History of Spain in Timeline

Spain, officially the Kingdom of Spain, is located in Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. It is the largest country in Southern Europe and the fourth-most populous EU member state, occupying most of the Iberian Peninsula. Its territory includes the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands, and the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla. Spain shares borders with France, Andorra, and Portugal. Madrid is its capital and largest city; other major cities include Barcelona and Valencia.

1900: Spain population 18.6 million

In 1900, Spain's population stood at 18.6 million.

1901: Formation of Regionalist League of Catalonia

In 1901, the Regionalist League of Catalonia was formed, contributing to the rise of Catalanism and other regional nationalisms.

July 1909: Tragic Week events

In July 1909, the Tragic Week events and subsequent repression highlighted the social instability of the time.

1910: Foundation of Confederación Nacional del Trabajo

In 1910, the Confederación Nacional del Trabajo was founded within the anarcho-syndicalist trend of the labour movement in Spain.

1919: La Canadiense strike

In 1919, the La Canadiense strike led to the enactment of the first law limiting the working day to eight hours.

1923: Start of Crown-supported dictatorship

From 1923 to 1931, Spain experienced a period of Crown-supported dictatorship.

1927: Foundation of Federación Anarquista Ibérica

In 1927, Federación Anarquista Ibérica was founded within the anarcho-syndicalist trend of the labour movement in Spain.

April 1931: Municipal elections

In April 1931, municipal elections resulted in a victory for the Republican-Socialist candidacies in large cities, leading to the king's departure and the proclamation of the Republic.

June 1931: Constituent general election

In June 1931, the Constituent general election was held.

October 1931: Constitution passed

In October 1931, the constitution for the country was passed following the June 1931 Constituent general election.

1931: The Restoration

In 1931, the Restoration period (1875–1931) came to an end.

1931: Official Language

Since 1931, Spanish has effectively been the official language of the entire country.

1932: Failed coup d'état

In 1932, a coup d'état led by José Sanjurjo failed.

1932: Sound Film Studios Created

In 1932, local studios for sound films were created in Spain.

1933: Right triumphed in the election

In 1933, the right-wing parties triumphed in the elections.

1934: Revolution

In 1934, a revolution occurred.

October 1936: General Francisco Franco sworn in as supreme leader of the rebels

On October 1, 1936, General Francisco Franco was sworn in as the supreme leader of the Nationalist rebels during the Spanish Civil War.

1936: Spanish Civil War

In 1936, the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939) began, marking a period of intense conflict.

1936: Left triumphed in the election

In 1936, the left-wing parties triumphed in the elections, amidst great political and social upheaval.

1936: End of Silver Age

In 1936, the so-called Silver Age of Spanish Culture ensued, encompassing the period from 1868 or 1874 to 1936.

1937: Formation of Falange Española Tradicionalista y de las JONS

In 1937, the only legal party under Franco's dictatorship was the Falange Española Tradicionalista y de las JONS (FET y de las JONS), formed from the merging of various right-wing groups.

April 1939: Franco's victory

On April 1, 1939, the rebel side led by Franco emerged victorious in the civil war, imposing a dictatorship over the whole country.

1939: End of the Spanish Civil War and beginning of the Francoist dictatorship

In 1939, the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939) concluded, leading to the establishment of the Francoist dictatorship (1939–1975).

1941: Dubbing of Foreign Films

In 1941, the government imposition of dubbing of foreign films accustomed Spanish audiences to watching dubbed films.

1955: Entry into the United Nations

In 1955, Spain was admitted into the United Nations during the Cold War period, marking a change from political isolation.

1959: Formation of ETA

In 1959, the armed Basque organisation ETA was formed during Franco's rule.

1960: Start of the Spanish economic miracle

The groundwork for the Spanish economic miracle, a period of rapid growth from 1960 until 1974, during which Spain's economy grew an average of 6.6 percent per year, exceeding every country except Japan, was laid down.

1962: Congress of the European Movement in Munich

In 1962, a group of politicians met in the congress of the European Movement in Munich and made a resolution in favour of democracy.

1964: UEFA European Championship

In 1964, Spain's national men's football team won the UEFA European Championship.

1970: Educational Laws

Since 1970 to 2014, Spain has had seven different educational laws (LGE, LOECE, LODE, LOGSE, LOPEG, LOE and LOMCE).

1974: End of the Spanish economic miracle

November 1975: Juan Carlos succeeded to the position of King of Spain

In November 1975, following Franco's death, Juan Carlos succeeded to the position of King of Spain and head of state.

1975: End of Franco Regime

After the death of Franco in 1975, Spain's foreign policy shifted to break diplomatic isolation, expand relations, enter the European Community, and define security relations with the West.

