Timeline of Spanish history

This is a timeline of Spanish history, comprising important legal and territorial changes and political events in Spain and its predecessor states. To read about the background to these events, see History of Spain. See also the list of heads of state of Spain.

6th century

Year	Date	Event
573		The Visigothic Kingdom extended across Spain.

8th century

Year	Date	Event
711		The Moors invaded Spain, displacing the Visigoths, and established Al-Andalus.

11th century

Year	Date	Event
1094		The Castilian knight El Cid conquered Valencia from the Moors.

12th century

Year	Date	Event
1159		The Kingdom of Portugal was established.

13th century

Year	Date	Event
1228		Moorish influence was reduced to the Kingdom of Granada.

15th century

Year	Date	Event
1469	19 October	Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon were married, laying the foundation for the unification of the kingdoms of Castile and Aragon into Spain.
1474	10 December	The reign of Isabella began.
1475		War of the Castilian Succession: The war began.
1478		The Spanish Inquisition was founded.
1479		War of the Castilian Succession: The war ended.
	20 January	The reign of Ferdinand began.
	4 September	By the Treaty of Alcáçovas, Portugal recognized Spanish control of the Canary Islands.
1492		Christopher Columbus first explored the New World.
		Reconquista: The Reconquista ended.
		Jews were expelled from Spain by the Alhambra Decree.
1493		Spanish colonization of the Americas Spanish colonization of the Americas began.
1494		The Treaty of Tordesillas was signed.
1499		Italian War of 1499-1504: Ferdinand allied with the French King Louis XII of France.

16th century

Year	Date	Event
1504		Isabella died.
1516		Ferdinand died.
		Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, became King of Castile and Aragon.
1554	25 July	English Queen Mary I of England married Spanish Prince Philip.
1556		Charles abdicated in favor of Philip, who became King Philip II of Spain.
1557		Battle of St. Quentin (1557): Spain won the battle.
1561		Philip moved his court to Madrid.
1568		Dutch Revolt: A revolt began against Habsburg control of the Netherlands.
1571		Battle of Lepanto (1571): The Holy League was victorious.
1578		Dutch Revolt: The revolt ended.
1580		The Iberian Union of the crowns of Aragon, Castile and Portugal was established..
1585		Anglo–Spanish War (1585): The war began.
1588	8 August	The Spanish Armada was defeated in the English Channel.
1598		Philip III of Spain was crowned.

17th century

Year	Date	Event
1604		Anglo-Spanish War (1585): The war ended.
1605		The Treaty of London (1604) was signed.
1609		The Twelve Years' Truce was signed.
		The Moriscos were expelled.
1618		Thirty Years' War: The war began.
1621		Philip IV of Spain was crowned.
1640		Portuguese Restoration War: The war began.
		The Iberian Union was dissolved.
1648		The Treaty of Westphalia was signed.
1659		The Peace of the Pyrenees was signed.
1665		Philip IV died.
1668		The Treaty of Lisbon was signed.
1675		Charles II of Spain was crowned.
1700		Charles died.

18th century

Year	Date	Event
1701		War of the Spanish Succession: The war began.
1761		Seven Years' War: Spain declared war on Great Britain.
1778		American Revolutionary War: Spain supported the United States.
1789		Spain opened the slave trade to Havana.

19th century

Year	Date	Event
1806		British invasions of the Río de la Plata: The invasions began.
1807		British invasions of the Río de la Plata: The invasions ended.
1808		Peninsular War: The war began.
	2 May	Dos de Mayo Uprising: An uprising took place in Madrid against the French occupation of the city.
1809		Bolivian Independence War: The war began.
1811		Venezuelan War of Independence: The war began.
1812		The Spanish Constitution of 1812 was issued.
1814		Peninsular War: The war ended.
1815		Spanish reconquest of New Granada: The reconquest began.
1816		Spanish reconquest of New Granada: The reconquest ended.
1820		Trienio Liberal: The period began.
1823		Trienio Liberal: The period ended.
1824		Bolivian Independence War: The war ended.
1833		First Carlist War: The war began.
1839		First Carlist War: The war ended.
1846		Second Carlist War: The war began.
1849		Second Carlist War: The war ended.
1864		Chincha Islands War: The war began.
1866		Chincha Islands War: The war ended.
1868		Ten Years' War: A war with Cuba began.
1872		Third Carlist War: The war began.
1873		The First Spanish Republic was established.
1874		Spain under the Restoration: The period began.
		The First Spanish Republic was disestablished.
1876		Third Carlist War: The war ended.
1878		Ten Years' War: The war ended.
1898	25 April	Spanish-American War: The war began.
	12 August	Spanish-American War: The war ended.

20th century

Year	Date	Event
1914		World War I: The war began. Spain remained neutral.
1918		World War I: The war ended.
1920		Rif War (1920): The war began.
1926		Rif War (1920): The war ended.
1931		The Second Spanish Republic was established.
		Spain under the Restoration: The period ended.
1936		Spanish Civil War (to 1939)
1937		Spanish Civil War, 1937: The war took place.
	26 April	Bombing of Guernica: The bombing took place.
1938		Spanish Civil War, 1938–1939: The war began.
1939		Spain under Franco: The period began.
		The Second Spanish Republic was disestablished.
1945		Spain under Franco: The period ended.
1957		Ifni War: The war began.
1958		Ifni War: The war ended.
1959		Spanish miracle: A period of economic growth began.
1973		Spanish miracle: The period ended.
1975		History of Spain (1975–present): The period began.
	6 November	The Green March forced Spain to hand over its last remaining colonial possession, Spanish Sahara, to Morocco.
	19 November	Francisco Franco died; the monarchy was restored to Juan Carlos I of Spain.
1976		Spanish transition to democracy: The transition began.
1978		The Spanish Constitution of 1978 was issued.
1981		Spanish society after the democratic transition: A democratic society waas established.
	23 February	23-F: An attempted coup took place.
1986		Spain joined the European Union.
1992		1992 Summer Olympics: The Summer Olympics were held in Barcelona.
1998		Judge Baltasar Garzón issued an international arrest warrant for former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet.

21st century

Year	Date	Event
2002	1 January	Spain adopted the Euro.
2004	11 March	2004 Madrid train bombings: Madrid train bombings killed one hundred and ninety-one and injured over two thousand. Prime Minister José María Aznar blamed the Basque terrorists ETA.
	14 March	Aznar's People's Party lost an election after the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero promised to withdraw Spanish troops from Iraq.
2006		2006 Madrid Barajas International Airport bombing: A bombing by ETA ended an active ceasefire and peace negotiations.
2008		Moroccan national Jamal Zougam was found guilty of the 2004 train bombings in Madrid.
		Garzón was charged with criminal conduct in three cases, causing an international scandal and protests.
		Spain won the Euro Cup Final, establishing the team as an international soccer power house.
2010		Spain won the FIFA World Cup.
		Garzón was granted leave to work as a consultant to the International Criminal Court at The Hague.