History of Poland in Timeline

Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a Central European country bordered by the Baltic Sea to the north and the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains to the south. It shares borders with several countries, including Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, and Kaliningrad Oblast. With a varied landscape, diverse ecosystems, and a temperate climate, Poland is divided into sixteen voivodeships. As the fifth most populous member of the European Union with over 38 million people, it is also the fifth largest EU country by land area. Warsaw is the capital and largest city, with other major cities including Kraków, Wrocław, Łódź, Poznań, and Gdańsk.

1905: Henryk Sienkiewicz Nobel Prize

In 1905, Henryk Sienkiewicz won the Nobel Prize.

November 1918: Regained Independence

In November 1918, following the armistice with Germany, Poland regained its independence as the Second Polish Republic.

1918: Regaining of Independence

In 1918, at the end of World War I, Poland regained its independence with the founding of the Second Polish Republic.

1918: Women's Suffrage

In 1918, the Second Polish Republic became one of the first countries to introduce universal women's suffrage.

June 1919: Treaty of Versailles

In June 1919, the Allies formalized the reconstitution of Poland through the Treaty of Versailles.

1922: Assassination of Gabriel Narutowicz

In 1922, Gabriel Narutowicz, the inaugural president, was assassinated at the Zachęta Gallery in Warsaw.

1924: Władysław Reymont Nobel Prize

In 1924, Władysław Reymont won the Nobel Prize.

1925: Establishment of Radium Institute

In 1925, Maria Skłodowska-Curie established Poland's Radium Institute.

1926: May Coup

In 1926, Józef Piłsudski led the May Coup, transferring power to the Sanacja movement.

September 1939: Invasion of Poland

In September 1939, Germany and the Soviet Union invaded Poland, marking the beginning of World War II.

September 1939: Nazi German Invasion

On 1 September 1939, World War II started with the Nazi German invasion of Poland, followed by the Soviet invasion on 17 September.

November 1939: German Planners call for destruction of all Poles

In November 1939, German planners called for the complete destruction of all Poles.

1941: Soviet NKVD Execution of Polish Prisoners

In 1941, the Soviet NKVD executed thousands of Polish prisoners of war ahead of Operation Barbarossa, notably in the Katyn massacre.

1943: Wołyń Massacres

Between 1943 and 1944, at least 100,000 Poles were murdered by the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) in what became known as the Wołyń Massacres.

August 1944: Warsaw Uprising

In August 1944, the Warsaw Uprising began as part of Operation Tempest during World War II.

1944: Warsaw Uprising civilian deaths

During the Warsaw Uprising in 1944, over 150,000 Polish civilians were killed.

1944: Stalin guarantees to Churchill and Roosevelt

In 1944, Stalin had made guarantees to Churchill and Roosevelt that he would maintain Poland's sovereignty and allow democratic elections to take place.

1945: Border Shifts

In 1945, Poland's borders were shifted westwards and over two million Polish inhabitants of Kresy were expelled.

1945: Falsified elections

Upon achieving victory in 1945, the elections organised by the occupying Soviet authorities were falsified and were used to provide a veneer of legitimacy for Soviet hegemony over Polish affairs.

February 1947: Adoption of Small Constitution

In February 1947, the new communist government took control with the adoption of the Small Constitution.

1952: Proclamation of the Polish People's Republic

In 1952, the Polish People's Republic (Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa) was officially proclaimed.

1953: Contribution to UN Peacekeeping Missions

Since 1953, Poland has been a large contributor to various United Nations peacekeeping missions.

1956: Gomułka's Regime

In 1956, after the death of Bolesław Bierut, the régime of Władysław Gomułka became temporarily more liberal.

1972: Summer Olympics gold medal

In 1972, the Polish national football team won a gold medal in football at the Summer Olympics.

1974: FIVB World Championship

In 1974, the Polish men's national volleyball team won the gold medal at the FIVB World Championship.

1976: Summer Olympics gold medal

In 1976, the Polish men's national volleyball team won a gold medal at the Summer Olympics.

1978: Isaac Bashevis Singer Nobel Prize

In 1978, Isaac Bashevis Singer won the Nobel Prize.

