Greece History

Saturday, June 1, 2013

Historical Events
1251-09-07 BC - A solar eclipse on this date might mark the birth of legendary Heracles at Thebes, Greece.
1184-04-24 BC - The Greeks enter Troy using the Trojan Horse (traditional date).
0585-05-28 BC - A solar eclipse occurs, as predicted by Greek philosopher and scientist Thales, while Alyattes is battling Cyaxares in the Battle of the Eclipse, leading to a truce. This is one of the cardinal dates from which other dates can be calculated.
0480-08-11 BC - Greco-Persian Wars: Battle of Artemisium - Persian naval victory over the Greeks in an engagement fought near promontory on the north coast of Euboea. Greek fleet holds its own against the Persians in three days of fighting but withdraws upon news of the defeat at Thermopylae.
0480-09-29 BC - Battle of Salamis: The Greek fleet under Themistocles defeats the Persian fleet under Xerxes I.
0479-08-27 BC - Greco-Persian Wars: Persian forces led by Mardonius are routed by Pausanias, the Spartan commander of the Greek army in the Battle of Plataea. Along the with the Greek victory on the same day in the Battle of Mycale, the Persian invasion of Greece is halted.
0338-08-02 BC - A Macedonian army led by Philip II defeated the combined forces of Athens and Thebes in the Battle of Chaeronea, securing Macedonian hegemony in Greece and the Aegean.
0031-09-02 BC - Final war of the Roman Republic: Battle of Actium - off the western coast of Greece, forces of Octavian defeat troops under Mark Antony and Cleopatra.
0701-10-30 - John VI of Greece begins his reign as Catholic Pope
0705-04-01 - Greek pope John VII chosen as successor to John VI
1308-08-15 - Johannieter knights conquer Rhodos on the Greece
1311-03-15 - Battle of Halmyros: The Catalan Company defeats Walter V of Brienne to take control of the Duchy of Athens, a Crusader state in Greece.
1514-01-10 - Complutensian New Testament in Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek & Latin finished
1621-06-19 - Battle at Dragetsani: Turkish army beats Greece
1770-05-26 - The Orlov Revolt, a first attempt to revolt against the Turks before the Greek War of Independence ends in disaster for the Greeks.
1820-03-25 - Greece freedom revolt against anti Ottoman attack
1820-04-12 - Alexander Ypsilantis is declared leader of Filiki Eteria, a secret organization to overthrow Ottoman rule over Greece.
1821-03-21 - First revolutionary act in Monastery of Agia Lavra, Kalavryta, Greek War of Independence.
1821-03-23 - Battle and fall of city of Kalamata, Greek War of Independence.
1821-03-25 - Greece gains independence from Turkey (National Day)
1821-05-08 - Greek War of Independence: The Greeks defeat the Turks in Gravia.
1821-05-12 - The first big battle of the Greek War of Independence against the Turks occurs in Valtetsi.
1821-09-23 - Fall of Tripolitsa, Greece, massacre of 30.000 Turks.
1822-01-13 - The design of the Greek flag is adopted by the First National Assembly at Epidaurus.
1822-01-14 - Greek War of Independence: Acrocorinth is captured by Theodoros Kolokotronis and Demetrius Ypsilanti.
1822-01-15 - Greek War of Independence: Demetrius Ypsilanti is elected president of the legislative assembly.
1822-03-31 - The massacre of the population of the Greek island of Chios by soldiers of the Ottoman Empire following a rebellion attempt, depicted by the French artist Eugène Delacroix.
1822-05-16 - Greek War of Independence: The Turks capture the Greek town of Souli.
1824-06-21 - Greek War of Independence: Egyptian forces capture Psara in the Aegean Sea.
1824-08-04 - Battle of Kos is fought between Turks and Greeks.
1826-04-10 - The 10,500 inhabitants of the Greek town Messolonghi start leaving the town after a year's siege by Turkish forces. Very few of them survive.
1826-11-25 - The Greek frigate Hellas arrives in Nafplion to become the first flagship of the Hellenic Navy.
1827-06-05 - Turks capture Acropolis & takes Athens during Greek War of Independ
1828-04-26 - Russia declares war on Turkey to support Greece's independence
1828-10-07 - The city of Patras, Greece is liberated by the French expeditionary force in Peloponnese under General Maison.
