History of Greece in Timeline

Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe situated on the southern Balkan peninsula. It shares land borders with Albania, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, and Turkey. The Aegean Sea lies to its east, the Ionian Sea to its west, and the Mediterranean Sea to its south. Possessing the longest coastline in the Mediterranean, Greece includes thousands of islands and nine traditional geographic regions. Its population exceeds 10 million. Athens is the capital and largest city, followed by Thessaloniki and Patras.

1900: Jewish Population in Thessaloniki

By 1900, the Sephardi Jewish community in Thessaloniki numbered about 80,000, representing more than half of the city's population.

1900: High Fertility Rate

In 1900, the fertility rate in Greece was at a high of 5.5 children per woman.

1900: Opening of the National Theatre of Greece

The National Theatre of Greece was opened in 1900 as the Royal Theatre.

1907: First cine-theatre opens

In 1907, the first cine-theatre opened in Athens.

1908: End of Macedonian Struggle

In 1908, the Macedonian Struggle ended with the Young Turk Revolution.

1909: Military Coup

In 1909, military officers organized a coup, calling on Eleftherios Venizelos.

1910: Venizelos Becomes Prime Minister

After winning two elections, Eleftherios Venizelos became prime minister in 1910 and initiated reforms.

1912: Balkan Wars

During 1912, the Kingdom of Greece pursued territorial expansion during the Balkan Wars.

1913: Territorial Expansion

By 1913, Greece's territory and population had doubled, annexing Crete, Epirus, and Macedonia.

1913: Balkan Wars

During 1913, the Kingdom of Greece continued territorial expansion during the Balkan Wars.

1914: Asty Films Company founded

In 1914, the Asty Films Company was founded, and the production of long films began.

1914: World War I

In 1914, the Kingdom of Greece pursued territorial expansion during World War I.

1917: Great Thessaloniki Fire

After the Great Thessaloniki Fire of 1917, the government ordered a new city plan under the supervision of Ernest Hébrard.

1917: Greece Enters WWI

In 1917, Greece united and entered World War I on the side of the Entente.

1918: World War I

In 1918, the Kingdom of Greece continued its involvement in World War I.

1919: Greco-Turkish War

After the war, in 1919, Greece attempted expansion into Asia Minor during the Greco-Turkish War.

1922: Defeat in Greco-Turkish War

In 1922, Greece was defeated in the Greco-Turkish War.

1922: Greco-Turkish War Defeat

In 1922, the Greco-Turkish War ended with a Greek defeat, leading to a flight of Asia Minor Greeks.

1923: Treaty of Lausanne and Population Transfer

Following the 1919–1922 Greco-Turkish War, the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne led to a population transfer between Greece and Turkey based on cultural and religious identity.

1923: Population Exchanges in Macedonia

Following the population exchanges of 1923, Macedonia had an estimated 200,000 to 400,000 Slavic speakers.

1924: Second Hellenic Republic

Following the catastrophic events in Asia Minor, in 1924 the monarchy was abolished via a referendum and the Second Hellenic Republic declared.

1924: Establishment of Republic

In 1924, a short-lived republic was established in Greece.

1930: Influence of Heptanesean Kantádhes

Until 1930, Greek composers continued to borrow elements from the Heptanesean kantádhes style.

1931: Daphnis and Chloe directed by Laskos

In 1931, Orestis Laskos directed Daphnis and Chloe, containing one of the first nude scenes in European cinema; it was the first Greek movie played abroad.

1935: Restoration of the Monarchy

In 1935, Georgios Kondylis abolished the republic after a coup and a rigged referendum, restoring King George II to the throne.

1936: 4th of August Regime

In 1936, Ioannis Metaxas and George II agreed to install Metaxas as head of a dictatorship known as the 4th of August Regime.

1936: Royalist Dictatorship

In 1936, a royalist dictatorship was established in Greece.

October 1940: Greco-Italian War

In October 1940, Fascist Italy demanded the surrender of Greece, which was refused, leading to the Greco-Italian War.

1941: Civilian Deaths During the Winter

During the winter of 1941–42, over 100,000 civilians died of starvation.

1944: Katina Paxinou wins Academy Award

In 1944, Katina Paxinou was honoured with the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for For Whom the Bell Tolls.

1949: End of Civil War

In 1949, the Greek Civil War ended with the victory of the anti-communist Greek government.

