History of Indonesia in Timeline

Indonesia is a Southeast Asian and Oceanian nation, the world's largest archipelago with over 17,000 islands. Its land area makes it the 14th-largest country globally. Boasting a population exceeding 280 million, it ranks as the fourth-most-populous country and the most populous Muslim-majority nation. The island of Java is home to over half the country's population.

1913: Ki Hajar Dewantara established Indonesisch Pers-bureau

In 1913, Ki Hajar Dewantara became the first native scholar to use the name Indonesia by establishing a press bureau in the Netherlands named Indonesisch Pers-bureau.

1917: Establishment of Balai Pustaka

In 1917, the establishment of Balai Pustaka marked a push to develop indigenous literature in Indonesia.

1926: Release of Loetoeng Kasaroeng

In 1926, the first film produced in the archipelago, Loetoeng Kasaroeng, a silent film by Dutch director L. Heuveldorp, was released.

1938: FIFA World Cup participation

In 1938, Indonesia, as the Dutch East Indies, was the first Asian team to participate in the FIFA World Cup.

1945: Number of provinces in 1945

In 1945, Indonesia had 8 provinces.

1945: Healthcare system development since 1945

Since 1945, Indonesia began developing its healthcare system, which was initially limited with a shortage of doctors, hospitals, and infrastructure.

1948: First National Games (PON)

In 1948, boxing and basketball were part of the first National Games (Pekan Olahraga Nasional, PON) in Indonesia.

1948: "independent and active" foreign policy coined

Indonesia's "independent and active" (bebas aktif) foreign policy, which the country aims to navigate great power politics, maintain autonomy and avoid alignment with major powers, was coined by the country's first vice-president Mohammad Hatta in 1948.

1949: Dutch recognised Indonesian independence

In 1949, the Dutch recognised Indonesian independence following the Dutch-Indonesian Round Table Conference because of international pressure, marking the end of Indonesia's war of independence.

1950: Forest cover decline

In 1950, Indonesia's forest cover was at 87%.

1955: First general election

In 1955, Indonesia held its first general election to elect members of the DPR and the Constitutional Assembly (Konstituante).

1955: Celebration of cinematic achievements since 1955

Since 1955, the Indonesian Film Festival (Festival Film Indonesia), awarding the Citra Award, has celebrated cinematic achievements.

1958: Bronze medal at the 1958 Asian Games

In 1958, Indonesia won a bronze medal at the Asian Games.

1962: TVRI Monopoly

From 1962, the television landscape was monopolized by public broadcaster TVRI.

1968: Suharto became president

In 1968, Suharto became president of Indonesia, establishing a US-backed "New Order" administration that promoted foreign direct investment and led to three decades of economic growth.

1971: Ramsar Convention

Indonesia has five wetlands of international importance under the 1971 Ramsar Convention.

1972: Volcanic Eruptions in Java

Between 1972 and 1991, Java experienced a total of 29 volcanic eruptions.

1972: Child mortality rate in 1972

In 1972, the child mortality rate in Indonesia was 15.5 deaths per 100 live births.

1973: Life expectancy in 1973

In 1973, the life expectancy in Indonesia was 54.9 years.

1975: Indonesia's invasion

In 1975, Indonesia invaded East Timor, leading to a controversial 25-year occupation.

1977: SEA Games medal table

Since 1977, Indonesia topped the SEA Games medal table ten times.

1980: Release of Pengabdi Setan

Pengabdi Setan was released in 1980.

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1987: Gold medal at the 1987 SEA Games

In 1987, Indonesia won a gold medal at the Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games).

1988: Release of Tjoet Nja' Dhien

Tjoet Nja' Dhien was released in 1988.

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1989: End of TVRI's monopoly

The television landscape shifted from a monopoly by public broadcaster TVRI until 1989.

1991: Volcanic Eruptions in Java

Between 1972 and 1991, Java experienced a total of 29 volcanic eruptions.

1991: Gold medal at the 1991 SEA Games

In 1991, Indonesia won a gold medal at the Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games).

1994: Establishment of PT. Indo Internet

In 1994, Indonesia's first commercial Internet service provider, PT. Indo Internet, started operations.

1996: Indonesia's first appearance at the AFC Asian Cup

In 1996, Indonesia made its first appearance at the AFC Asian Cup.

1997: Asian financial crisis

In 1997, Indonesia was the worst affected country by the Asian financial crisis, leading to widespread discontent with the New Order's corruption and political suppression, which ultimately ended Suharto's presidency.

1998: Expansion of Print Publications after 1998

After 1998, print publications in Indonesia expanded significantly.

1998: Constitutional reforms after the fall of New Order

Following the fall of the New Order in 1998, sweeping constitutional reforms restructured the executive, legislative, and judicial branches.

1998: Indonesia strengthened democracy after New order fall

Since 1998, after the fall of the New Order, Indonesia has been focused on strengthening democracy and granting regional autonomy.

1998: Reforms enhanced DPR's governance role

Since 1998, reforms in Indonesia have significantly enhanced the DPR's governance role, while the DPD represents Indonesia's diverse regional interests.

1999: East Timor seceded

In 1999, East Timor seceded from Indonesia after a controversial 25-year occupation that followed Indonesia's 1975 invasion.

