From Past to Present
Early Visits
330 B.C. An explorer named Pytheas sailed north from Marseille (France) to discover how far the world would reach that way. He navigated the British Isles and the northern seas. He told tales of an island that he named Thule or Ultima Thule which he either learned about from others or found himself. This island was 6 days north of Britain and 1 day away from "the end of the world". On his return he wrote his travel journal that is long lost but is quoted in several other more recent books. This island was possibly Iceland.
9th century. The first geography document that describes the Northern seas was written by an Irish monk, named Dicuil, early in the 9th century. The book was called De mensura orbis terrae and in it he describes his interviews with Irish priests, papas, that claimed they had sailed north to Thule and lived there from February to August. They say that during middle of the summer they never lost the light of day and could "pick lice of shirts". The papas confirmed Pytheas' story that after a days journey north of the island they came upon "frozen sea". Dicuil was the first man to locate Thule on the isolated island that later became known as Iceland, the island was known in Ireland late in the 8th century. His accounts (and later researches) claim no inhabitants before the Irish visits.
The Irish monks left Iceland soon after the Vikings started their own settlement in Iceland around the year 900 it seems, but if they stayed they were totally ignored and without influence.
The Viking settlement of Iceland was largely due to internal struggle in Norway between the barbarian king Harald the Fairhaired and the former rulers. Harald won a major victory late in the 8th century and then followed his retreating enemies all the way to the Scottish Isles which he conquered. Many fled from either directly from Norway or from Britain to Iceland, which was then known among Vikings, in an successful attempt to evade his reign of power.
The Age of Settlements
850 The Faraoese Naddodur lands on the east coast and named the place Snæland (Snowland) before returning to his original destination (likely Faroe Islands).
855 The second visitor, a Swede named Garðar Svavarsson, came in search of Naddodur's Snæland. He circumnavigated the island and settled in for the winter at Húsavík on the north coast. When he left the following spring 3 of his men were left behind, whether they liked it or not, and thus became the island's first residents. He named the island Garðarshólmur in a Scandinavian tradition.
860 The Norwegian Flóki Vilgerðarson uprooted his farm and family and headed for Snæland. He navigated with ravens and after some experiments one of the ravens did not return and Flóki followed its direction and found the shores of Snæland. His use of ravens gave him the nickname, Hrafna Flóki (Raven's Flóki), by which he has been known ever since. He sailed to Vatnsfjörður on the west coast but was far from being impressed by the enviroment. When we saw icebergs floating in the fjord he named the island Ísland (Iceland) probably as much to discourage others from arriving there as anything else. He then returned to Norway but at some point reconsidered his position as he did in fact return to Iceland some years later and settled in the Skagafjörður district on the north coast.
874 Iceland's first intentional settler, Ingólfur Arnarson, arrives from Norway. He set up a house at a place he called Reykjavík (Smoky Bay) because of the steam from the thermal springs there.
930 The Icelandic parliament, Althingi, (Alþingi), had its first meeting. The Althingi is the oldest parliamentary system still operating in the world. It was abolished in the year 1800 by the Danish king, but with the awakening of Icelandic nationalism, taken back in use 43 years later.
985 Eirikur the Red (Eiríkur Rauði) discovers and settles Greenland (his son, Leifur, 15 years later found North America).
1000 Christianity adopted as the new religion, replacing paganism. The adoption in Iceland was a peaceful almost-overnight process unlike the massive fighting and bloodshed in Norway for example. This leads to the conclusion that christianity was at least well known in Iceland before the offical adoption. Pagan graves (around 300 in number) in Iceland are dated from about 850 to early 11th century.
1000 Leifur the Lucky Eiríksson discovers North America and names it Vínland ("Wineland").
1120
-1230 The old Scandinavian sagas were written down in Iceland. Snorri Sturluson, a nobleman, historian and poet, writes (or is believed to have written) the Prose Edda, the Heimskringla and the Sagas of the Norwegian Kings.
1244 The Bay Battle. The first naval battle in Iceland at Húnaflói. This battle is near the end of series of battle and murderous actions which raged more or less from 1208 to 1258.
1262 Weakened by internal struggles, Iceland comes under Norwegian rule, maintaining, however, a large autonomy.
1380 Iceland and Norway come under the Danish Crown.
1402 Black Death arrives in Iceland from Europe, believed to have been transmitted via black rats. One third of the population perishes from the plague during 1402 - 1404.
1536 Iceland becomes Lutheran. The Bible is translated into Icelandic in 1584. This translation is believed to have been a major force in the preservation of the Icelandic language.
1627 "The Turkish landings". 5 Algerian pirate ships under Muslim command strike various locations in Iceland among them Westman Islands and Grindavík. They killed and burned wherever they came and enslaved 380 Icelanders, moving them to Algeria where they were sold. After 9 years in slavery 35 Icelanders were bought free and the following year (1637) 25 of them made it back home.