1975: End of Francoist Dictatorship

In 1975, the Francoist dictatorship (1939–1975) ended, paving the way for the restoration of democracy.

March 1976: Massacre of 3 March in Vitoria

In March 1976, the Massacre of 3 March occurred in Vitoria, even as Spain transitioned to democracy.

June 1976: Adolfo Suárez Appointed Prime Minister

In June 1976, King Juan Carlos dismissed Carlos Arias Navarro and appointed Adolfo Suárez as Prime Minister.

1977: Spanish Amnesty Law

In 1977, the Spanish Amnesty Law was approved. Also in 1977, the Massacre of Atocha took place during transition to democracy.

1977: Constituent Cortes Convened

In 1977, the general election convened the Constituent Cortes to draft and approve the constitution.

December 1978: New Constitution Approved

On 6 December 1978, a national referendum resulted in 88% of voters approving the new constitution.

1978: Autonomous Communities Created

Following the 1978 constitution, autonomous communities were created in recognition of the right to self-government of the "nationalities and regions of Spain".

1978: Spanish Constitution

In 1978, the Spanish Constitution recognized Spanish as the official language and allowed other "Spanish languages" to become official in their respective autonomous communities.

1978: Approval of the Spanish Constitution

In 1978, the new Spanish Constitution was approved, leading to the restoration of democracy and the devolution of authority to the regions.

February 1981: Attempted coup d'état

In February 1981, rebel elements among the security forces seized the Cortes in an attempt to impose a military-backed government, which was thwarted by King Juan Carlos.

May 1982: Spain joined NATO

In May 1982, Spain joined NATO, following a referendum after strong social opposition.

1982: Spain Joins NATO

In 1982, Spain joined NATO and established itself as a participant in multilateral international security activities.

1986: Spain joined the European Economic Community

In 1986, Spain joined the European Economic Community, which later became the European Union.

1990: Foreign Direct Investment Increase

From 1990 to 2000, EU membership coincided with a tripling of foreign direct investment in Spain.

1992: Summer Olympics and Paralympics Hosted

In 1992, the Summer Olympics and Paralympics were hosted in Barcelona, stimulating interest in sports within the country.

1996: Partido Popular (PP) came to power

In 1996, the Partido Popular (PP) replaced the PSOE in government after scandals around participation of the government of Felipe González in the Dirty war against ETA.

1996: Immigrant Numbers

In 1996, the number of immigrants in Spain was 500,000.

1998: Immigration Increase

In 1998, immigration to Spain was at 1.6% of the population.

1999: Spain Joins the Euro

In 1999, Spain implemented policies and reforms that allowed for its participation in the inaugural launch of the euro.

2000: Foreign Direct Investment Tripled

From 1990 to 2000, EU membership coincided with a tripling of foreign direct investment in Spain.

2000: Life Expectancy

In 2000, the life expectancy in Spain was 79.1 years.

2000: Multinational Expansion

Since the 1990s, which saw a wave of privatisations, several Spanish companies have reached multinational status; they maintain a strong and leading presence in Latin America. By 2000, Spain is the second largest foreign investor after the United States in Latin America

2001: End of Military Conscription

Military conscription ended in Spain in 2001.

January 2002: Adoption of the euro

On January 1, 2002, Spain fully adopted the euro as its currency.

2002: Top Recipient of Migrants

From 2002 to 2007, Spain was Europe's top recipient of migrants, with 2.5 million arrivals.

2002: Perejil Island Incident

In 2002, Perejil Island was the subject of an armed incident between Spain and Morocco.

2002: Prestige oil spill

In 2002, the Prestige oil spill occurred, causing significant ecological damage along Spain's Atlantic coastline.

2003: Spain supported the Iraq War

In 2003, José María Aznar supported US President George W. Bush in the Iraq War, leading to strong opposition in Spanish society.

March 2004: Madrid train bombings

In March 2004, a local Islamist terrorist group carried out the largest terrorist attack in Western European history by bombing commuter trains in Madrid, killing 191 people.

2005: Second Highest Immigration Rate

In 2005, Spain had the second highest immigration rate in the European Union, after Cyprus, and the highest in absolute numbers, with an amnesty programme increasing the legal immigrant population by 700,000.

2005: Legalisation of same sex marriage

In 2005, the Spanish government legalised same-sex marriage, making Spain the third country worldwide to do so.

2006: Educational Law LOE

In 2006, the educational law, LOE (Ley Orgánica de Educación), or Fundamental Law for the Education regulated the current education system.

2007: Top Recipient of Migrants

From 2002 to 2007, Spain was Europe's top recipient of migrants, with 2.5 million arrivals.