1980: Vodka popularity

Between 1980 and 1998, vodka was more popular in Poland.

1980: Czesław Miłosz Nobel Prize

In 1980, Czesław Miłosz won the Nobel Prize.

1980: Formation of Solidarity

In 1980, labor turmoil led to the formation of the independent trade union "Solidarity" ("Solidarność").

1980: Emergence of Solidarity Movement

In 1980, the Solidarity movement emerged in Poland, initiating the fall of the Iron Curtain.

1981: Imposition of Martial Law

In 1981, General Wojciech Jaruzelski imposed martial law.

1982: FIFA World Cup

In 1982, the Polish national football team finished in third place at the FIFA World Cup.

1989: Fall of Communism

As of 1989, Poland began its transformation to a market economy.

1989: Democratic Elections

In 1989, Solidarity triumphed in Poland's first partially free and democratic parliamentary elections since the end of the Second World War.

1989: Re-establishment as a Liberal Democracy

In 1989, the communist government was dissolved, and Poland re-established itself as a liberal democracy.

1990: Lech Wałęsa Wins Presidency

In 1990, Lech Wałęsa, a Solidarity candidate, won the presidency.

1991: Visegrád Group

In 1991, Poland became a member of the Visegrád Group.

1992: Summer Olympics silver medal

In 1992, the Polish national football team won a silver medal at the Summer Olympics.

1995: GDP levels reached

As of 1995, Poland became the first post-communist country to reach its pre-1989 GDP levels.

1996: Wisława Szymborska Nobel Prize

In 1996, Wisława Szymborska won the Nobel Prize.

April 1997: Adoption of the Current Constitution

On 2 April 1997, the current democratic constitution was adopted by the National Assembly of Poland.

1998: Alcoholic drinks preference

Between 1980 and 1998, vodka was more popular in Poland. However, beer and wine became the alcoholic drinks preference after 1998.

1999: NATO Membership

In 1999, Poland joined NATO.

2000: Church attendance

Around the year 2000, approximately half of Catholics in Poland attended mass weekly.

2001: Average air temperature

The average annual air temperature between 2011 and 2020 was 1.11 °C higher than in the 2001-2010 period.

2002: The Pianist won Academy Award

In 2002, The Pianist by Roman Polański won an Academy Award.

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June 2003: EU Referendum

In June 2003, Poles voted to join the European Union in a referendum.

May 2004: EU Membership

On 1 May 2004, Poland became a full member of the European Union.

2007: Schengen Area

In 2007, Poland joined the Schengen Area, dismantling borders with other member states.

2008: World's Strongest Man title

In 2008, Mariusz Pudzianowski won the World's Strongest Man title for the fifth time.

2008: Discontinuation of Compulsory Military Service

In 2008, compulsory military service for men was discontinued in Poland.

2008: Avoided Recession

Poland was the only European economy to have avoided the recession of 2008.

April 2010: Plane Crash near Smolensk

On 10 April 2010, the President of Poland Lech Kaczyński, along with 89 other high-ranking Polish officials, died in a plane crash near Smolensk, Russia.

2010: Central European Floods

During the 2010 Central European floods, some low-lying areas in Poland experienced flooding due to extreme rainfall.

2010: Average air temperature

The average annual air temperature between 2011 and 2020 was 1.11 °C higher than in the 2001-2010 period.

2011: Average air temperature

Between 2011 and 2020, the average annual air temperature was 9.33 °C (48.8 °F).

2011: Civic Platform Wins Election

In 2011, the ruling Civic Platform won parliamentary elections.

2011: Polish Census

In the 2011 Polish census, 37,310,341 people reported Polish identity, 846,719 Silesian, 232,547 Kashubian and 147,814 German.

2012: UEFA European Football Championship

In 2012, Poland co-hosted the UEFA European Football Championship.

2013: Ida won Academy Award

In 2013, Ida by Paweł Pawlikowski won an Academy Award.

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2014: Polish Corporations with Foreign Interests

In 2014, the Central Statistical Office estimated that there were 1,437 Polish corporations with interests in 3,194 foreign entities.

