History of Mediterranean Sea in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: June 19, 2025

The Mediterranean Sea is a sea nearly enclosed by land, connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Strait of Gibraltar. It's bordered by West Asia (Levant, Anatolia), Southern Europe, and North Africa. Covering approximately 2,500,000 km2, it represents a small fraction of the global ocean surface. Its connection to the Atlantic is a narrow 14 km strait between Europe (Iberian Peninsula) and Africa (Morocco).

1908: Messina and Reggio Calabria destroyed by tsunami

In 1908, a disastrous tsunami destroyed the cities of Messina and Reggio Calabria.

1908: Messina earthquake and tsunami

The 1908 Messina earthquake and tsunami took more than 123,000 lives in Sicily and Calabria and were among the deadliest natural disasters in modern Europe.

1970: Sediment cores drilled

In 1970, sediment cores were drilled, leading to theories about the Mediterranean's past. These theories suggested that about 6 million years ago, the Mediterranean was around 3,000 metres (10,000 ft) below the current sea level and included arid deserts blanketed with evaporite salts.

1975: Further sediment core drilling

In 1975, further sediment cores were drilled, supporting theories that about 6 million years ago, the Mediterranean was significantly lower and contained arid deserts with evaporite salts.

1994: Seabed debris study

A 1994 study of the seabed using trawl nets around the coasts of Spain, France and Italy reported a particularly high mean concentration of debris; an average of 1,935 items per km.

1999: Greenpeace report reveals bluefin tuna decline

In 1999, Greenpeace published a report revealing that the amount of bluefin tuna in the Mediterranean had decreased by over 80% in the previous 20 years, warning of potential stock collapse without immediate action.

1999: Earthquake diplomacy between Greece and Turkey

In 1999, the Greek–Turkish earthquake diplomacy led to improved relations between traditional rivals in the region after earthquakes in İzmit and Athens.

2003: Tsunami off the Algerian margin

In 2003, a large tsunami occurred off the Algerian margin.

2003: WWF raises concerns about drift net fishing

In 2003, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) raised concerns about widespread drift net fishing in the Alboran Sea, endangering populations of dolphins, turtles, and other marine animals like the spiny squat lobster.

2013: Operation Mare Nostrum authorized

Following the 2013 Lampedusa migrant shipwreck, the Italian government authorized "Operation Mare Nostrum," a military and humanitarian mission aimed at rescuing migrants and arresting immigrant traffickers.

2013: Mediterranean Sea as a "cemetery"

In 2013, the Maltese president described the Mediterranean Sea as a "cemetery" due to the high number of migrant deaths from capsized boats.

2013: Italy affected by the European migrant crisis

Since 2013, Italy has been significantly affected by the European migrant crisis, with over 700,000 migrants, mainly from sub-Saharan Africa, landing in the country.

2014: Europe's migration policy turns the Mediterranean into a graveyard

In 2014, European Parliament president Martin Schulz stated that Europe's migration policy "turned the Mediterranean into a graveyard" due to the number of drowned refugees, a direct result of the policies.

2015: Marine heatwaves cause sealife die-offs

A study showed that climate change-related exceptional marine heatwaves in the Mediterranean Sea during 2015 resulted in widespread mass sealife die-offs.

2015: Over one million migrants cross the Mediterranean Sea

In 2015, more than one million migrants crossed the Mediterranean Sea into Europe.

2019: Marine heatwaves cause sealife die-offs

A study showed that climate change-related exceptional marine heatwaves in the Mediterranean Sea during 2019 resulted in widespread mass sealife die-offs in five consecutive years.