Key Moments in the History of Estonia
-7500 BC The oldest known settlement in Estonia is established
-600 AD Large-scale attacks by Sweden on Estonian Lands commence
1186 First Bishop of Livonia, Meinhard, ordained to intensify efforts to convert the
Baltic peoples
1187 Estonians sack key Swedish town of Sigtuna
1198 First notable attempt by Catholic Church to force conversion by military force
1201 Riga (Latvia) is founded by Germanic crusaders as base for crusades and seat of
the Bishopric
1202 Order of the Brotherhood of the Sword founded to subjugate local population in
the Baltic lands; Pope Innocent III confirms Order two years later
1208 Germanic crusaders begin major raids into Estonian lands, starting major conflicts
in the south
1210 Russian princes attack Estonia, opening eastern front for defenders
1212 Armistice reached between Estonian forces and crusaders, lasting three years
1219 Danish forces land in Estonia; founding of Tallinn (then Reval)
1220 Swedish attempt to join foreign conquest of Estonia fans
1224 Foreign forces complete domination of mainland Estonia by capturing Tartu
1227 Estonia comes under total foreign rule as the islands are captured
1236 Lithuanian forces defeat the Order at Saule, ending the expansion
1238 Stensby agreement establishes the partition of Estonian lands by the Danes, the
Order, and two bishoprics
1242 Famous "battle on ice" on Lake Peipsi with Russian Prince Aleksandr Nevski
defeating Germanic crusaders; Lake Peipsi becomes de facto border with Russian principalities
1248 Tallinn granted city rights; it becomes key member of the Hanseatic League later
in the century
1343 St. George's Day uprising; it took two years before foreign forces re-established
full control
1346 As an after-effect of the uprising, the Danish crown sells its Estonian possessions
(including Tallinn) to the Order
1410 Lithuanian-Polish joint army defeats Teutonic Order at Grünwald, marking the
decline of the crusading orders along the Baltic
1422 Tallinn's town pharmacy, one of the oldest continually-functioning pharmacies in
the world, is established
1523 Reformation reaches Estonia, takes hold
1525 First text in Estonia published-a book of common prayers
1558 Russian invasion of Estonian lands marks beginning of the Livonian Wars; Russian
forces take control of large parts of the country
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634 DEMOKRATIZATSIYA
1559 Denmark purchases western bishopric and re-enters Estonia
1560 Polish-Lithuanian forces take control of most forts owned by the Order
1561 Swedish forces re-enter Estonia, taking control of the north (including Tallinn)
from remnants of the Order, which no longer exists
1563 Conflict between Denmark and Sweden begin, extending to Estonia; conflict ends
in 1570, with Denmark's possessions reduced to the island of Saaremaa
1577 Sweden and Poland-Lithuania jointly push Russian forces back
1582-3 Peace treaties among warring parties signed, ending the conflicts; north Estonia remains Swedish, south Estonia remains Polish-Lithuanian, and Saaremaa remains
Danish
1600 Conflict commences between Sweden and Poland-Lithuania for control of Baltic
lands; continues for nearly thirty years
1629 Peace of Altmark signed between warring parties, giving Sweden control of the
Estonian mainland
1632 Academia Gustaviana, later to be renamed Tartu University, is founded as the second institution for higher-leaming in the Swedish Empire
1637 First Estonian grammar book written by Heinrich Stahl
1645 Denmark ]oses Saaremaa from peace agreement after three-year war with Sweden; all of Estonia now under Swedish rule
1656 Russia attacks Swedish-controlled Estonia, but Swedish forces evict Russian
forces in the short war
1695-97 Mass famine kills an estimated 20 percent of population
1700 Polish-Lithuanian and Saxon forces attack Swedish-controlled Riga, sparking the
Great Northern War; Russian forces attack Narva to enter war
1701-04 Russian forces score major victories after initial setbacks, including destruction of the Swedish fleet in 1704 and the taking of Narva and Tartu
1709 Swedish forces comprehensively defeated by Russians at Poltava; Russian forces
take control of most of Estonia despite another decade of warfare
1721 Peace of Nystad signed, giving Estonia and other Baltic lands to the Russian
Empire
1739 "Rosen Declaration" established full serfdom in Estonia
1790 Sweden makes last of several efforts to retake Estonia by force
1806 First Estonian-language newspaper published
