Language/Portuguese/Culture/Portugal-Timeline

This lesson can still be improved. EDIT IT NOW! & become VIP

Rate this lesson:

5.00

(one vote)

Help - Comments

Historical Timeline for Portugal - A chronology of key events

Interesting Facts about Portugal[edit | edit source]

Country : PORTUGAL🇵🇹
Capital: Lisbon
Continent: Europe, Africa
Currency: Euro
Official Language: Portuguese

1. Portugal is the oldest nation-state in Europe.

2. Portugal is one of the warmest countries in Europe. It has over 300 days of sunshine a year.

3. Port Wine is Portugal’s most famous export and its national drink.

4. Portugal is the biggest cork producer in the world and produces more than 70% of the world’s cork.

5. The University of Coimbra (1290) is one of the world’s oldest universities in Portugal.

6. Pastel de Nata is a popular Portuguese dessert.

7. The oldest operating bookstore in the world is located in Lisbon.

8. The Roman Temple in Portugal is the most famous religious place to visit.

9. Portugal is known as the “country of tiles”.

10. The art of tile painting and glazing, known as azulejos, is one of the most popular art forms in Portugal.

11. There are 250 million Portuguese speakers around the World.

12. Fado is the traditional Portugal music.

13. The world’s largest omelette was made in Portugal. It took 55 people, six hours, and 145,000 eggs to make a 6,466 kg omelette.

Source[edit source]

Content Research - Ms Harshali Dhatavkar

➡ To LEARN & SHARE interesting experiences: Join the WhatsApp group

Portugal Timeline[edit | edit source]