1829-03-22 - The three protecting powers (Britain, France and Russia) establish the borders of Greece.
1830-02-03 - The sovereignty of Greece was confirmed in a London Protocol.
1832-05-07 - Greece becomes independent republic
1832-05-07 - Otto of Bavaria is chosen king of Greece
1832-05-24 - The First Kingdom of Greece is declared in the London Conference.
1834-04-03 - The generals in the Greek War of Independence stand trial for treason.
1835-05-20 - Otto is named the first modern king of Greece.
1850-01-18 - British blockade Piraeus, Greece to enforce mercantile claims
1850-06-29 - Autocephaly Officially Granted by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople to The Church of Greece.
1863-03-30 - Danish prince Wilhelm Georg of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glucksburg chosen as king George of Greece
1864-03-29 - Great Britain gives the Ionian Islands back to Greece
1864-10-29 - Greek parliament accept new Constitution
1864-11-13 - The new Constitution of Greece is adopted.
1874-05-13 - Pope Pius IX encyclical "On Greek-Ruthenian rite"
1874-06-29 - Greek politician Charilaos Trikoupis publishes a manifesto in the Athens daily Kairoi entitled "Who's to Blame?" in which he lays out his complaints against King George. He is elected Prime Minister of Greece the next year.
1878-02-02 - Greece declares war on Turkey
1881-03-26 - Thessaly is freed and becomes part of Greece again.
1881-05-24 - Turkey cedes Thessaly and Arta back to Greece.
1888-09-12 - Start of Sherlock Holmes adventure "Greek Interpreter" (BG)
1891-04-11 - 8 year old Jewish tailor's daughter disappears in Greece, rumor spreads that she was a Christian girl ritually killed by Jews
1894-03-03 - 1st Greek-language publication in US begins, "NY Atlantis"
1896-03-10 - Charilaos Vasilakos of Greece wins 1st modern marathon in 3:18 [OS]
1896-03-25 - Modern Olympics began in Athens, Greece [NS=Apr 6]
1896-04-06 - 1st modern Olympic games open in Athens Greece [3/25 OS] American, James Connolly, wins 1st Olympic gold medal in mod history
1896-04-15 - 1st Olympic games close at Athens, Greece
1897-04-05 - The Greco-Turkish War, also called "Thirty Days' War", is declared between Greece and the Ottoman Empire.
1897-05-12 - Battle at Thessalie: Turkish army beats Greece
1897-05-15 - The Greek army retreats with heavy losses in the Greco-Turkish War.
1898-08-25 - 700 Greeks and 15 Englishmen are slaughtered by the Turks in Heraklion, Greece.
1900-07-21 - Pope Leo XIII encyclical to Greek-Melkite rite
1901-11-08 - Bloody clashes take place in Athens following the translation of the Gospels into demotic Greek.
1902-05-17 - Greek archaeologist Valerios Stais discovers the Antikythera mechanism, an ancient mechanical analog computer.
1905-03-10 - Eleftherios Venizelos asks the independence of Crete and its union with Greece again, starting the Cretan Revolution in Theriso.
1906-04-22 - 10th anniversary Olympic games open at Athens, Greece
1906-05-22 - 10th anniversary Olympic games close at Athens, Greece
1906-12-04 - Alpha Phi Alpha, 1st Black Greek Letter Fraternity, forms
1908-02-03 - Foundation of Panathinaikos in Athens, Greece.
1908-03-12 - The Pan-Macedonian group is formed in Athens to support the Greek Struggle for Macedonia.
1908-10-07 - Crete revolts against Turkey & aligns with Greece
1910-02-01 - Dragoumis government forms in Greece
1911-05-15 - The Georgios Averof cruiser is bought by Greece.
1912-03-11 - Eleftherios Venizelos, leader of the Liberal Party, wins the Greek elections again.
1912-04-01 - The Greek athlete Konstantinos Tsiklitiras breaks the world record -in standing long jump jumping 3.47 meters.