1950: Economic Growth

In 1950, Greece experienced record economic growth.

1950: Release of The Drunkard

In 1950, The Drunkard, directed by George Tzavellas, was released.

1951: Release of Πικρό Ψωμί

In 1951, Πικρό Ψωμί by Grigoris Grigoriou was released.

1952: Greece Joins NATO

In 1952, Greece joined NATO, solidifying its position in the Western Bloc of the Cold War.

1952: Women's Suffrage Legislated

In 1952, women's suffrage was legislated in Greece, granting women the right to vote.

1955: Release of The Counterfeit Coin and Stella

In 1955, The Counterfeit Coin by Giorgos Tzavellas and Stella directed by Cacoyannis and written by Kampanellis were released.

1956: Release of O Drakos

In 1956, O Drakos by Nikos Koundouros was released.

1959: Foundation of National Centre

The National Centre of Scientific Research "Demokritos" was founded in 1959.

1961: Release of Woe to the Young

In 1961, Woe to the Young by Alekos Sakellarios was released.

1962: Release of Glory Sky

In 1962, Glory Sky by Takis Kanellopoulos was released.

1963: George Seferis Nobel Prize

In 1963, George Seferis was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.

1963: Release of The Red Lanterns

In 1963, The Red Lanterns by Vasilis Georgiadis was released.

1964: Multiparty Elections

The first multiparty elections since 1964 were held on the first anniversary of the Polytechnic uprising.

1965: Political Turbulence

In 1965, King Constantine II's dismissal of George Papandreou's government prompted political turbulence.

1967: Coup by Greek Junta

In 1967, a coup led by Georgios Papadopoulos resulted in a Greek junta.

1967: Military Dictatorship

In 1967, a military dictatorship was established in Greece.

1972: Plateauing of Economic Growth

In 1972, rapid economic growth plateaued in Greece.

1973: Athens Polytechnic Uprising

In 1973, the brutal suppression of the Athens Polytechnic uprising led to the fall of the regime.

1973: End of Economic Growth Period

In 1973, the period of record economic growth in Greece ended.

July 1974: Turkish Invasion of Cyprus

On July 20, 1974, Turkey invaded Cyprus, leading to the collapse of the Greek regime and the restoration of democracy.

1974: Restoration of Democracy

After the restoration of democracy in 1974, the Greek party system was dominated by New Democracy and PASOK.

1974: Greece debuts in Eurovision

In 1974, Greece participated in the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time.

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1974: End of Authoritarian Rule

The authoritarian rule that began in 1936 lasted until 1974.

1974: Fall of Military Dictatorship

The military dictatorship of 1967-1974 fell in 1974.

1975: Restoration of Democracy

Following the restoration of democracy in 1974-1975, the Greek party system was dominated by New Democracy and PASOK.

1975: New Constitution

In 1975, a democratic and republican constitution was promulgated in Greece after a referendum.

1975: Enactment of the Constitution

The current Constitution, establishing Greece as a parliamentary republic, was enacted in 1975.

1979: Accession to the European Communities

In 1979, Greece signed its accession to the European Communities and the single market.

1979: Odysseas Elytis Nobel Prize

In 1979, Odysseas Elytis was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.

1980: Greece Rejoined NATO

In 1980 Greece rejoined NATO.

1981: Greece Joins the European Communities

In 1981, Greece became the tenth member of the European Communities, ushering in sustained growth, also in 1981 Andreas Papandreou was elected resulting in civil marriage recognition, abolishment of dowry, and changes in education and foreign policy doctrines.

1981: European Union Membership

In 1981, Greece became the tenth member of what is today the European Union.

1981: Marriage Rates

In 1981, marriage rates began declining from almost 71 per 1,000 inhabitants.

1981: Crude Birth and Mortality Rates

In 1981, the crude birth rate was 14.5 per 1,000 inhabitants, and the mortality rate was 8.9 per 1,000.

1982: Completion of Accession

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 through the merger of the Hellenic Gendarmerie and the Cities Police forces.

1986: Constitutional Amendment

In 1986, a Constitutional amendment largely rendered the President's office ceremonial, making the prime minister the most powerful officeholder in Greece.

1987: Greece wins European Championship

In 1987, the Greek national basketball team won the European Championship.

1994: Cooperation with ESA

In 1994, the Hellenic National Space Committee began cooperating with the European Space Agency (ESA).

