| 1100 BC. Phoenician
traders establish colony at Cádiz in southern Iberia. |
| 228 BC. Carthaginians
occupy southern and eastern Iberia. |
| 218-220
BC. Romans defeat Carthage in Second Punic War and occupy Iberian peninsula. |
| 74. Inhabitants
of Iberia are granted full Roman citizenship. |
| 409. Visigoths occupy Iberian peninsula. |
| 711.
Combined Arab and Berber force from northern Africa cross Strait of Gibraltar
to occupy Iberian peninsula. |
| 756. Independent Emirate is established in Iberia, with Córdoba as its capital. |
| 913. Having
re-taken territories in northern Spain, Christians establish capital in León. |
| 1013. Powerful
Caliphate of Córdoba breaks up due to internal strife; Moorish Spain split
into small feuding kingdoms. |
| 1212. Decisive
Christian victory at battle of Navas de Tolosa spells the beginning of the end
of Moorish rule in Spain. |
| 1492. King Fernando and Queen Isabel's army capture Granada after a long siege, the
final defeat of the Moors in Spain. Jews are forced to convert to Christianity;
those who refuse are expelled from Spain. Christopher Columbus sets sail on his
voyage of discovery. |
| 1702-14. War of Spanish Succession. Bourbon dynasty accedes to Spanish throne. |
| 1808-14. Peninsular War. Spaniards rise against Napoleon's occupying force. Combination
of guerilla tactics and support from Wellington's army end in French defeat. |
| 1898. Spanish
American War. Spain loses Cuba and Philippines. |
| 1931. Spanish king is forced to abdicate. Spain becomes a republic. |
| 1936-39. Spanish
Civil War. Bloody conflict ends with General Franco's victory. Dictatorship established. |
| 1975. Franco
dies, Juan Carlos de Borbón is proclaimed king. Spain becomes constitutional
monarchy. Democracy would bring membership of the European Community. |
| 1982. Spain joins NATO, becoming a member of a mainstream European organization. |
| 1995. Spain joins the European Community. |
| 2004. Islamic terrorists strike the Atocha train station in Madrid with bombs, killing nearly 300 and precipitating a change in government. |