2007: Gender Equality Act Approved

The Cortes Generales approved the Gender Equality Act in 2007 aimed at furthering equality between genders in Spanish political and economic life.

2008: Immigrant numbers reach 5.2 million

By 2008, the number of immigrants in Spain grew to 5.2 million.

2008: Citizenship Granted

In 2008, Spain granted citizenship to 84,170 persons, mostly from Ecuador, Colombia and Morocco.

2008: UEFA European Championship

In 2008, Spain's national men's football team won the UEFA European Championship.

2008: Most Favoured Destination

In 2008, prior to the onset of the economic crisis, the Financial Times reported that Spain was the most favoured destination for Western Europeans considering a move from their own country and seeking jobs elsewhere in the EU.

2008: Gender Empowerment Measure Ranking

In 2008, the Gender Empowerment Measure of Spain in the United Nations Human Development Report was 0.794, 12th in the world.

2008: Bursting of the Spanish property bubble

In 2008, the bursting of the Spanish property bubble led to the Spanish financial crisis (2008–2014).

2008: Start of Financial Crisis

Spain was among the countries affected most by the 2008 financial crisis and subsequent European debt crisis.

2009: Immigration Peak

By 2009, immigration to Spain had risen to over 12% of the population.

2009: Fossil Fuels Dominate Electricity Generation

In 2009, fossil fuels generated 58% of Spain's electricity, slightly below the OECD mean of 61%. Nuclear power generated another 19%, and wind and hydro about 12% each.

November 2010: Wind Power Peak

On 9 November 2010, wind power in Spain reached a historic peak, covering 53% of mainland electricity demand and generating 14.2 GW of power, equivalent to that of 14 nuclear reactors.

2010: ETA announced permanent cease of violence

In 2010, ETA announced its permanent cease of violence.

2010: FIFA World Cup

In 2010, Spain's national men's football team won the FIFA World Cup.

2011: People's Party won the election

In 2011, Mariano Rajoy's conservative People's Party won the election with 44.6% of votes.

2011: Net Migration Rate

In 2011, more than half a million people left Spain, marking the first net migration rate in decades.

2012: UEFA European Championship

In 2012, Spain's national men's football team won the UEFA European Championship.

2013: Acceptance of Homosexuality

According to a 2013 Pew Research study, Spain is rated first in acceptance of homosexuality, with 88% of those surveyed saying that homosexuality should be accepted.

June 2014: Abdication of Juan Carlos

On June 19, 2014, King Juan Carlos abdicated in favor of his son, who became Felipe VI.

2014: Electric Car Goal

In 2014, Spain aimed to have one million electric cars on the road as part of a government plan to save energy and boost efficiency.

2014: Educational Law LOMCE

In 2014, the LOE was partially modified by the newer and controversial LOMCE law (Ley Orgánica para la Mejora de la Calidad Educativa), or Fundamental Law for the Improvement of the Education System.

2014: End of Financial Crisis

Spain was among the countries affected most by the 2008 financial crisis and subsequent European debt crisis, leading to the 2008–2014 Spanish financial crisis.

2014: Immigrant Decrease

Until 2014, the number of immigrants decreased due to the economic crisis.

2015: Net Immigration Increase

By 2015, net immigration in Spain had increased, and the country has again become a major immigration destination.

2015: Increased Defence Budget

In 2015, the Spanish defence budget was 5.71 billion euros (US$7.2 billion), with a 1% increase due to security concerns.

October 2017: Catalan Independence Referendum and Declaration

In October 2017, Catalonia held an independence referendum and declared independence from Spain, forming a Catalan Republic, while the Spanish Senate discussed imposing direct rule. The Senate approved direct rule, and the Spanish Prime Minister dissolved the Catalan parliament and called for a new election. No country recognized Catalonia as independent in October 2017.

2017: Armed Forces Strength in 2017

In 2017, the Spanish armed forces had a strength of 121,900 active personnel and 4,770 reserve personnel.

May 2018: Dissolution of ETA

In May 2018, the armed Basque organisation ETA dissolved.

June 2018: Motion of no-confidence against Rajoy

In June 2018, the Congress of Deputies passed a motion of no-confidence against Rajoy, replacing him with PSOE leader Pedro Sánchez.

September 2018: Women in Congress and Senate

According to Inter-Parliamentary Union data for September 2018, 137 of the 350 members of the Congress were women (39.1%), while in the Senate, there were 101 women out of 266 (39.9%).

2018: CSIC Ranking

In 2018, the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) ranked as the 5th top governmental scientific institution worldwide.

2019: Forest Landscape Integrity Index

In 2019, Spain had a Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 4.23/10, ranking it 130th globally out of 172 countries.