1998: Eternity and a Day wins at Cannes

In 1998, Theo Angelopoulos' film Eternity and a Day won the Palme d'Or and the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury at the Cannes Film Festival.

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: WHO Health System Ranking

Per a 2000 World Health Organisation report, the Greek 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: Population Age Distribution

In 2001, 17% of the Greek population were 65 years old and older, 68% were between 15 and 64, and 15% were 14 years old and younger.

2001: Adoption of the Euro

In 2001, Greece adopted the euro as its currency.

2001: Reinforcement of Civil Liberties

In 2001, extensive specific guarantees of civil liberties and social rights were further reinforced.

2001: Non-Citizen Residents

The 2001 census recorded 762,191 persons residing in Greece without Greek citizenship, constituting about 7% of the population. A majority of these non-citizens came from Eastern European countries, including Albania, Bulgaria, and Romania.

2002: Christos Papadimitriou Receives Knuth Prize

In 2002, Christos Papadimitriou was awarded the Knuth Prize.

2004: Marriage Rates

By 2004, marriage rates had declined to 51 per 1,000 inhabitants.

2004: Summer Olympics hosted in Athens

In 2004, Greece hosted the Summer Olympics in Athens.

2004: Greece crowned European Champions

In Euro 2004, the Greece national football team were crowned European Champions.

2005: Membership in ESA

In 2005, Greece became a member of the European Space Agency (ESA).

2005: Greece wins Eurovision

In 2005, Greece won the Eurovision Song Contest with "My Number One", performed by Elena Paparizou.

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2005: Mihalis Yannakakis Receives Knuth Prize

In 2005, Mihalis Yannakakis received the Knuth Prize.

2005: Greece women's team wins World League gold

In 2005, the Greece women's national water polo team won gold at the World League.

2005: Greece wins European Championship

In 2005, the Greek national basketball team won the European Championship.

2006: Eurovision held in Athens

In 2006, the 51st Eurovision Song Contest was held in Athens.

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2006: Greece takes second place in FIBA

In the 2006 FIBA World Championship, the Greek national basketball team took second place.

2007: Framework Law for Higher Education

According to the Framework Law (3549/2007), Public higher education "Highest Educational Institutions" (Ανώτατα Εκπαιδευτικά Ιδρύματα, Anótata Ekpaideytiká Idrýmata, "ΑΕΙ") consists of two parallel sectors: the university sector and the Technological sector.

2007: Tourism Statistics

In 2007, Greece hosted 18 million tourists.

2007: Healthcare Expenditure

In 2007, Greece's health care expenditures was 9.6% of GDP.

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, considered the "Nobel Prize" of Computer Science.

2007: OECD Average Infant Mortality Rate

In 2007, the OECD average infant mortality rate was 4.9 deaths per 1,000 live births.

2008: Ethnic Greeks from Southern Albania

In 2008, 189,000 people of the total population of Albanian citizens were reported as ethnic Greeks from Southern Albania.

2008: Infant Mortality Rate

In 2008, Greece's infant mortality rate was 3.6 deaths per 1,000 live births.

2008: Deficits Reach 10%

In 2008, deficits in Greece were revealed to have reached 10%.

2008: Greece national football team ranked 8th

In 2008, the Greece national football team reached a high of 8th in the world.

2008: Financial Crisis

In 2008, the global financial crisis led to a decade-long debt crisis in Greece.

2008: High Growth Rates Maintained

Up to the 2008 financial crisis, Greece maintained high growth rates, though coupled with high structural deficits.

2009: Drop in GDP

Between 2009 and 2015, Greece experienced a 25% drop in GDP partly due to the imposed austerity measures.

2009: Dogtooth nomination

In 2009, Yorgos Lanthimos received an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film for Dogtooth.

2009: Deficits Revealed

In 2009, it was revealed that deficits in Greece had been considerably higher than official figures.

2009: Outbreak of Government-Debt Crisis

In 2009, the outbreak of the government-debt crisis led to a sharp decline in popularity for PASOK and New Democracy.

2009: Forecasted Economic Growth

In 2024, the Greek economy is forecast to grow nearly 3%, approaching its pre-crisis size of 2009.

May 2010: First Rescue Package

In May 2010, Greece, other eurozone members, and the International Monetary Fund agreed on a €110 billion rescue package.

