A Timeline of Iceland

By Tim Lambert

860

Gardar Svavarsson circumnavigates Iceland

874

Vikings settle in Iceland led by Ingolfur Arnarson

930

About 60,000 people live in Iceland. An assembly called the Althing is formed.

1056

Iceland gains its first bishop

1097

Icelanders have to pay one tenth of all their produce to the Church

1280

A new constitution is drawn up

1403-05

The Black Death strikes Iceland

1584

The Bible is translated into Icelandic

1707-09

Smallpox strikes Iceland

1783

Volcanic eruptions cause devastation in Iceland

1874

Iceland is given a new constitution

1904

Iceland is granted home rule

1911

Reykjavik University is founded

1915

Icelandic women are allowed to vote

1918

Iceland is made a sovereign state

1922

The first woman is elected to the Althing

1940

Iceland is occupied by British troops

1944

Iceland breaks all links with Denmark

1949

Iceland joins NATO

1975-75

Iceland fights a ‘cod war’ with Britain

2008

Iceland suffers an economic crisis

Iceland