1912-10-17 - Bulgaria, Greece & Serbia declares war on Turkey
1912-12-03 - Turkey, Serbia, Montenegro, Greece & Bulgaria sign weapons pact
1913-01-18 - Turkish-Greek sea battle near Troy
1913-03-18 - King George I of Greece is assassinated in the recently liberated city of Thessaloniki.
1913-04-04 - The Greek aviator Emmanuel Argyropoulos becomes the first pilot victim of the Hellenic Air Force when his plane crashes.
1913-06-29 - 2nd Balkan War begins-Bulgaria overthrows Greek/Serbian troops
1913-07-01 - Serbia & Greece declare war on Bulgaria
1913-12-14 - Greece formally takes possession of Crete
1914-08-07 - British Gloucester vs German Breslau/Goeben off Greece
1915-03-06 - Greek King Constantine I fires premier Venizelos
1915-11-06 - Sophokles Skouloudis forms Greek government
1916-09-11 - German troops conquer Kavalla Greece
1916-11-26 - Greece declares war on Germany
1917-05-30 - Alexander I becomes king of Greece.
1917-06-11 - King Alexander assumes the throne of Greece after his father Constantine I abdicated under pressure by allied armies occupying Athens.
1917-08-18 - A Great Fire in Thessaloniki, Greece destroys 32% of the city leaving 70,000 individuals homeless.
1918-05-15 - Greeks troops lands at Smyrna
1919-05-19 - Mustafa Kemal Atatürk lands at Samsun on the Anatolian Black Sea coast, initiating what was later termed the Turkish War of Independence. The anniversary of this event is the official date of commemoration of the Pontic Greek Genocide in Greece and Cyprus.
1920-03-04 - Last day of Julian civil calendar in Greece
1920-03-18 - Greece adopts the Gregorian calendar
1920-03-25 - Greek Independence Day
1920-04-19 - 24th Boston Marathon won by Peter Trivoulidas of Greece in 2:29:31
1920-12-05 - Dimitrios Rallis forms a government in Greece.
1920-12-19 - King Constantine I is restored as King of the Hellenes after the death of his son Alexander I of Greece and a plebiscite.
1921-08-24 - Battle of Sakaray Valley begins between Turkey & Greece
1922-09-07 - In Aydin, Turkey, independence of Aydin, from Greek occupation.
1922-09-09 - Turkish troops conquer Smyrna/murder Greek citizens
1922-09-16 - Turkish troops chase Greeks out of Asia
1922-09-27 - King Constantine I of Greece abdicates
1922-09-30 - Government of Alexandros Zaimis forms in Greece
1922-10-11 - Turkey & Greece sign cease fire
1922-11-03 - Greek parliament bans prince Andreas for life
1922-11-28 - 6 old minsters in Greece, executed
1923-12-17 - Greek king George II overthrown by army/republic
1924-02-24 - Greek parliament proclaims republic
1924-03-24 - Greece becomes a republic
1924-03-25 - Greek parliament selects admiral Paul Koundouriotis as premier
1924-04-13 - Greek plebiscite for a republic
1924-05-01 - Admiral Paul Koundouriotis becomes president of Greece
1924-08-26 - (August 13 Old Style) The Catastrophe of Smyrna, known as the Asia Minor Catastrophe to Greeks, occurs. The Ottoman army expels Greeks and other non-Turks from Asia Minor.
1924-10-07 - Greek government of Dikalekopoulis, forms
1925-06-25 - Military putsch under Gen Theodorus Pangulos in Greece
1925-09-29 - Greek republican constitution enforced
1925-09-30 - General Pangulos disbands Greek parliament
1925-10-06 - Greek premier Papanastasiou orders gen Pangulos arrested
1926-01-03 - Greek gen Theodorus Pangulos names himself dictator
1926-01-04 - Theodorus Pangalos resigns as Greek dictator
1926-04-04 - Greek dictator Theodorus Pangalos elected president
1926-08-17 - Greek-Serbian/Croatian/Slavs peace treaty signed
1926-08-21 - -22] Uprising against Greek president/dictator Pangalos
1926-08-22 - Greek dictator Gen Pangulos driven out
1926-08-25 - Pavlos Koundouris becomes president of Greece
1927-05-07 - Angelos Sikelianos organizes the first Delphic Festival in Delphi to celebrate the ancient Greek Delphic ideal.