Date	Event
22,000 to 10,000 BC. AD	The first hominids live in caves, fishing, hunting and gathering.
From 4000 to 2000 BC. AD	Celtic tribes and Iberian Lusitanian populations populate the territory.
In the 3rd century BC	The Romans invaded the land and extended their empire as far as Alentejo.
Around 500 BC	Barbarian peoples of Germanic origin (Vandals, Sueves, Visigoths) take the peninsula from the Roman Empire.
In the 7th century AD	The region is invaded by the Moors, Berbers with an Arab component. The latter dominated part of the territory for nearly four centuries.
1139	Alphonse Henriques becomes the first king of Portugal after winning the battle of Ourique against the Moors and founds the dynasty of Burgundy.
1249	The capture of Faro marks the end of the Muslim occupation.
1297	The Treaty of Alcanices recognizes the borders of the kingdom of Portugal, practically identical to the current borders.
End of the 13th century - beginning of the 14th	The country experienced an era of prosperity with King Denis I and the construction of a large number of castles and fortresses, as well as the creation of the University of Lisbon.
1385	During the Battle of Aljubarrota, Portugal definitively gains its independence from Castile.
1497	Departure of Vasco da Gama's expedition, commanded by King Manuel I of Portugal.
1500	The Portuguese navigator Pedro Alvares Cabral lands in Brazil and takes possession of these lands in the name of his king, Manuel I.
1578	King Sébastien, at the head of Portugal, decides to wage a holy war against the Moors. He will lose his life during the battle of El-Ksar el-Kébir.
1580	King Philippe II of Spain takes advantage of this disastrous situation and proclaims himself Philippe I of Portugal.
1668	Spain recognizes the independence of Portugal.
November 1, 1755	The city of Lisbon is hit by a terrible earthquake.
October 5, 1910	The Republic is proclaimed.
1926	The Republic is overthrown by the military coup of General Gomes da Costa.
1933	Salazar creates the Estado Novo. It is the beginning of the dictatorship which will last nearly half a century.
1968	Following a cerebral hemorrhage, Salazar is forced to give up power.
April 25, 1974	Carnation revolution.
January 1, 1986	Portugal, with its neighboring country Spain, joins the European Union.
2003	Gigantic forest fires devastate the interior of the country.
2004	Euro 2004 is held in Portugal (championship finalist). Portuguese Prime Minister José Manuel Durão Barroso accepts the presidency of the European Commission.
2005	New fires destroy a third of the country's forests in a few months.
End of 2007	European heads of state and government meet in the capital to sign the Treaty of Lisbon.
Autumn 2009	The PS wins the legislative elections, but loses the absolute majority in parliament.
March 2010	Announcement of an austerity program to reduce the record deficit of 9.3% of P.I.B.
May 2010	New austerity measures.
January 2011	Presidential elections. The outgoing president, Anibal Cavaco Silva, was re-elected in the first round with 53.14% of the votes cast, and a very low participation rate of 46.52% of the electorate.
March 2011	Resignation of Socialist Prime Minister José Socrates after the Assembly rejected its fourth austerity plan.
April 2011	Lisbon resolves to ask for international financial assistance.
May 2011	Agreement with the European Union and the IMF on financial aid of 78 billion euros in exchange for the application of an austerity program.
June 2011	Early legislative elections following the resignation of the Prime Minister. José Socrates is a candidate for his own succession but the PS winning only 28% of the vote, he gives up leading his party and retires from political life. The PPD / PSD won with 38% of the vote. The President then appoints Pedro Passos Coelho (PPD / PSD) Prime Minister.
September 2011-January 2012	Application of the austerity plan of the Troika with many unpopular measures: Christmas bonus divided by 2, user fee multiplied by 2, free highways which become chargeable ...
January 2012 - December 2012	Guimarães is the European capital of culture. Over 600 shows scheduled with a budget of € 111 million.
March 22, 2012	General strike.
September 15, 2012	Large demonstration against the Troika and government measures. 1 million people protested across the country, and 500,000 in Lisbon. The biggest demonstration since that of May 1, 1974.
November 12, 2012	Official visit of German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Meeting with President Aníbal Cavaco Silva and Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho. Participation in an economic forum. Strong social protest in the streets of Lisbon.
November 14, 2012	General strike. Unemployment hits a record high of 15.8%.
End of November 2012	Launch of the "golden visas" or vistos dourados program offering foreigners a Portuguese - and therefore European - visa valid for 5 years for any purchase of real estate for more than 500,000 euros. Another reform aims to attract foreign retirees to Portugal by offering them a Portuguese tax resident status, which is very financially advantageous, on condition that they rent or buy real estate in Portugal and reside there part of the year.
December 2012	Privatization of airports. The ten Portuguese airports of the manager ANA were sold to the French group Vinci for € 3.08 billion.
September 29, 2013	The socialist opposition wins the municipal elections. Historic setback for the center-right government.
Early 2014	Faced with the austerity plan imposed by the government, popular discontent is mounting. Numerous civil servants' protests are taking place all over Portugal.
November 21, 2014	Former socialist prime minister (2005-2011) José Socrates is remanded in custody in Evora prison for corruption, money laundering and tax evasion. He was placed under house arrest in early September 2015, still claiming his innocence.
October 4, 2015	In the legislative elections, the center-right coalition in power loses the absolute majority, thus denying the assertions of the troika (European Central Bank, European Commission and International Monetary Fund) which claimed that the Portuguese people were satisfied with the austerity policy in force for four years. The good student of Europe is rebelling.
October 27, 2015	5 days after being reappointed as Prime Minister by the President of the Republic Anibal Cavaco Silva, Pedro Passos Coelho presents his new minority government. The left, now in the majority in Parliament, immediately announced its intention to bring down this new government.
November 10, 2015	Historic fact, the Portuguese Left Bloc (anti-austerity party) and the Communist Party are joining forces with the Socialists to overthrow the government of Passos Coelho.
November 24, 2015	Antonio Costa, leader of the Socialist Party supported by the radical left, is appointed Prime Minister by the President.
January 2016	Election of Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa as President of the Republic; he was invested with the charge on March 9.