Building of megalithic temples, the
world's oldest free
standing buildings.
Circa 2000
First invasion of bronze-using people.
Circa 1400
Second invasion of bronze-using people.
Circa 900-800
The Iron Age.
Circa 700
Greek influence in area on which Valletta now stands.
Circa 800-480
Phoenician colonization.
Circa 480-218
Carthaginian domination.
264-241
First Punic War.
221-202
Second Punic War.
218
Malta incorporated in Republic of Rome.
150-146
Third Punic War.
41
The Maltese are allowed municipal privileges.
60
Shipwreck of St Paul. Introduction of Christianity.
117-138
Islands made Municipalities during reign of Hadrian.
395
Final division of Roman Empire.
395-870
Byzantine domination. It is a moot point whether Malta was
occupied by the Vandals in 454 and by the Goths in 464.
According to some historians, Belisarius restored the Islands to
the Byzantine Empire in 533.
870
Invasion of Malta by Aghlobite Arabs.
1048
Byzantine bid to recapture the Islands.
1090
Norman invasion of Malta.
1122
Uprising of the Arabs.
1144
Byzantines again attempt to recapture the Islands.
1154
Bishops of Malta under the jurisdiction of the See of Palermo.
1194-1266
Swabians (Germans).
1266-1283
Angevins (French).
1283-1530
Aragonese (Spanish).
1350
Establishment of Maltese nobility by King Ludwig of Sicily.
1350-1357
First Incorporation of Islands in Royal Domain.
1397-1420
Second Incorporation of Islands in Royal Domain.
1397
Establishment of Università (Local Government).
1425
Revolt against Don Gonsalvo Monroy.
1429
Saracens from Tunis try to capture Malta.
1428-1530
Third (and final) Incorporation of Islands in Royal Domain.
1485
Death of Peter Caxaro, author of Cantilena, possibly
earliest evidence of written Maltese.
1530
Order of St John takes formal possession of the Islands.
1535
First known date of celebration of Carnival in Malta.
1561
Holy Inquisition officially established in Malta.
1565
Great Siege.
1566
Founding of Valletta.
1578
Inauguration of St John's Co-Cathedral.
1593
Inauguration of Jesuits College (Collegium
MelitenseSocietatis Jesu).
1676
Foundation of School of Anatomy and Surgery at the Sacra
Infermeria.
1768
Jesuits expelled from Malta.
1775
Uprising of the Priests.
1784
Promulgation of the Diritto Municipale by Grand Master
De Rohan.
1798
The French, under Napoleon, occupy Malta. Abolition of the
Inquisition. Uprising of the Maltese against the French.
1799
Britain takes Malta under its protection in the name of the
King of the Two Sicilies.
1800
The French capitulate, Major General H. Pigot instructed to
place Malta under the protection of the British Crown.
1802
Peace of Amiens by which Malta was to have been returned to
the Order of St John. Declaration of Rights.
1813
The Bathurst Constitution. First issue of Gazzetta del
Governo di Malta ? changed, in 1816, to Malta
Government Gazette.
1814
Treaty of Paris by which Malta becomes a British Crown Colony.
1819
1828
Proclamation regulating State-Church relations.
1831
See of Malta independent of See of Palermo.
1834
Opening of Malta Government Savings Bank.
1835
First Council of Government.
1839
Abolition of Press censorship and introduction of law of
libel.
1840
Council of Government with elected members.
1854
Publication of "Storia di
Malta" by Gio. Antonio
Vassallo.
1869
Opening of Suez Canal.
1881
Executive Council - an entirely official body.
1887
The Strickland-Mizzi Constitution.
1903
Council of Government - largely a return to the 1840
Constitution.
1912
Dun Karm, the National Poet, writes his first poem in Maltese.
1914-1918
World War I.
1919
Sette Giugno riots.
1921
The Amery-Milner Constitution granting Self-Government.
Opening of first Malta Parliament.
1930
Constitution suspended.
1932
Constitution restored.
1933
Constitution withdrawn. Crown Colony Government as in 1813.
1936
Constitution providing for nominated members to Executive
Council.
1939
Macdonald Constitution: Council of Government to be elected.
Lord Strickland's Constitutional Party returned.
1939-1945
World War II.
1940
First air raids on Malta.
1942
Award of George Cross to Malta following the full onslaught of
the Axis powers.
1946
National Assembly resulting in 1947 Constitution.
1947
Restoration of Self-Government.
1958
The Governor takes over direct administration of the Islands.
1959
Interim Constitution providing for Executive Council.
1961
Blood Constitution published by Order-in-Council. This again
provided for a measure of self-government for the
"State" of
Malta.
1961
Establishment of the Gozo Local Government system.
1964
Malta becomes a Sovereign and Independent state within the
Commonwealth. Malta joins the United Nations.
1965
Malta joins the Council of Europe.
1968
Establishment of the Central Bank of Malta. Establishment of
the Malta Development Corporation.
1970
Malta becomes an Associate Member of the European Community.
1972
Military Base Agreement with Britain and other N.A.T.O.
countries.
1973
Abolition of Gozo Local Government system.
1974
Malta becomes a Republic; Sir Anthony Mamo, elected first
President.
1976
Establishment of the Regional Oil Combating Centre (ROCC) on
Manoel Island as a joint IMO/UNEP project; now known as the
Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the
Mediterranean Sea (REMPEC).
1979
Termination of Military Base Agreement.
1987
Parliament adopts the European Convention of Human Rights as
part of Malta's laws.
1988
United Nations opens the International Institute on Aging in
Valletta.
1988
IMO - International Maritime Law Institute inaugurated at the
University of Malta.
1989
Establishment of the Malta International Business Authority
(now the Malta Financial Services Centre), the Malta Export
Trade Corporation and the Malta Freeport Corporation.
1990
Malta applies for full membership of the European Community.
1991
Establishment of the Malta Maritime Authority.
1993
Reintroduction of Local Government in the Maltese Islands.
1995
The European Union decides that membership
negotiations with Malta will start six months after its 1996
Inter-Governmental Conference.
1996
Malta's application for full membership of the
European Community temporarily frozen.
1997
Euro Med Conference held in Malta.
1998
Malta's application for full membership of the
European Community reactivated.
1999
The European Union at the Helsinki Summit rules
that Malta could begin full negotiations for full membership in
February 2000.
2000
Negotiations for European Union membership
formally opened with Malta under the Portuguese Presidency on 15th
February 2000.
2002
Negotiations for European Union membership
formally concluded with Malta under the Danish Presidency on 13th
December 2002 in Copenhagen, Denmark.
2003
Referendum held on the 8th of
March on the question of whether Malta should become a member of
the European Union in the subsequent enlargement of 1st May
2004. 143,094
votes cast in favour and 123,628 against.
2003
The Treaty of Accession to the European Union
signed by the Prime Minister Dr. Edward Fenech Adami and the
Foreign Minister Dr. Joe Borg on the 16th
of April 2003.
2004
Malta became a member of the European Union as
from 1st May 2004.
2008
Malta adopts the single European currency, the euro on 1st
January 2008 together with Cyprus. The euro zone area is now
made up of 15 countries.
