historical timeline of Portugal

1800-1900

1807 -The French invade Portugal.

1811 -The French are driven out of Portugal.

1820 -A revolution takes place in Portugal.

1828 -Miguel becomes king of Portugal. He rules as an absolute monarch.

1834 -After a rebellion Pedro becomes king.

1838 -A new constitution is introduced in Portugal.

1847 -Civil War in Portugal

1900-1925

1901 -The Santa Justa Elevador, one of the world’s great cast-iron structures, was built in Lisbon.

1910 -France, Spain, Norway, Belgium, Germany, Russia, and Great Britain established diplomatic relations with the new republic of Portugal.

-Manuel II, Portugal’s last king, was overthrown and went into exile in England.

1911 -Portugal approved woman suffrage.

1916 - Germany declared war on Portugal.

1918 - Sidonio Pais, prince of Portugal, was murdered

1925-1950

1926 -Portuguese president Bernardino Machedo resigned after coup.

1932 -Antonio de Oliveira Salazar became premier and dictator of Portugal. 1933 -Portuguese dictator Salazar formed secret police (PIDE).

1946 -Premier Salazar of Portugal forbade opposition parties.

1949 -The (NATO) North Atlantic Treaty Organization pact was signed by the US, Great Britain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Italy, Portugal, Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Canada.

1950-1975

1951 -Mozambique became an oversea province of Portugal.

1953 -Salazar's party won all parliament seats in Portugal.

1959 -Seven European nations (Austria, Britain, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland) signed the Stockholm Convention to form the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).

1961-Portugal engaged in wars against independence movements in 5 African colonies.

1970 -Antonio de Oliveira Salazar (b.1889), former dictator of Portugal died.

1973 -The independence of Guinea-Bissau from Portugal.

1975 -The Cape Verde, Sao Tome and Principe officially became independent.

-Alvaro Cunhal attempted a coup in Lisbon with leftist army paratroops.

1975-2000

1976 -Mario Soares (b.1924) became Prime Minister of Portugal.

1986 -Portugal and Spain entered the European Union expanding the membership to 12.

-Mario Soares served as president of Portugal for ten years.

1987 -The Bank of Portugal signed an agreement to join the European Monetary System (EMS).

1996 -Socialist Jorge Sampaio was elected president.

1999 -In Portugal the Socialist Party returned to power with a 44% vote in the elections giving them 111 seats in the 230 seat Assembly. The Social Democrats won 32% and got 79 seats.

2000-2014

2001 -Sampaio won re-election with 55.8% of the vote. The turnout was a record low.

2002 -In Portugal the Social Democrats won elections.

2004 -Manuel Durao Barroso, former PM of Portugal, took over as head of the European Commission.

2006 -Portugal voted in a presidential election. Anibal Cavaco Silva (66), a former centre-right prime minister (1985-1995), won over his five left-wing rivals.

2007 -Portugal's parliament voted overwhelmingly to legalize.

2011 -Portuguese voted in an election looking certain to return President Anibal Cavaco Silva for a second term, a result that would uphold the government's efforts to avoid an international financial bailout.