1816 Tsar Aleksandr 1 abolishes serfdom in Estonia; Livonia follows two years later;
state of peasantry does not improve, however
1838 The Estonian Learned Society is founded, sparking the cultural awakening that
lasts throughout the 1800s
1858 The Kreenholm textiles factory established in Narva, marking the start of industrialization in Estonia
1862 The national epic Kalevipoeg is published
1869 The tirst Estonian Song Festival is held in Tartu, becoming a major force in the
national awakening
1870 The Baltic railway, linking the ports of Paldiski and Narva to Tallinn and St. Petersburg, is completed
1872 Estonian Society of Literati founded to promote literature written in Estonian
1884 The Estonian Students Society consecrates its blue, white, and black flag, which
later becomes the national flag of Estonia
1887 Russian established as only language of education, marking the peak of the Russification campaign of Tsar Aleksandr I1[I that began earlier in the decade
1902 The first Estonian banking institution founded
Key Moments in the History of Estonia 635
1904 Coalition of Estonians and Russians takes control of Tallinn Town Council from
Germans
1905 The 1905 Revolution breaks out in Estonia, bringing scores of deaths in government crackdowns; first trade union founded in Estonia; widespread peasant revolt and rioting throughout Estonia; martial law not lifted for three years
1906 Four Estonians and one Russian elected to the First Duma
1909 Tartu-educated Wilhelm Ostwald wins the Nobel Prize in Physics
1914 World War 1 breaks out; mobilization of population and industry begins
1915 German navy and zeppelins attack Estonian islands and coastal cities
March 1917 February Revolution reaches Estonia with massive public chaos; Jaan
Poska becomes the first Estonian appointed governor (now commissar), and Estonian
declared official language; northern Livonia is also merged with Estonia in the province
May 1917 The Maapáev, the first Estonian legislative body, is elected; body convenes
in July and confirms its first government
September 1917 German forces invade Estonian islands
October 1917 Bolshevik Revolution spreads to Estonia, with local Communists
attempting to seize power by nationalization of property and repression, forbidding the
elected Maapáev to convene
19 February 1918 The Committee of National Salvation formed by the Maapáev leadership to assume control of Estonia
20 February 1918 German forces invade the Estonian mainland
23 February 1918 Bolsheviks evacuate Tallinn, bound for Russia
24 February 1918 The Committee of National Salvation declares Estonian independence
3 March 1918 German forces assume control of all of Estonia; Estonian leaders arrested and Committee member Jüri Vilms is executed in Finland
3 May 1918 Britain , France, and Italy give de facto recognition to Estonian independence
September 1918 German Kaiser Wilhelm II officially recognizes Estonian independence
November 1918 The Estonian provisional government is reassembled
28 November 1918 Bolsheviks attack Narva, starting the Estonian War of Independence
December 1918 Russians take control of much of Estonia with brutal repressions, but
Tallinn holds with help from a British fleet
6 January 1919 Estonian counterattack begins, retaking Narva two weeks later
1 February 1919 Estonian forces manage to expel all Bolshevik forces from Estonia
5-7 April 1919 Constituent Assembly is elected by the people and convenes on the 23`d;
the democratic left takes majority
May 1919 Estonian forces take Pskov and transfer its control to the White Russian
forces
23 June 1919 Estonian forces crush the German Landeswehr force in the Latvian city
of Cesis, ending a potential German threat
10 October 1919 Constituent Assembly adopts radical land law that redistributes land
to the peasantry; over 50,000 farms created in subsequent years from the 96 percent of
estates affected
December 1919 Russia fails in last attempt to take Narva and peace talks begin in
earnest
2 February 1920 The Tartu Peace Treaty (Estonia's "birth certificate") is signed by
Estonia and Russia ending the conflict and stating that Russia will "forever" give up claims
to sovereignty of Estonia
15 June 1920 Constituent Assembly adopts the Estonian Constitution; liberal document
does not establish a head-of-state, leaving the parliament in control of the government
636 DEMOKRATIZATSIYA
November 1920 First parliamentary elections held; center-right wins majority
21 January 1921 The Supreme Allied Council offers de jure recognition of Estonia; the
United States waits until summer of 1922
