A Timeline of Romania

By Tim Lambert

8,000 BC Stone age hunters live in Romania

600 BC The Greeks trade with the people of Romania

105-106 AD The Romans conquer Romania, which they call Dacia

271 The Romans withdraw to south of the Danube Stone age hunters live in Romania. They leave Romania to waves of migrants from the north.

14th Century Radu Negru founds the principality of Wallachia. Most of the peasants become serfs.

16th Century Transylvania becomes part of the Turkish Empire

1595 Michael the Brave ruler of Wallachia defeats the Turks

1687 The Austrian take Transylvania

1785 Serfdom is abolished in Transylvania

1859 Wallachia and Moldavia are united

1862 The new state is named Romania

1877 Romania declares its independence from Turkey (which had previously dominated it)

1881 Romania becomes a kingdom with Carol I as its king

1916 Romania goes to war with Germany and Austria-Hungary

1918 Romania takes Transylvania from Hungary

1927 The Iron Guard is formed in Romania

1938 The king introduces a royal dictatorship in Romania

1940 Romania is forced to cede territory to Russia and Hungary

1941 Romania joins the German invasion of Russia

1944 Romania changes sides and declares war on Germany

1948 The Communists take power in Romania

1958 Russian troops are withdrawn from Romania

1960 Romania adopts an independent foreign policy

1965 Nicolae Ceausescu becomes ruler of Romania

1989 The Communist tyranny in Romania collapses. Ceausescu is shot.

1990 Elections are held

2007 Romania joins the EU