By Tim Lambert
8,000 BC The first people arrive in Sweden
4,000 BC People in Sweden begin farming
2,000 BC Bronze is introduced into Sweden
500 BC Iron is introduced into Sweden
9th Century AD Sweden becomes a single kingdom. Swedes cross the Baltic and sail along rivers into Russia.
1008 Olof Skotkonung King of Sweden becomes a Christian. The other Swedes gradually follow.
1157 King Eric leads a crusade against the Finns
1252 Stockholm is founded. Swedish trade and commerce flourish.
1280 King Magnus grants the upper class exemption from taxes in return for military service
1323 By now Sweden controls all of Finland
1349 The Black Death reaches Sweden
1388 The Swedish nobles rebel
1389 Margaret of Norway becomes ruler of Sweden
1397
Margaret’s Great Nephew Erik is crowned king of Sweden, Norway and Denmark in Kalmar
1434
The Swedish peasants rebel
1439
Erik is deposed
1448
Sweden separates from Denmark and Norway
1520
The ‘Bloodbath of Stockholm’, in which 82 people are executed for ‘treason’.
1521
The Swedes rebel
1536
The Swedes adopt certain Lutheran practices as the Reformation spreads in Sweden
1541
The Bible is translated into Swedish
1561
The Swedes capture part of Estonia
1593
The Swedish Church adopts the (Protestant) Confession of Augsburg
1613
Gustavus Adolphus becomes king
1628
The Vasa sinks
1632
Gustavus is killed a the battle of Lutzen
1693
The Declaration of Riksdag recognises the king’s right to rule as he wishes
1700
The Great Northern War begins
1707
The Swedes invade Russia
1709
The Swedes are completely defeated at Poltava
1721
Sweden is forced to surrender her Baltic provinces and part of Finland to Russia
1739
The Swedish Academy of Sciences if founded
1772
After a long period of freedom for the Swedish people, the king stages a coup d’etat and regains complete power.
1809
The king is assassinated and a new constitution is introduced
1810
Napoleon’s Marshal Bernadotte is elected Crown prince of Sweden
1813
Sweden joins the war against France
1814
Denmark surrenders Norway to Sweden
1846
Trade in Sweden is deregulated
1850
The population of Sweden is about 3.5 million
1856
The first railway in Sweden is built
c. 1890 onwards
The Industrial Revolution transforms Sweden
1905
Norway becomes independent from Sweden
1921
All men and women in Sweden are given the vote
1934
Unemployment in Sweden is 24.9 %
Late 1940s early 1950s
A strong welfare state is created in Sweden
1974
A new constitution is introduced in Sweden
1986
Prime Minister Olof Palme is assassinated. The first Swedish satellite, Viking is launched.
1995
Sweden joins the EU
2006
Christer Fuglesang is the first Swedish astronaut