22 September 1922 Estonia joins the League of Nations
May 1923 Elections held for second parliament after referendum loss on religious education; center-right gain seats
December 1923 Estonia and Latvia sign treaty for a defensive alliance
1 December 1924 Bolsheviks fail in coup attempt; one cabinet minister killed among
two doten victims, Communist Party banned
May 1926 Elections to third parliament held; center-right again wins
1927 Estonia usted in the Jewish Golden Book for its ultraprogressive policy of minority cultural autonomy
1 January 1928 The kroon is introduced as the nacional currency, replacing the unstable mark (introduced in 1919)
1929 The Estonian League of Veterans of the War of Independence founded as major
pressure group on constitutional reform; later adopts semi-fascist tendencies
May 1929 Elections to fourth parliament held, centre-right remains in control
13-15 August 1932 First referendum on constitutional changes-especially to create a
powerful executive-fails by small margin
10-12 June 1933 Second, watered-down referendum fails by large margin
Summer 1933 The government devalues the kroon by 35 percent, helping the economic
recovery following the worldwide depression
14-16 October 1933 Third referendum to create a strong executive (submitted by the
Veterans) wins by big margin, and presidential elections scheduled for March 1934; Konstantin Pdts is appointed as caretaker head of government
12 March 1934 "Palace coup" by Pts, citing fascist tendencies of the Veterans, ends
parliamentary democracy; mild totalitarian rule creates "Era of Silence"
2 October 1934 Opposition complaints lead to the cancellation of parliamentary session: it would not sit again until the new elections in 1938
8 December 1935 Police arrest the leaders of the Veterans League, accusing them of
plotting a coup
February 1936 Elections held for new constituent assembly; silenced opposition candidates boycott vote; new constitution creates bicameral parliament but power remains
with the executive; constitution is approved the following year
Summer 1936 Estonia wins five medals (two gold) in Munich Olympics
24 April 1938 Páts is elected as Estonia's first president after constitutional change
23 August 1939 Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union sign Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact,
including secret protocols to carve up the Baltic countries
18 September 1939 Polish submarina Orzel escapes from internment in Tallinn Harbor, leading to Soviet complaints Estonia cannot defend neutrality
28 September 1939 With Soviet threats, the basing agreement is signed, establishing
Soviet bases in Estonia; 25,000 soldiers flood in through October
7 October 1939 Germans evacuate Estonia, giving an ominous sign of the future
16 June 1940 Moscow issues ultimatum to Estonia to replace government with one
sympathetic to the USSR
17 June 1940 The Red Army occupies Estonia with over 80,000 troops on the heels of
the Nazi conquest of France
17 July 1940 Results of rump one-candidate elections announced by Soviet authorities,
with 92.9 percent "tumout"
6 August 1940 Assembly votes to request membership in the USSR
November 1940 Forced monetary reform erases 85 percent of personal wealth
14 June 1941 Mass deportations of population to Russia estimated at 10,000
Key Moments in the History of Estonia 637
7 July 1941 German forces enter Estonia weeks after declaring war against Moscow;
by October the entire country is overtaken
28 August 1941 German army takes Tallinn
9 March 1944 Soviet Air Force carpet bomb Tallinn despite an earlier German withdrawal
18 September 1944 Acting President Jüri Uluots appoints new Estonian government
and independence is declared as re-established
24 November 1944 Red Army takes control of all of Estonia; "forest brother" partisans
(estimated at more than 10,000 at one point) fight guerrilla campaign against Soviet power
until 1953
May 1947 Forced collectivization of farms begins and is completed in two years
25-26 March 1949 Mass deportations of the population estimated at more than 20,000
1965 Regular ferry links with Finland started
1972 Two protest groups-the Estonian National Front and the Estonian Democratic
Association-send letters to the United Nations demanding membership, restoration of
independence and withdrawal of Soviet forces from Estonia
1978 The last "forest brother" August Sabe kills himself when ambushed by KGB
December 1978 New stringent policy of Russification embarked upon, including the