2014: FIVB World Championship

In 2014, the Polish men's national volleyball team won the gold medal at the FIVB World Championship.

2014: Donald Tusk Chosen as President of the European Council

In 2014, the Prime Minister of Poland, Donald Tusk, was chosen to be President of the European Council.

2015: Television viewership

According to the 2015 Eurobarometer Report, 78 percent of Poles watch television daily.

2015: Knowledge of English Language

According to the Centre for Public Opinion Research, around 32% of Polish citizens declared knowledge of the English language in 2015.

2015: Hopman Cup

In 2015, Poland won the Hopman Cup with Agnieszka Radwańska and Jerzy Janowicz representing the country.

2015: Religion importance

In 2015, a survey indicated that 61.6% of respondents in Poland considered religion to be of high or very high importance.

2015: Law and Justice Party wins elections

The 2015 elections were won by the national-conservative Law and Justice Party (PiS).

December 2017: Mateusz Morawiecki Becomes Prime Minister

In December 2017, Mateusz Morawiecki was sworn in as the Prime Minister, succeeding Beata Szydlo.

2017: Ukrainian Citizens Working in Poland

In 2017, More than 1.7 million Ukrainian citizens worked legally in Poland.

2017: Reduction of coal and lignite in electricity generation

The new Energy Policy of Poland until 2040 (EPP2040) would reduce the share of coal and lignite in electricity generation by 25% from 2017 to 2030.

2018: Secularisation

According to a Pew Research Center study in 2018, Poland was the fastest secularizing country among the 100+ countries studied.

2018: Olga Tokarczuk Nobel Prize

In 2018, Olga Tokarczuk won the Nobel Prize.

2018: Homicide Rate

In 2018, Poland had a low homicide rate at 0.7 murders per 100,000 people.

2018: FIVB World Championship

In 2018, the Polish men's national volleyball team won the gold medal at the FIVB World Championship.

2018: Student Assessment

In 2018, the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) placed Poland's educational output as one of the highest in the OECD.

2018: Developed Market Status

Poland reached a developed market status in 2018.

2019: Speedway Grand Prix World Champion

In 2019, Bartosz Zmarzlik won the Speedway Grand Prix World Championship.

2019: Principal cause of death

In 2019, the principal cause of death in Poland was ischemic heart disease, with diseases of the circulatory system accounting for 45% of all deaths. Also in 2019, Poland was the 15th-largest importer of medications and pharmaceutical products.

2019: Income Tax Exemption for Young Workers

Since 2019, workers under the age of 26 are exempt from paying income tax.

2019: Law and Justice Party wins elections again

The 2019 elections were won by the national-conservative Law and Justice Party (PiS).

2020: Arms Exports

According to SIPRI, in 2020, Poland exported €487 million worth of arms and armaments to foreign countries.

2020: Human Development Report

According to the 2020 Human Development Report, the average life expectancy at birth in Poland is 79 years. Male infant life expectancy is approximately 75 years, while female infant life expectancy is around 83 years.

2020: Cosmetic market

As of 2020, Poland holds the sixth-largest cosmetic market in Europe.

2020: Average air temperature

Between 2011 and 2020, the average annual air temperature was 9.33 °C (48.8 °F).

2020: Residential Dwellings

In 2020, 50.2% of Poles resided in detached dwellings and 44.3% in apartments.

2020: News consumption

In 2020, 79 percent of the Polish population read the news more than once a day.

2020: Speedway Grand Prix World Champion

In 2020, Bartosz Zmarzlik won the Speedway Grand Prix World Championship.

2020: President Andrzej Duda Re-elected

In 2020, President Andrzej Duda, supported by the Law and Justice party, was re-elected.

2020: Tourism Industry Value

In 2020, the total value of the tourism industry in Poland was 104.3 billion PLN, equivalent to 4.5% of the Polish GDP. Nearly 200,000 people were employed in the accommodation and catering sector in 2020.

2021: Religious Adherence

According to the 2021 census, 71.3% of all Polish citizens adhere to the Catholic Church, with 6.9% identifying as having no religion and 20.6% refusing to answer.

2021: Ethnic Composition

According to the 2021 census, ethnic Poles comprise 98.84% of the population.

