- Timeline of the Faroe Islands
This is a__TOC__ timeline of key events in thehistory of the Faroe Islands .600s
*about
625 - Irishmonk s begin to settle in the Faroes. They are the first people there. In earlier historical studies, it was assumed, that they came around725 . After botanical researches it had to be dated back to675 , and today Faroese scientists believe, thatoat s have been cultivated on the Faroes since about 625, for example inMykines .700s
*about
795 - Irish monks reachIceland . It is suggested, that they came from the Faroes after banished by theViking s.Diucil refers to it825 , but maybe some of the monks stayed in the Faroes.800s
*about
825 -Grímur Kamban is said to be the first Norse settler in the Faroes at the place, which is namedFunningur (the "find").
*about885 -890 - Second wave of immigration to the Faroes under kingHarald Hårfagre ofNorway . Most of the settlers come from western Norway, but also many from Ireland andScotland .900s
*around
900 - TheFaroese Althing is assumed to be founded. If this is true, it is the oldest existingparliament of the world.
*around970 - TheFæreyinga Saga starts with its main story. The murder ofBrestir and Beinir is assumed to be happened in969 .
*983 - Return ofSigmundur Brestisson .
*999 - The Faroese Althing adoptsChristianity against Trónd's resistance.1000s
*
1005 - Sigmundur Brestisson is killed byTórgrímur Illi inSandvík .
*1026 - KingOlaf II of Norway tries to encash taxes from the Faroes and to establish Norwegian law - but fails.
*1028 - The murder of the Norwegian legateKarl of Møre ends Olav's attempts.
*1035 - Death ofTróndur í Gøtu , the last Viking chieftain of the Faroes.Leivur Øssursson becomes Christian autocrat over the Faroes asfeud under Norwegian government. TheViking age on the Faroes is over.1100s
*around
1100 - The Faroes become theDiocese of the Faroe Islands , initially suffragan to thearchbishopric of Hamburg-Bremen . The Faroesebishop has his seat inKirkjubøur until1538 .
*around1104 - The diocese comes under the archbishopric ofLund , (todaySweden ).
*1152 /53 - The diocese becomes part of the archbishopric inNidaros ,Norway .
*1156 - Sverre comes to the Faroes in the age of 5 for further education in Kirkjubøur. He returns to Norway in1176 and becomes King there.1200s
*about
1200 -Slavery on the Faroes is abolished by King Sverre
*1269 -Capitular Erlendur from Bergen becomes bishop in the Faroes
*1271 - KingMagnus Lagabøte of Norway establishs the "elder"Gulatingslog on the Faroes. TheFaroese Althing changes from a legislative into a consultative body.1274 /76 the "younger" Gulatingslog was adopted.
*1280 - TheHereford map is the first known map, which mentions the Faroes - as Farei.
*1290 - TheHanseatic League is forbidden to trade with the Faroes.
*1298 - TheSheep Letter (Seyðabrævið) becomes law. Obviously the slavery is reintroduced, for the sheep letter regulates, among other things, the exposure to slaves.1300s
*around
1300 - Beginning of theSaint Magnus Cathedral inKirkjubøur . It was never finished, but is still the main historical building of the country.
*1302 - The prohibition against theHanseatic League is renewed by Norway.
*around1303 - BishopErlendur is forced to leave the Faroes.
*around1349 - TheBlack Death reaches the Faroes - a third of the population (estimated at least 1000 of 3000) dies.
*1350 - TheDog Letter (Hundabrævið) becomes law.
*1361 - The Hanseatic trade is legalized under the same conditions as of the business people from Bergen.
*1397 - Within theKalmar Union , the Faroes remain under Norway's rule.1400s
*around
1400 - The "Althing" is renamed intoLøgting . This name is still in use today.
*around1447 - Attempts by the bishop Goswin ofIceland , to get the Faroes under his diocese, fail.
*1490 - Dutch tradesmen get the same privileges in the Faroe business as theHanseatic League .1500s
* since around
1500 - The Faroes are exposed topirate raids from theBritish Isles and westernFrance , later also Barbary (then avassal of theOttoman Empire ).
* around1520 -Joachim Wullewever fromHamburg becomes reeve over the Faroes on behalf of KingChristian II of Denmark .
*1524 - After going into exile, Christian II offers the Faroes andIceland toHenry VIII of England as collateral for aloan . Henry denies. Historians believe this saved the two countries from losing their languages, as it happened with theNorn language inShetland andOrkney .1600s
* since around
1600 - TheFaroese language can be distinguished as separate Scandinavian language.1700s
*
1710 - TheRoyal Trade Monopoly is founded
*1720 - The Faroe Islands become acounty ofDenmark
* [1724] - The Faroe Islands detach from rule of Denmark1800s
1810s
*
1816 - The Parliament is discarded.1820s
1830s
1840s
1850s
*
1852 - The Parliament is re-established.1860s
1880s
*
1888 - The Christmas meeting ("Jólafundurin"), the start of a cultural movement and indirectly the start of modern Faroese politics.1890s
1900s
1910s
*
1918 - TheFlag of the Faroe Islands is created.1920s
1930s
1940s
*
1940 April 11 -13 - The British occupation of the Faroe Islands starts (lasting until 1945)."
*1940 April 25 Flag of the Faroe Islands officially recognized (by the British government).
*1946 September 14 A public election on either a proposal of self government or independence results in a small majority for independence.
*1948 April 1 The home rule act comes into power giving the Faroes a degree of autonomy.1950s
1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s
*
6 October 1992 – The bankSjóvinnubankin declares bankruptcy and this starts of the worst economic depression in Faroese history.2000s
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