2019: First Coalition Government Formed

In 2019, the first ever coalition government in Spain was formed, between PSOE and Unidas Podemos.

January 2020: COVID-19 Confirmed in Spain

In January 2020, the COVID-19 virus was confirmed to have spread to Spain, causing life expectancy to drop by more than a year.

2020: Leader in Rural Tourism

Since 2020 Castile and Leon is the Spanish leader in rural tourism linked to its environmental and architectural heritage.

March 2021: Euthanasia Legalized

In March 2021, Spain became the sixth nation in the world to make active euthanasia legal.

July 2021: Religious Worship Attendance

A July 2021 study shows that of the Spaniards who identify themselves as religious, 36% never attend Mass.

2021: First Language Survey

According to an official survey complementary to the 2021 census, Spanish is considered the first language by 81.53% of the Spanish population.

2021: Top Cultural Initiatives

As of 2021, the festivals of San Sebastián and Málaga are ranked among the top cultural initiatives in Spain.

2021: Increased Life Expectancy

In 2021, the life expectancy in Spain improved to 82.7 years.

July 2023: New Coalition Government Formed

Following the general election on 23 July 2023, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez once again formed a coalition government, this time with Sumar.

2023: Urban Population

According to data from the World Bank, approximately 81.6% of Spain's population lived in urban areas as of 2023.

2023: Fortune Global 500 Companies

As of 2023, Spain was home to eight of the 500 largest companies in the world by annual revenue, according to the Fortune Global 500. Also, twenty Spanish companies are listed in the 2023 Forbes Global 2000 ranking of the 2,000 largest public companies.

2023: Low Fertility Rate

In 2023, Spain's average total fertility rate was 1.12 children born per woman, which is one of the lowest in the world and well below the replacement rate of 2.1.

2023: FIFA Women's World Cup

In 2023, Spain's women's national team were champions of the FIFA Women's World Cup.

2023: Tourism Contribution to GDP

In 2023, foreign and domestic tourism contributed to 12.3% of Spain's GDP.

2023: Madrid Airport Busiest

In 2023, the Madrid (Barajas) airport was the busiest in Spain, with 60 million passengers, making it the world's 15th busiest airport.

December 2024: Largest Immigrant Sources

As of December 2024, the largest source of immigrants in Spain was Morocco (over 1 million), followed by Colombia (856,616), Venezuela (599,769), Romania (532,456), and Ecuador (448,643).

2024: Global Peace Index Ranking

According to the 2024 Global Peace Index, Spain is the 23rd most peaceful country in the world.

2024: Fastest Growing Major Advanced Economy

As of 2024, Spain is the fastest growing major advanced economy in the world, growing nearly four times higher than the eurozone average.

2024: Judiciary Council Mandate Renovated

Between 2018 and 2024, Spain faced an institutional crisis surrounding the mandate of the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ), until finally the mandate got renovated in 2024.

2024: First Non-Independentist Catalan Regional President Elected

In 2024, Salvador Illa was elected as the first non-independentist Catalan regional president in over a decade, which normalized constitutional and institutional relations between national and regional administrations. According to latest polls, only 17.3% of Catalans feel themselves as "only Catalan".

2024: Tourism Statistics

In 2024, Spain was the second most visited country in the world, recording 94 million tourists. The international tourist expenditure in 2024 was around 126 billion euros.

2024: UEFA European Championship

In 2024, Spain's national men's football team won the UEFA European Championship.

2024: Barcelona Airport Passengers

In 2024, the Barcelona (El Prat) airport had 50 million passengers, making it the world's 30th-busiest airport.

January 2025: Youth Unemployment Rate

As of January 2025, Spain's youth unemployment rate was 24.90 percent, the highest among EU members.

February 2025: Longest HSR network in Europe

As of February 2025, the Spanish high-speed rail network is the longest in Europe with 3,973 km.

April 2025: Religious Affiliation

As of April 2025, 36.6% of Spaniards are non-practicing Catholics, 18.8% are practicing Catholics, 3.6% are followers of other faiths, and 39% are non-believers.

July 2025: Immigrant Population

As of July 2025, approximately 9.7 million people in Spain were born abroad, accounting for 19.64% of the total population.

October 2025: Spain Population Count

In October 2025, Spain's population was recorded as 49,442,844 people by Spain's Instituto Nacional de Estadística, with native Spaniards accounting for 80.36% of the total population.

October 2025: Unemployment Rate

In October 2025, Spain's unemployment rate stood at 10.45 percent.

2025: Global Innovation Index Ranking

In 2025, Spain was ranked 29th in the Global Innovation Index.

2026: Next Generation EU in use

The European Commission economic recovery package Next Generation EU was created to support the EU member states to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, and will be in use in the period 2021–2026.