2021: Work Permits for Foreigners

In 2021, Poland approved 504,172 work permits for foreigners.

2021: Speedway of Nations world championship

In 2021, Poland finished runners-up in the Speedway of Nations world championship final, held in Manchester, England.

2021: Tourism Ranking

In 2021, Poland ranked as the 12th most visited country in the world by international arrivals.

2021: Church attendance decrease

In 2021, only 28% of Catholics in Poland attended mass weekly, a significant decrease from around half in 2000.

2022: Administrative Divisions

As of 2022, the voivodeships are subdivided into 380 counties (powiats), which are further fragmented into 2,477 municipalities (gminas).

2022: Modernisation of Armed Forces

From 2022, Poland initiated a program of mass modernisation of its armed forces, in cooperation with American, South Korean and local Polish defence manufacturers.

2022: Speedway Grand Prix World Champion

In 2022, Bartosz Zmarzlik won the Speedway Grand Prix World Championship.

2022: Railway Track Length

In 2022, Poland had 19,393 kilometers of railway track, the third longest in the European Union.

2022: Student performance

In 2022, the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) ranked Poland's educational output as 6th by student performance.

August 2023: Highway Network Size

As of August 2023, Poland has the world's 21st-largest road network, maintaining over 5,000 km of highways in use.

October 2023: Law and Justice wins largest share in election

In October 2023, the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party won the largest share of the vote in the election, but lost its majority in parliament.

November 2023: Ukrainian refugees

As of November 2023, the Russian invasion of Ukraine had led to 17 million Ukrainian refugees crossing the border to Poland.

December 2023: Donald Tusk becomes Prime Minister

In December 2023, Donald Tusk became the new Prime Minister leading a coalition made up of Civic Coalition, Third Way, and The Left.

2023: Exports of Goods and Services

As of 2023, exports of goods and services are valued at approximately 58% of Poland's GDP. In 2023, the country produced 1300 tonnes of silver and was the 5th largest silver producer globally.

2023: Speedway Grand Prix World Champion

In 2023, Bartosz Zmarzlik won the Speedway Grand Prix World Championship.

2023: Fertility Rate

In 2023, the total fertility rate was estimated at 1.2 children born to a woman, which is among the world's lowest.

July 2024: Polish Armed Forces Strength

In July 2024, the Polish Armed Forces had a combined strength of 216,100 active soldiers, making it the largest standing army in the European Union and the third largest in NATO.

September 2024: Volleyball team ranked first

As of September 2024, the Polish men's national volleyball team is ranked as first in the world.

2024: Poland's Role in the European Parliament

As of 2024, Poland has 53 representatives in the European Parliament. Warsaw serves as the headquarters for Frontex, the European Union's agency for external border security, and ODIHR, an institution of the OSCE. Poland is a member of the European Union, NATO, the United Nations, and the WTO.

2024: Firearms Training in Schools

From 2024, Poland also provides mandatory firearms training for pupils in primary and secondary schools.

2024: Speedway Grand Prix World Champion

In 2024, Bartosz Zmarzlik won the Speedway Grand Prix World Championship.

2024: Poland's Military Expenditures

In 2024, Poland allocated 4.12% of its GDP on military spending, equivalent to approximately US$35 billion, ranking 14th in the world.

2025: Gold Reserve

As of 2025, Poland holds the world's 12th largest gold reserve, estimated at 509 tonnes.

2025: Poland's GDP Ranking

As of 2025, Poland's gross domestic product (GDP) is the sixth largest in the European Union by nominal standards, the fifth largest by purchasing power parity, and ranks 20th globally.

2025: Global Innovation Index Ranking

Poland was ranked 39th in the Global Innovation Index in 2025.

2030: Reduction of coal and lignite in electricity generation

The new Energy Policy of Poland until 2040 (EPP2040) would reduce the share of coal and lignite in electricity generation by 25% from 2017 to 2030.

2040: Energy Policy of Poland

The new Energy Policy of Poland until 2040 (EPP2040) would reduce the share of coal and lignite in electricity generation. The plan involves deploying new nuclear plants, increasing energy efficiency, and decarbonising the Polish transport system.