History of Malta in Timeline

Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is a Southern European island country situated in the Mediterranean Sea. It is an archipelago located between Sicily and North Africa. Maltese and English are the official languages, and Valletta serves as the capital, recognized as the smallest capital city in the EU. Notably, Valletta was the first World Heritage City in Europe to be designated a European Capital of Culture in 2018.

1905: Establishment of bus service

In 1905, the primary method of public transport, buses (xarabank or karozza tal-linja) were established in Malta.

1915: Nurse of the Mediterranean

Between 1915 and 1918, during the First World War, Malta became known as the Nurse of the Mediterranean due to the large number of wounded soldiers who were accommodated there.

1918: Nurse of the Mediterranean

Between 1915 and 1918, during the First World War, Malta became known as the Nurse of the Mediterranean due to the large number of wounded soldiers who were accommodated there.

June 1919: Sette Giugno Riots

In June 1919, the Maltese public rioted in response to a cost-of-living crisis; British troops suppressed the riots, killing four. This event is commemorated as Sette Giugno.

1934: End of Italian as Official Language

In 1934, Italian lost its official status in Malta, having been an official language since 1530.

1937: Royal Navy's Mediterranean fleet headquarters moved to Alexandria

In 1937, the Royal Navy's Mediterranean fleet headquarters was moved to Alexandria, Egypt, out of fear that it was too susceptible to air attacks from Europe.

April 1942: George Cross Awarded

On 15 April 1942, King George VI awarded the George Cross to Malta on a collective basis for the bravery of the Maltese people during the second siege of Malta.

1946: Assisted emigration

Between 1946 and the late-1970s, over 140,000 people left Malta on the assisted passage scheme.

1946: Primary schooling made compulsory

Primary schooling has been compulsory in Malta since 1946.

1948: Emigration Department assists emigrants

Between 1948 and 1967, Malta's Emigration Department would assist emigrants with the cost of their travel.

1960: Voter Turnout

Based on election turnout in national lower house elections from 1960 to 1995, Malta had the second-highest voter turnout in the world.

September 1964: State of Malta Independence Day

On 21 September 1964, Malta achieved its independence as the State of Malta, retaining Elizabeth II as Queen of Malta under its 1964 constitution.

1964: Independence

In 1964, Malta achieved independence and became a member state of the Commonwealth of Nations and the United Nations.

1967: Assisted emigration

Between 1948 and 1967, 30 percent of the population emigrated with the help of the Emigration Department.

1971: Malta Labour Party Win

In 1971, the Malta Labour Party led by Dom Mintoff won the general elections.

1971: Secondary education made compulsory

Secondary education up to the age of sixteen was made compulsory in 1971.

1972: Introduction of the Maltese lira

In 1972, the Maltese lira was introduced, which replaced the Maltese pound.

1972: Defence Agreement Renegotiation

In 1972, the defence agreement signed soon after independence was re-negotiated.

April 1974: Establishment of Air Malta

From April 1974, Air Malta was the national airline, operating services to 22 destinations in Europe and North Africa.

December 1974: Republic Day

On 13 December 1974, Malta declared itself a republic within the Commonwealth.

1974: Parliamentary Republic

In 1974, Malta established its current parliamentary republic.

March 1979: Freedom Day

On 31 March 1979, the British base closed and lands formerly controlled by the British were given to the Maltese government.

1979: Departure of British troops

In 1979, following the departure of the remaining British troops, Malta intensified its participation in the Non-Aligned Movement.

1980: Policy of Neutrality

In 1980, Malta adopted a policy of neutrality and three of Malta's sites, including the capital Valletta, were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

1983: New Apostolic Church congregation founded

In 1983, a New Apostolic Church congregation was founded in Gwardamangia.

1989: US-Soviet Summit in Malta

In 1989, Malta hosted a summit between US President George H. W. Bush and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, signalling the end of the Cold War.

1990: Car ownership statistics

In 1990, Malta had 182,254 registered cars, resulting in a high automobile density of 577 cars per square kilometer.

March 1992: Malta International Airport Inauguration

On 25 March 1992, Malta International Airport was inaugurated, boosting the local aircraft and tourism industry.

1992: Construction of power station

In 1992, a new power station was built on the Delimara peninsula in Marsaxlokk.

1993: Local Government System

Since 1993, Malta has had a system of local government based on the European Charter of Local Self-Government.

1995: Voter Turnout

Based on election turnout in national lower house elections from 1960 to 1995, Malta had the second-highest voter turnout in the world.

1996: Malta relied on coal until 1996

Until 1996, Malta relied on coal for electricity generation.

March 2003: European Union Referendum

On 8 March 2003, a referendum on joining the European Union was held, with 53.65% voting in favour.

