300 – Archaeological excavations show people lived on islands in year 300, but do not reveal who they were

6th century – Irish monks settle in the Faroe Islands

9th century – Norwegian farmers settle in the Faroes Islands

900 – Faroese Althing (parliamentary council/assembly) is formed

999 – Sigmundur Brestisson, with orders from the King of Norway, introduces Christianity to the Faroese and the religion is adopted by the Faroese Althing

1035 – The Faroe Islands become a province of Norway

1349 – The Black Death pandemic reaches the Faroe Islands, killing a third of the population

Late 14th century – Norway and Denmark join to form a double monarchy

1524 – King of Norway and Denmark, Christian II, offers the Faroe Islands and Iceland to King Henry VIII of England as collateral for a loan. King Henry VIII declines.

16th century – King of Norway and Denmark, Christian III, introduces Lutheranism to the Faroe Islands, replacing Catholicism

1814 – Norway is ceded to Sweden, but the Faroe Islands remain under the Danish rule

1816 – The Løgting (replacing the name Althing) is officially abolished and replaced by a Danish judiciary.

1846 – Venceslaus Ulricus Hammersheimb, a Faroese Lutheran minister, creates a spelling system for the Faroese language

1849 – New Danish constitution comes into power in Denmark. The Faroe Islands are allowed two representatives to sit in the Danish Parliament.

1852 – The Løgting is re-established as a county council with an advisory role

1856 – The Royal Danish Trade Monopoly is abolished

1906 – The first political parties, Sambandaflokkurin (The Union Party) and Sjálvstýrisflokkurin (Self-Government Party) are founded

1919 – The first Faroese flag is made by Faroese students in Copenhagen

1938 – The Faroese and Danish languages are made equal in schools and churches.

1940 – British forces occupy the Faroe Islands during the Second World War, and the Faroese flag is officially recognized by the British government

1946 – A small majority vote in favour of independence from Denmark in a referendum

1948 – The Home Rule Act is passed, cementing status as a self-governing country within the Danish Realm

1948 – Faroese is made the main language of the Faroe Islands

1977 – The Faroe Islands increase their fishing zone from 12 nautical miles (originally 3 nautical miles in 1901, then increased to 12 nautical miles in 1961) to 200 nautical miles

1990 – The fishing industry collapses, and Sjónvinnubankin bank declares bankruptcy, triggering worst economic depression in Faroese history

2005 – The Home Rule Act is extended to include the Takeover Act and the Foreign Policy Act

2007 – Faroese government takes full control of Vága Floghavn airport and Faroese State Church

2013 – EU imposes sanctions on the Faroe Islands because of dispute over herring and mackerel fishing quotas

2014 – EU sanctions are lifted

2017 – Faroese Parliament passes fisheries reform

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