Timeline of Swiss history
This is a timeline of Swiss history, comprising important legal and territorial changes and political events in Switzerland and its predecessor states. To read about the background to these events, see History of Switzerland.
13th century
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1291 | August | The three Waldstätte of Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden signed the Federal Charter of 1291 establishing the Old Swiss Confederacy, a confederation for mutual defense and the adjudication of disputes. |
14th century
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1307 | 8 November | The leaders of Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden swore the Rütlischwur, an oath of unity and common defense, on the Rütli above Lake Lucerne.[1] |
15th century
16th century
17th century
18th century
19th century
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1843 | June | The first Schweizerisches Gesangsfest, a singing festival, was held in Zürich. |
| 1847 | 3 November | Sonderbund War: In the midst of a political crisis, troops from Uri, a member of the Sonderbund, a separate alliance of Catholic cantons of Switzerland, seized the Gotthard Pass between the northern and southern halves of the country. |
| 1848 | 12 September | A new constitution was issued establishing Switzerland as a federal state with a bicameral Federal Assembly. |
| 1874 | 19 April | The constitution was revised to establish free public education and the optional referendum, and to make it easier for Swiss citizens to move between cantons.[2] |
| 1877 | 19 June | The Aare flooded, causing significant damage.[2] |
20th century
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 10 January | The League of Nations, an intergovernmental organization established for the purposes of collective security and international arbitration, came into existence, with Switzerland among its founding members.[3] |
| 1958 | 12 July | The Swiss government announced its intention to develop and build a nuclear arsenal. |
| 1963 | 6 May | Switzerland joined the Council of Europe, a body dedicated to the promotion of good governance and human rights in Europe. |
| 1971 | 7 February | A referendum granting women the right to vote in federal elections was approved with sixty-six percent of the vote. |
| 1978 | 24 September | A referendum approved the secession of the French-speaking canton of Jura from the mostly German-speaking canton of Bern.[4] |
21st century
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 10 September | Switzerland joined the United Nations, an intergovernmental organization devoted to the preservation of world peace and economic development. |
References
- ^ Benjamin Vincent (1910), "Switzerland", Haydn's Dictionary of Dates (25th ed.), London: Ward, Lock & Co. – via HathiTrust
{{citation}}: External link in|chapterurl=|chapterurl=ignored (|chapter-url=suggested) (help) - ^ a b George Henry Townsend (1877), "Switzerland", Manual of Dates (5th ed.), London: Frederick Warne & Co.
{{citation}}: External link in|chapterurl=|chapterurl=ignored (|chapter-url=suggested) (help) - ^ Leo Schelbert (2014). "Chronology". Historical Dictionary of Switzerland (2nd ed.). Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. ISBN 978-1-4422-3352-2.
{{cite book}}: External link in|chapterurl=|chapterurl=ignored (|chapter-url=suggested) (help) - ^ "Switzerland Profile: Timeline", BBC News, retrieved September 2015
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