introduction of the Russian language to kindergarten-age children and the discouragement
of use of Estonian
1979 The "Baltic Appeal" by 45 Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian dissidents brings
Baltic issue to the UN and other forums
September 1980 Mass protests by students ensue after concert by punk band Propeller
and soccer match cancelled, becoming first major set of protests for democratization
November 1980 Stemming from protests, the "Group of 40" intellectuals drafted an
open letter to Soviet authorities to address problems such as Russian immigration, Russification, and youth policy
Spring 1987 Protests begin to stop massive phosphorite mining, starting the revolution
process
23 August 1987 Protest in Tallinn's Hirvepark becomes first mass political protest
against the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact
26 September 1987 Party newspaper "Edasi" prints idea of an independent Estonian
economy
12 December 1987 Estonian Heritage Society founded
April 1988 The Estonian Popular Front (to support Perestroika) is founded
August 1988 The Estonian National Independence Party is formed with the ultimate
goal of restoring Estonia's independence
11 September 1988 "Eestimaa Laul" song festival becomes the symbol of the "Singing
Revolution" with over 300,000 in attendance
16 November 1988 The Estonian Supreme Soviet adopts declaration of sovereignty,
beginning the independence process
24 February 1989 Flag of independent Estonia is raised on Independence Day in
Tallinn's Pikk Hermann tower for the first time in nearly fifty years; the Committee of Citizens is formed and begins collecting database of citizens of Estonia before the 1940 occupation and their descendents
23 August 1989 More than one million people create human chain from Tallinn to Riga
to Vilnius to protest the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact
24 February 1990 Elections held for the Estonian Congress, a parallel legislative body
created for registered citizens of Estonia; body meets in March
18 March 1990 First multi-candidate election under Soviet rule; reformers win most
seats, leading to split in the Estonian Communist Party
638 DEMOKRATIZATSIYA
30 March 1990 The Supreme Council adopts decision on transition towards independence
7 August 1990 The Supreme Council adopts law on the flag and coat-of-arms
3 March 1991 Referendum on independence in Estonia-77.8 percent in support
20 August 1991 The Supreme Council declares the restoration of Estonia's independence during turmoil in Moscow after coup
22 August 1991 Iceland becomes the first country to recognize Estonian independence
6 September 1991 The USSR recognizes Estonian independence
17 September 1991 Estonia joins the United Nations
20 June 1992 The kroon is re-introduced as the nacional currency, pegged at EEK 8 =
DEM 1
28 June 1992 Referendum approves a new constitution that was drafted by a joint body
of the Supreme Council and the Estonian Congress
20 September 1992 Parliamentary elections and first round of presidential election are
held; center-right takes majority of seats
5 October 1992 Lennart Meri is elected president by the parliament; then confirms thirty-two-year-old Mart Laar to head a center-right government
13 May 1993 Estonia is admitted as a full member of the human rights body Council
of Europe
13 September 1993 The Baltic Free Trade Agreement is signed
3 February 1994 Estonia joins the Partnership for Peace
9 May 1994 Estonia becomes an associate member of the European Union
31 August 1994 The Red Army completes its withdrawal from Estonia and Latvia
28 September 1994 The ferry Estonia sinks en route from Tallinn to Stockholm; 851
people are killed
March 1995 Parliamentary elections give the center a working majority
20 September 1996 Lennart Meri re-elected president by electoral college; earlier parliamentary vote had not given Meri the two-thirds majority needed
March 1999 Parliamentary elections bring the center-right back to power
May 2001 Estonia wins the Eurovision Song Contest
September 2001 Arnold Rüütel, forrner titular head-of-republic during the late Soviet
days, is elected president by an electoral college after the parliament fails to garner a twothirds majority for any candidate
November 2002 Estonia receives official invitation to join NATO
December 2002 Estonia receives official invitation to join the European Union
March 2003 Parliamentary elections keep the center-right in power
September 2003 Two-thirds of Estonians vote to join the European Union in a referendum