2010: Publication of Architecture of Minoan Crete

In 2010, Architecture of Minoan Crete: Constructing Identity in the Aegean Bronze Age by John C. McEnroe was published.

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2010: Greek Debt Crisis

In 2010, Greece suffered from the Great Recession and related European sovereign debt crisis.

2010: Greece women's team wins European Championship silver

In 2010, the Greece women's national water polo team won silver at the European Championships.

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 experienced a crisis of confidence in its ability to pay back loans, causing borrowing rates to increase.

2010: Peak Population and Emigration

Since 2010, when the population reached its peak of 11.1 million, between 350,000 and 450,000 Greeks, predominantly young adults, have emigrated.

January 2011: Kallikratis Programme Reform

In January 2011, the Kallikratis Programme reform took effect, restructuring Greece into 13 regions subdivided into municipalities.

2011: Smoking and Obesity Rates

A 2011 OECD report showed Greece had the largest percentage of adult daily smokers of any of the 34 OECD members. The obesity rate was 18%, above the OECD average of 15%.

2011: Broadband Connections

As of early 2011, there were a total of 2,252,653 broadband connections in Greece.

2011: Santorini Voted World's 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 the country's electricity.

2011: Greece national football team ranked 8th

In 2011, the Greece national football team reached a high of 8th in the world.

2011: Greece women's team becomes World Champions

In 2011, the Greece women's national water polo team became World Champions.

2011: Citizenship Census

The 2011 census recorded 9,903,268 Greek citizens (92%), 480,824 Albanian citizens (4.4%), 75,915 Bulgarian citizens (0.7%), 46,523 Romanian citizenship (0.4%), 34,177 Pakistani citizens (0.3%), 27,400 Georgian citizens (0.25%) and 247,090 people had other or unidentified citizenship (2%).

May 2012: Parliamentary Elections

In May 2012, parliamentary elections led to a sharp decline in popularity for PASOK and New Democracy, with SYRIZA becoming the second major party.

2012: Greece basketball team ranked 4th worldwide

As of 2012, the Greek national basketball team ranked 4th in the world and 2nd in Europe.

2012: Scientific Publications

From 2012 to 2016, Greek scientific publications have grown significantly in terms of research impact.

2012: Christos Papadimitriou Receives Gödel Prize

In 2012, Christos Papadimitriou received the Gödel Prize.

2012: Political Change

In 2012, Greece experienced major political change with the emergence of new parties.

2012: Second Bail-Out Agreed

In 2012, a second bail-out of €130 billion was agreed, subject to financial reforms and further austerity.

2012: Illegal Immigrant Origins

In 2012, most illegal immigrants entering Greece came from Afghanistan, followed by Pakistanis and Bangladeshis.

2012: Greece women's team wins European Championship silver

In 2012, the Greece women's national water polo team won silver at the European Championships.

2013: Budget Surplus Achieved

In 2013, Greece achieved a budget surplus.

2013: IMF Admits Underestimation

In 2013, the IMF admitted it had underestimated the effects of tax hikes and budget cuts and issued an informal apology.

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: Return to Growth

In 2014, Greece returned to economic growth.

2014: Increase in Refugee Arrivals

In 2014, there was an increase in refugee arrivals by sea compared to previous years.

2015: Drop in GDP

Between 2009 and 2015, Greece experienced a 25% drop in GDP partly due to the imposed austerity measures.

2015: Healthcare Expenditure

By 2015, health care expenditure in Greece declined to 8.4% of GDP, compared with the EU average of 9.5%.

2015: Alexis Tsipras Elected

In 2015, Alexis Tsipras was elected as prime minister of Greece.

2015: The Lobster nomination

In 2015, Yorgos Lanthimos received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay for The Lobster.

2015: Life Expectancy

In 2015, life expectancy in Greece was 81.1 years, slightly above the EU average of 80.6.

2015: Refugee Arrivals Increase

In 2015, refugee arrivals by sea in Greece increased dramatically due to the Syrian civil war, with 856,723 arrivals, an almost fivefold increase compared to 2014. Syrians represented almost 45% of these arrivals.

2016: Scientific Publications

From 2012 to 2016, Greek scientific publications have grown significantly in terms of research impact.

2016: Crude Birth and Mortality Rates

In 2016, the crude birth rate was 8.5 per 1,000 inhabitants, and the mortality rate was 11.2 per 1,000.

