7th century Iceland discovered by Irish seafarers.
874 First Norse settler, Ingólfr Arnarson, founded colony at Reykjavik.
c. 900 Norse settlers came in larger numbers, mainly from Norway.
930 Settlers established annual parliament, the Althing, to make laws and resolve disputes.
985 Eric the Red left Iceland to found settlement in Greenland.
1000 Icelanders adopted Christianity.
1263 Icelanders recognized authority of king of Norway after brief civil war.
1397 Norway and Iceland united with Denmark and Sweden under single monarch.
15th century Norway and Iceland increasingly treated as appendages of Denmark, especially after Swedish secession in 1449.
1783 Poisonous volcanic eruption caused great loss of life.
1814 Norway passed to Swedish crown; Iceland remained under Danish rule.
1845 Althing re-established in modernized form.
1874 New constitution gave Iceland limited autonomy.
1918 Iceland achieved full self-government under Danish crown.
1940 British forces occupied Iceland after Germany invaded Denmark; US troops took over in 1941.
1944 Iceland became independent republic.
1949 Joined NATO.
1958 Introduction of exclusive fishing limit led to first ‘Cod War’, when Icelandic patrol boats clashed with British fishing boats.
1972–73 Iceland extended its fishing limit, renewing confrontation with Britain.
1975–76 Further extension of fishing limit caused third ‘Cod War’ with UK.
1985 Iceland declared itself nuclear-free zone.
1996 Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson elected president.
2002 Iceland readmitted to International Whaling Commission despite controversial plans to resume hunting.
2004 Prime Minister David Oddsson stepped down after 13 years in office; replaced by Halldor Asgrimsson.
2006 Geir Haarde took over as premier.
2007 Haarde formed new conservative-social democrat coalition following elections.

Address  Vatnsmyrarvegi 16, 101 Reykjavík    www.tannlaeknadeild.hi.is

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