December 2003: Road statistics

As of December 2003, Malta had 2,254 kilometers of road, with 1,972 kilometers, or 87.5%, being paved.

2003: Estimate of Jewish community

In 2003, the Jewish community in Malta gathered around 120 persons.

2003: Malta International Fireworks Festival

Since 2003, the Malta International Fireworks Festival has been arranged annually in the Grand Harbour of Valletta.

May 2004: Malta's membership in the European Union

In May 2004, Malta joined the European Union. Leading up to this, Malta privatized some state-controlled firms and liberalized markets.

May 2004: Joined the European Union

On 1 May 2004, Malta joined the European Union.

2004: Maltese-resident population

For 2004, the Maltese-resident population was estimated to make up 97.0 per cent of the total resident population.

2004: Joined European Union

In 2004, Malta joined the European Union.

2004: Malta joined the EU

Since Malta joined the EU in 2004, expatriate communities emerged in a number of European countries, particularly in Belgium and Luxembourg.

May 2005: Malta entered ERM II

On May 4, 2005, the Maltese government entered ERM II (Exchange Rate Mechanism II).

2005: Population Statistics

As of 2005, 17 percent of Malta's population were aged 14 and under, 68 percent were within the 15–64 age bracket whilst the remaining 13 percent were 65 years and over.

2005: Growth in foreign population

Since the early 21st century, Malta has seen a significant increase in net migration and in 2005 the foreign-born population started to grow.

2006: State schools organised into Colleges

As of 2006, state schools in Malta are organised into networks known as Colleges and incorporate kindergarten schools, primary and secondary schools.

May 2007: Traditional Maltese wedding

In May 2007, thousands of Maltese and tourists attended a traditional Maltese wedding in the style of the 16th century, in Żurrieq.

2007: Opening of Malta's primary hospital

Malta's primary hospital opened in 2007 and is one of the largest medical buildings in Europe.

2007: Isle of MTV festival

Since 2007, the Isle of MTV, a one-day music festival, has been arranged annually in Malta.

January 2008: Joined the Eurozone

On 1 January 2008, Malta joined the eurozone.

January 2008: Malta adopted the euro

On January 1, 2008, Malta adopted the euro as its currency.

2008: International schools

As of 2008, there are two international schools, Verdala International School and QSI Malta.

2008: Joined Eurozone

In 2008, Malta joined the eurozone monetary union.

2008: Introduction of the Euro

In 2008, the Euro was introduced, replacing the Maltese lira, which had been the currency since 1972.

2009: Mobile penetration rate exceeds 100%

By the end of 2009, the mobile penetration rate in Malta exceeded 100%.

July 2010: European Court of Human Rights ruling

In July 2010, the European Court of Human Rights found that Malta's detention of migrants was arbitrary and in breach of its obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights.

2010: Maltese most generous people in the world

A 2010 Charities Aid Foundation study found that the Maltese were the most generous people in the world, with 83% contributing to charity.

May 2011: Divorce Legislation Referendum

Malta voted in favor of divorce legislation in a referendum held on 28 May 2011.

July 2011: Extensive reform of the bus service

In July 2011, the bus service in Malta underwent extensive reform, transitioning from self-employed drivers to a service offered by a single company, Arriva Malta.

2011: Census counts 139,583 households

The 2011 census counts 139,583 households in Malta.

2011: Vintage Buses become tourist attractions

Up to 2011, Malta's vintage buses operated in the Maltese islands and became popular tourist attractions.

2012: Pay TV subscriptions

At the end of 2012, there were 147,896 pay TV subscriptions active in Malta.

2012: Council Elections

Due to system reforms, no elections were held before 2012.

2012: National Fibre to the Home network

In early 2012, the Maltese government called for the construction of a national Fibre to the Home (FttH) network to upgrade broadband service.

2012: Isle of MTV performances

The 2012 Isle of MTV music festival featured performances by Flo Rida, Nelly Furtado, and Will.i.am, with over 50,000 people attending.

2013: Chabad Jewish Centre in Malta founded

In 2013, the Chabad Jewish Centre in Malta was founded.

2013: Governance Decrease

Malta's record of clean governance has decreased since 2013, and the country is now considered among one of the worst EU member states in tackling corruption.

2013: Labour Party Governing Party

Since 2013, the Labour Party has been the governing party in Malta.

January 2014: Citizenship scheme started

In January 2014, Malta started granting citizenship for a €650,000 contribution plus investments, contingent on residence and criminal background checks.

January 2014: Arriva ceases operations

On 1 January 2014, Arriva ceased operations in Malta due to financial difficulties and was nationalized as Malta Public Transport.