2017: Internet Usage

Around 82% of the population used the internet regularly in 2017 in Greece.

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: Legal Recognition of Hellenic Polytheism

Since 2017, Hellenic Polytheism, or Hellenism, has been legally recognized as an actively practiced religion in Greece.

2018: End of Debt Crisis

Around 2018, the Greek government-debt crisis ended with the end of bailout mechanisms and the return of growth.

2018: Forest Landscape Integrity Index

In 2018, Greece had a Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 6.6/10.

2018: The Favourite nomination

In 2018, Yorgos Lanthimos received Academy Award nominations for Best Picture and Best Director for The Favourite.

2018: Divorce Rates

In 2018, divorce rates were 32.8 per 100 marriages.

2018: Resolution of Macedonia Naming Dispute

In 2018, the Macedonia naming dispute was resolved with the Prespa Agreement.

2018: Tourism Contribution to GDP

In 2018, tourism contributed 21% of Greece's gross domestic product.

2019: Passenger Boat Travel

In 2019, 37 million passengers traveled by boat in Greece, the second-highest in Europe.

2019: Kyriakos Mitsotakis Becomes Prime Minister

In 2019, Kyriakos Mitsotakis became Greece's new prime minister.

2019: Kleisthenis I Programme

In 2019, the number of municipalities in Greece increased to 332 under the Kleisthenis I Programme.

2020: Motorway Network Length

As of 2020, Greece's motorway network had a total length of about 2,320 km.

2020: First Female President

In 2020, Greece's parliament elected Katerina Sakellaropoulou as the first female President of Greece.

2020: Divorce Rates Peak

In 2020, divorce rates 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's population was 1,092,919.

2021: Piraeus Busiest Passenger Port

As of 2021, Piraeus, the port of Athens, was the third busiest passenger port in Europe.

2021: Agricultural Production

In 2021, Greece was the European Union's largest producer of cotton and pistachios (7,200 tons) and second in olives (3m tons).

2021: Unemployment Rates

In 2021, unemployment in Greece stood at 13% and youth unemployment at 33%.

July 2022: 5G Service Accessibility

As of July 2022, 5G service is accessible in most major cities in Greece.

2022: Greek Population Estimate

In 2022, Eurostat estimated the Greek population to be 10.6 million.

2022: Tourism Statistics

In 2022, Greece was the 9th most visited country in the world, hosting 28 million visitors.

2022: Agricultural Production

In 2022, Greece was third in figs (8,400 tons) and watermelons (440,000 tons), and fourth in almonds (40,000 tons).

2022: Divorce Rates

In 2022, divorce rates were 33.4 per 100 marriages.

2022: Renewable Energy

In 2022, renewable energy in Greece accounted for 46% of the country's electricity.

May 2023: Inconclusive Election

In May 2023, an inconclusive election was held, leading to a repeat election in June.

June 2023: New Democracy Gains Majority

In June 2023, New Democracy gained almost 41% of the popular vote, securing a parliamentary majority, and Kyriakos Mitsotakis was sworn in for a second term as Prime Minister.

2023: Greek Economy Size

As of 2023, the Greek economy was the 54th largest by purchasing power parity at $417 billion.

2023: Population Age Distribution

By 2023, the proportion of Greeks aged 65 and older had risen to 25.4%, those aged 14 and younger declined to 6.4%, and the population aged 15 to 64 rose slightly to 68.2%.

2023: Athens International Airport Passengers

In 2023, Athens International Airport served over 28 million passengers.

2023: Member 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: Same-Sex Marriage Legalized

In February 2024, Greece became the first Orthodox Christian country to recognise same-sex marriage and adoption by same-sex couples.

2024: Greece national football team ranked 39th

As of 2024, the Greece national football team is ranked 39th in the world.

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: Global Innovation Index Ranking

In 2024, Greece was ranked 45th in the Global Innovation Index.

2024: Tourism in Greece

In 2024, Greece was the ninth most-visited country in the world.

2024: Forecasted Economic Growth

In 2024, the Greek economy is forecast to grow nearly 3%, approaching its pre-crisis size of 2009.

2024: Thessaloniki Metro Launched

In 2024, the Thessaloniki Metro was launched.

July 2025: Asylum Processing Suspension

In July 2025, Greek officials implemented a three-month suspension of asylum processing for migrants from North Africa, drawing criticism from human rights groups.