1783 The catastrophic Lakagígar eruption and earthquakes. The worst volcanic eruptions in the history of Iceland. The smoke affected sunlight in Europe for months. Grass was burned from large areas, 3/4 of cattle starved to death and likewise, 1/4 of Iceland's inhabitants died of starvation. The turmoil lasted until 1786
1786 Reykjavík received trade rights. Population at the time only 200.
1873 The Settlement in North America
1874 Millennium celebration of the Settlement. The Danish King visits Iceland for the first time.
1874 Iceland gets a constitution of its own.
1904 Home rule under Denmark.
1911 University of Iceland founded in Reykjavík
1918 Denmark recognises Iceland as a sovereign state, but Iceland remains united with Denmark.
1925 February 8. "The Hala-weather" (Halaveðrið). One of the worst storms in recorded history. 2 trawlers, Leifur Heppni (Leifur The Lucky) from Reykjavík and Field Marshal Robertson from Hafnarfjörður sank with all hands (and most of the other 14 trawlers made it back badly shaken and top heavy with ice) and with them 68 men. Another boat went down with 5 men and 6 died on land.
1926 The Icelandic Coast Guard (Landhelgisgæzla Íslands) established under the Ministry of Justice. Its role is to perform inspection on fishing (equipment, fishery lines etc.) and public service such as sea rescue.
1930 Millennium of the Althingi (Alþingi) celebrated.
1940 Iceland and World War Two
1940 The Icelandic Air Ace
1940 May 10. The British Army lands in Iceland with the acceptance of the Parliament. This is the beginning of foreign armed forces operations in Iceland that continue to this day. See Armed Forces in Iceland for more details.
1941 US Forces take over defence of Iceland and policy of permanent neutrality abandoned.
June 17, 1944 Iceland declares full independence from Denmark.
1945 First international flight by Icelandic aircraft.
1946 Iceland joins the United Nations.
1948 Commercial whaling by Icelanders themselves starts. Before this date almost all whales killed in Icelandic waters had been for domestic consumption, except for some Norwegian whaling in 1935-39.
1949 March 31. Iceland joins NATO. Iceland becomes a founding member of NATO after a long dispute. A communist-influenced riot follows the confirmation of the contract by the Althingi (Alþingi). Possibly he most fierce riot in memory.
1963 An underwater volcanic eruption creates a new island, baptised Surtsey, on the Icelandic coast.
1972 Iceland expands its fishing perimeter to 50 nautical miles. A clash called 'The Cod War' starts with Icelandic coast guard cutters against British and German trawlers assisted by British frigates. This situation ended in early 1973.
1973 The volcano Helgafell erupted on the island of Heimaey, destroying 1/4 of the houses of Vestmanneyjar (Westman Islands), the Iceland's largest island. The rest were dug out of the ashes and most people moved back.
1975 Iceland expands is fishing perimeter out to 200 nautical miles . Again, British and German trawlers refuse to comply and are aided by many British frigates and large tug boats. Several major rammings occurred between the frigates and Icelandic cutters. In the two 'Cod Wars' over 100 trawlers lost their equipment to the 'wire cutters', of those 100 about 60 fell victims to Commander Kjernested's cutter Tyr. The conflict ended in early 1976.
1980 Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, the first woman to be democratically elected President of a Republic.
1985 Commercial whaling comes to an end. 4-year Scientific Program starts.
1985 Icelandic girl Hólmfríður Karlsdóttir selected Miss World.
1986 Oct 9. The first private broadcasting company, Channel 2, goes online. For the first time there was a native TV station that broadcasted on Thursdays.
1986 October 11-12. The Reagan - Gorbachev summit in Höfði House, Reykjavik.
1988 Icelandic girl Linda Pétursdóttir, 17, selected Miss World.
1989 March 1. "The B-Day". Beer finally allowed after 74 years of prohibition (from Jan. 1980 tourists returning home via Keflavik airport were allowed to purchase limited amount of alcohol in the Duty Free store). This increased the alcohol consumption by 23.3% in one year. This rush did not last however and alcohol consumption fell the following year. Beer however as such continues to sell very well.
1990 The last whale catch under the Scientific Programme. No whales have been killed since in Icelandic waters.
1992 June 30. Iceland leaves the International Whaling Commission in protest over its ignorance of its own Scientific Committee which had proclaimed that controlled whaling was harmless to the stocks.
1994 June 17. 50th anniversary of the Icelandic Republic. Thousands of people demonstrate how-to-sit-in-a-traffic-jammed-car for up to 7 hours :>. The great festivities at Thingvellir were undermined by incredible traffic jams due to failed planning and serious screw-ups.
1994 December 1. After 17 years of on-and-off construction periods the new National Archive ("Þjóðarbókhlaðan") (combined National and University Library) is finally opened in Reykjavík.
1995 May 7-21. Handball World Championships held in Iceland. The biggest sports tournament ever held in Iceland and also the biggest handball championships held so far with 24 nations.
1997 May 21. 3 Icelandic mountaineers defeat Mt. Everest. The first Icelanders to do so.
2005 Desember Unnur Birna wins title of Mrs Universe