: Internet Usage
Around 82% of the population in Greece used the internet regularly in 2017.
2017: Spending on Research and Development
In 2017, spending on research and development (R&D) in Greece reached an all-time high of €2 billion, equal to 1.1% of GDP.
2017: Recognition of Hellenic Polytheism
Since 2017, Hellenic Polytheism, or Hellenism, has been legally recognized as an actively practiced religion in Greece.
2018: Forest Landscape Integrity Index
In 2018, Greece had a Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 6.6/10, ranking it 70th globally out of 172 countries.
2018: Divorce Rates
In 2018, divorce rates in Greece were 32.8 per 100 marriages.
2018: Prespa Agreement
In 2018, the Macedonia naming dispute was resolved with the Prespa Agreement.
2018: GDP Contribution of Tourism
In 2018, tourism contributed 21% of Greece's gross domestic product.
2019: Passengers Travelling by Boat
In 2019, 37 million passengers travelled by boat in Greece.
2019: Mitsotakis Becomes Prime Minister
In 2019, Kyriakos Mitsotakis became Greece's new prime minister, after his centre-right New Democracy won the election.
2019: Kleisthenis I Programme
In 2019, the Kleisthenis I Programme came into effect.
2020: Motorway Network Length
As of 2020, Greece's motorway network had a total length of about 2,320 km.
2020: First Female President of Greece
In 2020, Greece's parliament elected Katerina Sakellaropoulou, as the first female President of Greece.
2020: Divorce Rates
In 2020, divorce rates in Greece peaked at 41.2 per 100 marriages.
2021: Population of Athens and Thessaloniki
According to the 2021 census, the population of Athens was 3,744,059 and Thessaloniki was 1,092,919.
2021: Piraeus Passenger Port
As of 2021, Piraeus, the port of Athens, was the third busiest passenger port in Europe.
2021: Production Statistics
In 2021, Greece was the European Union's largest producer of cotton and pistachios (7,200 tons) and second in olives (3m tons).
2021: Greek Census
In 2021, the Greek census recorded Greece's population as 10,482,487.
2021: Electricity Production
In 2021, the Public Power Corporation supplied 75% of Greece's electricity.
July 2022: 5G Service Accessibility
As of July 2022, 5G service became accessible in most major cities in Greece.
2022: Greek Population Estimate
In 2022, Eurostat estimated the Greek population at 10.6 million.
2022: IMF Loan Repayment
In 2022, Greece completed repayment of its loans to the International Monetary Fund two years ahead of schedule.
2022: Agricultural Production
In 2022, Greece ranked third in figs (8,400 tons) and watermelons (440,000 tons), and fourth in almonds (40,000 tons).
2022: International Visitors
In 2022, Greece was the 9th most visited country in the world, hosting 28 million visitors.
2022: Divorce Rates
In 2022, divorce rates in Greece were 33.4 per 100 marriages.
2022: Renewable Energy
In 2022, renewable energy in Greece accounted for 46% of electricity.
May 2023: Inconclusive Election
In May 2023, an inconclusive election occurred, preceding the June election.
June 2023: New Democracy Gains Majority
In June 2023, New Democracy gained almost 41% of the popular vote and a parliamentary majority, leading to Kyriakos Mitsotakis being sworn in for a second four-year term as Prime Minister.
2023: Population Age Distribution
By 2023, 25.4% of the population in Greece were aged 65 and older, 6.4% were aged 14 and younger, and 68.2% were aged 15 to 64.
2023: Athens International Airport Passengers
In 2023, Athens International Airport served over 28 million passengers.
2023: Membership of the Three Seas Initiative
In 2023, Greece became a member of the Three Seas Initiative.
2023: Tourism in Greece
In 2023, Greece hosted 33 million international tourists, making it the 9th most visited country in the world.
2023: Crude Birth Rate
In 2023, the crude birth rate in Greece was 6.8 per 1,000 inhabitants.
February 2024: Recognition of Same-Sex Marriage
In February 2024, Greece became the first Orthodox Christian country to recognise same-sex marriage and adoption by same-sex couples.
2024: Ban on Bottom Trawling
In 2024, Greece became the first country in the European Union to ban bottom trawling in marine protected areas.
2024: Ninth Most-Visited Country
In 2024, Greece became the ninth most-visited country in the world.
2024: Economic Growth Forecast
In 2024, the Greek economy was forecast to grow by nearly 3%, approaching its pre-crisis size of 2009.
2024: Thessaloniki Metro Launch
In 2024, the Thessaloniki Metro was launched.
2024: Establishment of Framework for Foreign Universities
The higher education landscape saw a major shift with the enactment of Law 5094/2024, which establishes a framework for the licensing and operation of non-profit University-Legal Entities (ULEs) in Greece, affiliated with recognized foreign universities, starting from the 2025–2026 academic year.
July 2025: Suspension of Asylum Processing
In July 2025, Greek officials implemented a three-month suspension of asylum processing for migrants from North Africa.
2025: Greek Economy Statistics
As of 2025, Greece's economy was the 54th largest by purchasing power parity and 47th in the world in per person income.
2025: Main Exports
In 2025 Greece’s main exports were refined petroleum products (26.2%), food products (18.6%), manufactured goods (15.5%), chemicals (13%), and machinery and transport equipment (9.9%).
2025: Global Innovation Index Ranking
In 2025, Greece was ranked 42nd in the Global Innovation Index.
2025: Licensing and Operation of Foreign Universities
Law 5094/2024 establishes a framework for the licensing and operation of non-profit University-Legal Entities (ULEs) in Greece, affiliated with recognized foreign universities, starting from the 2025–2026 academic year.
March 2026: Early Debt Repayment
In March 2026, Greece planned to repay a further €7 billion from its first bailout package ahead of schedule.
2026: Licensing and Operation of Foreign Universities
Law 5094/2024 establishes a framework for the licensing and operation of non-profit University-Legal Entities (ULEs) in Greece, affiliated with recognized foreign universities, starting from the 2025–2026 academic year.
2050: Projected Population
Based on current trends, the Greek population is projected to fall to 7.5 million by 2050.
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