1999: Multi-party system since 1999

Indonesia has had a multi-party system since 1999, where no political party has won a majority of seats in the legislative elections.

2000: Release of Petualangan Sherina

In 2000, Petualangan Sherina was released.

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2001: Regional autonomy implementation

Since the implementation of regional autonomy in 2001, regencies and cities have become key administrative units, responsible for most government services.

2002: Release of Ada Apa dengan Cinta?

In 2002, Ada Apa dengan Cinta? was released.

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2004: First Direct Presidential Election

At the national level, Indonesians did not elect a president until 2004, marking the first direct presidential election.

2004: Indian Ocean earthquake

In 2004, the Indian Ocean earthquake was one of the recent catastrophic disasters caused by seismic activity in Indonesia.

2004: Indonesia strengthened democracy

Since 1998, Indonesia has strengthened democracy by granting regional autonomy and holding the first direct presidential election in 2004.

2005: Political Settlement in Aceh

In 2005, a political settlement was achieved to end an armed insurgency in Aceh.

2007: Strong Economic Performance

Since 2007, the Indonesian economy has demonstrated strong performance, although corruption remains a persistent issue.

2008: Release of Laskar Pelangi

In 2008, Laskar Pelangi was released.

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2009: President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's 2009 initiative

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono launched an initiative in 2009, with included reaching 20 million hectares by 2020.

2011: Indonesia topped the SEA Games medal table in 2011

In 2011, Indonesia most recently topped the SEA Games medal table.

2012: Marine Protected Areas

As of 2012, Indonesia has over 100 marine protected areas spanning 15.7 million hectares managed by the Ministry of Forestry and local governments.

2013: Legislative and Presidential Elections Simultaneously

In 2013, the Constitutional Court ruled that legislative and presidential elections would be held simultaneously, starting in 2019.

2014: Launch of Jaminan Kesehatan Nasional (JKN)

In 2014, Indonesia experienced a major transformation in its healthcare system with the launch of Jaminan Kesehatan Nasional (JKN), a universal health care managed by the Social Security Agency on Health (BPJS Kesehatan).

2014: Polio eradication in 2014

In 2014, polio was eradicated in Indonesia.

2014: Tumpeng as the official national dish in 2014

In 2014, the Ministry of Tourism chose tumpeng as the official national dish, describing it as binding the diversity of various culinary traditions.

2015: Local Elections Date

Beginning with the 2015 local elections, elections for governors and mayors have occurred on the same date.

2018: Internet Users in 2018

By 2018, Indonesia had 171 million internet users, primarily aged 15 to 19, who accessed the internet mostly through mobile phones rather than computers.

2018: Pencak silat in the Asian Games

In 2018, Pencak silat became one of the sporting events in the Asian Games, with Indonesia as a leading competitor.

2018: Sulawesi earthquake

In 2018, the Sulawesi earthquake was one of the recent catastrophic disasters caused by seismic activity in Indonesia.

2019: First Simultaneous Legislative and Presidential Elections

In 2019 Indonesia had its first simultaneous legislative and presidential elections.

2020: Target to reach 20 million hectares

Previous targets included reaching 20 million hectares by 2020.

2021: Government spending on healthcare

In 2021, government spending on healthcare accounted for 3.71% of GDP in Indonesia.

2021: JKN covered 83% of the population

In 2021, the Jaminan Kesehatan Nasional (JKN) covered over 83% of the Indonesian population, which is 225.9 million people.

2022: Child stunting data in 2022

According to 2022 data, child stunting affected 21.6% of children under five in Indonesia.

2022: Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework

As of 2022, Indonesia aims to align its strategy with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

2022: Forest cover decline

In 2022, Indonesia's forest cover had declined to 48% from the 87% it was in 1950, highlighting the country as a leading forest-based emitter of greenhouse gases.

2022: Southwest Papua established

In 2022, Southwest Papua was established as the most recent province of Indonesia, bringing the total to 38.

2022: Government spending on education

In 2022, government spending on education accounted for approximately 3.6% of GDP. There were 4,481 higher education institutions in the country, including universities, Islamic institutions and open universities.

2022: Release of KKN di Desa Penari

In 2022, the film KKN di Desa Penari set box office records, becoming the most-watched Indonesian film with 9.2 million tickets sold.

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2023: Land Designated as Protected Areas

As of 2023, Indonesia has designated 21.3% of its land as protected areas.

2023: Life expectancy in 2023

By 2023, the life expectancy in Indonesia had increased to 71.1 years.

2023: Gold medal at the 2023 SEA Games

In 2023, Indonesia won a gold medal at the Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games).

2024: Most recent elections

The most recent elections in Indonesia occurred in 2024, bringing eight political parties to the DPR, with a parliamentary threshold of 4% of the national vote.

2045: Target to Increase Marine Reserves

Indonesia aims to increase its marine reserves to 30% by 2045.

2050: Projected Climate Change Effects

Several studies suggest that Indonesia is at severe risk from climate change effects, including a projected temperature rise of 1.5 °C (3 °F) by 2050 due to unreduced emissions, which could lead to droughts, disrupted rainfall, food shortages, diseases, and wildfires.