October 2014: Alsa subsidiary Chosen

In October 2014, the government chose Autobuses Urbanos de León (Alsa subsidiary) as its preferred bus operator for the country.

2014: Number of atheists

In 2014 the number of atheists was lower compared to 2018.

2014: Last Snowfall

In 2014, Malta experienced its last snowfall, though snow is very rare.

2015: GDP per capita

According to Eurostat data, Maltese GDP per capita stood at 88 per cent of the EU average in 2015 with €21,000.

2015: Property market boom

As of 2015, Malta did not have a property tax. Its property market, especially around the harbour area, was booming, with the prices of apartments in some towns like St Julian's, Sliema and Gzira skyrocketing.

2015: Freedom of Thought Report

In the 2015 edition of the annual Freedom of Thought Report from the International Humanist and Ethical Union, Malta was in the category of "severe discrimination".

2015: Delimara Power Station used oil

Originally in 2015, the Delimara Power Station used oil for electricity generation, before being converted to LNG in 2017.

2016: Biocapacity in Malta

In 2016, Malta had 0.6 global hectares of biocapacity per person within its territory, contrasted with a global average of 1.6 hectares per person.

2016: Malta shifted to systematic discrimination category

In 2016, following the abolishment of blasphemy law, Malta was shifted to the category of "systematic discrimination" in the annual Freedom of Thought Report.

2017: Delimara Power Station converted to LNG

The Delimara Power Station, originally using oil, was converted to LNG in 2017.

2018: Number of atheists doubled

From 2014 to 2018, the number of atheists in Malta doubled.

2018: Esports tournament

In 2018 Malta hosted its first Esports tournament, 'Supernova CS:GO Malta', a Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournament, and became the primary location for hosting the ESL Pro League.

2018: National Museum of Art

In 2018 the national collection of fine arts was put on display in the new National Museum of Art, MUŻA, at Auberge d'Italie in Valletta.

2018: European Capital of Culture

In 2018, Valletta was the first World Heritage City in Europe to become a European Capital of Culture.

2018: Life expectancy

In 2018, the life expectancy in Malta was estimated at 83 years.

2018: National Development and Social Fund

The National Development and Social Fund from the Individual Investor Programme, became a significant income source for the government of Malta, adding 432,000,000 euro to the budget in 2018.

June 2019: Ryanair invested into Malta Air

In June 2019, Ryanair invested in Malta Air, a fully-fledged airline subsidiary operating a low-cost model.

2019: Eurobarometer survey results

According to a 2019 Eurobarometer survey, 83% of the population of Malta identified as Catholic.

2019: Malta is a popular destination to study the English language

In 2019, Malta attracted over 83,000 students to study the English language.

2019: Record year in tourism

In 2019, Malta experienced a record year in tourism, with over 2.1 million tourists visiting the island.

2019: Jewish community in Malta

In 2019, the Jewish community in Malta gathered around 150 persons.

January 2020: Robert Abela Prime Minister

Since 13 January 2020, Robert Abela has been in office as the Prime Minister of Malta.

September 2020: Amnesty International criticism

On September 8, 2020, Amnesty International criticized Malta for "illegal tactics" in the Mediterranean, against immigrants who were attempting to cross from North Africa.

2020: Eurostat Data

According to 2020 data by Eurostat, the Functional Urban Area and metropolitan region covered the whole island and has a population of 480,134.

2020: UN Treaty Ratification

In 2020, Malta signed and ratified the UN treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

2020: Growth in foreign population

Since the early 21st century, Malta has seen a significant increase in net migration; the foreign-born population has grown nearly eightfold between 2005 and 2020.

2021: Eastern Orthodox Christians in Malta

According to the 2021 census, there are 16,457 Eastern Orthodox Christians in Malta.

2021: Malta Metro planning

As of 2021, plans were underway for an underground Malta Metro, with a projected total cost of €6.2 billion.

2021: Maltese-born natives make up the majority of the island

As of the 2021 census, Maltese-born natives make up the majority of the island with 386,280 people out of a total population of 519,562.

October 2022: Bus system is free of charge

From October 2022, the bus system in Malta is free of charge for residents.

November 2022: Abortion Bill Proposed

On 21 November 2022, the Maltese government proposed a bill allowing for the termination of a pregnancy if the mother's life is at risk or if her health is in serious jeopardy.

2022: Language knowledge

In 2022, Malta National Statistics Office states that 90 percent of the Maltese population has at least a basic knowledge of Maltese, 96 percent of English, 62 percent of Italian, and 20 percent of French.

June 2023: Abortion Bill Passed

In June 2023, the bill allowing for the termination of a pregnancy if the mother's life is at risk was passed with amendments restricting the exception to situations where the woman's life is at risk.