1927-10-08 - Sea battle at Navarino (Greece freed of Ottoman occupation)
1929-12-14 - Alexander Zaimis elected pres of Greece
1930-06-13 - 22 people killed by hailstones in Siatista Greece
1930-09-25 - Zoe Akins' "Greeks Had a Word for it," premieres in NYC
1930-10-30 - Turkey & Greece sign a treaty of friendship
1932-10-31 - Greek government of Venizelos falls
1934-02-09 - Balkan Entente alliance forms (Yugoslavia, Greece, Turkey & Romania)
1935-10-10 - Coup under Gen Giorgios Kondylis in favor of Greek monarchy
1935-11-03 - George II returns to Greece & regains monarchy
1935-11-24 - King George II returns to Greece after 12 years
1936-04-13 - Metaxas proclaims himself dictator of Greece
1936-08-04 - Ioannis Metaxas names himself dictator of Greece
1938-07-30 - Gen Metaxas names himself premier of Greece
1940-08-17 - Greece mobilizes
1940-10-28 - Greece successfully resists Italy's attack
1940-12-22 - World War II: Himarë is captured by the Greek army.
1941-01-10 - World War II: The Greek army captures Kleisoura.
1941-03-07 - 50,000 British soldiers lands in Greece
1941-04-21 - Greece surrenders to nazi-Germany
1941-04-23 - Greece Army surrenders to German Nazis RAF brings Greek king George II to Egypt
1941-04-24 - British army begins evacuation of Greece
1941-04-27 - German troops occupy Athens Greece
1941-04-28 - Last British troops in Greece surrenders
1942-11-05 - Nazi raid on Greek Jews in Paris
1943-03-09 - Greek Jews of Salonika are transported to Nazi extermination camps
1943-03-21 - Massacre of the town of Kalavryta, Greece by German Nazi troops.
1943-08-18 - Final convoy of Jews from Salonika Greece arrive at Auschwitz
1944-04-05 - World War II: 270 inhabitants of the Greek town of Kleisoura are executed by the Germans.
1944-04-14 - Greek Colonel Venizelos forms government
1944-04-26 - Papandreou government in Greece forms
1944-06-10 - World War II: In Distomo, Boeotia Prefecture, Greece 218 men, women and children are massacred by German troops.
1944-10-04 - British troops land on Greek continent
1944-12-03 - British order to disarm, causes general strike in Greece
1944-12-03 - The Greek Civil War breaks out in a newly-liberated Greece, between communists and royalists.
1944-12-27 - Greece: British premier Churchill flies back to London
1944-12-30 - King George II of Greece, abdicates his throne
1945-01-03 - Greek General Plastiras forms government
1946-03-31 - The first election is held in Greece after World War II.
1946-04-20 - 50th Boston Marathon won by Stylianos Kyriakides of Greece in 2:29:27
1946-05-01 - The Paris Peace Conference concludes that the islands of the Dodecanese should be returned to Greece by Italy.
1946-09-01 - Greece votes for monarchy
1946-09-27 - King George II of Greece returns from exile
1946-09-28 - Greek king George II back in Athens
1947-01-10 - Greek steamer "Himara" strikes a wartime mine in Saronic Gulf south of Athens with loss of 392 of 637 aboard
1947-05-22 - "Truman Doctrine" goes into effect, aiding Turkey & Greece
1947-08-29 - Constantine Tsaldaris follows Maximos as Greece premier
1948-02-10 - Greek Gen Markos' guerrilla army bombs Saloniki
1948-03-07 - The Dodecanese islands officially become part of Greece again, ending the Italian rule.
1948-05-16 - CBS news correspondent George Polk's body is found in Greece
1948-12-24 - Greek government disbands due to state of war, press censorship
1949-11-06 - Greeks civil war ends
1950-03-23 - Sophocles Venizelos forms liberal Greeks government
1952-05-28 - The women of Greece are given the right to vote.
1952-11-14 - Greek general Papagos wins elections
1952-11-16 - Papagos' Greek Concentratie wins Greeks parliamentary election
1953-10-12 - US & Greece signs peace treaty (US bases)
1955-03-21 - Archbishop Makarios of Cyprus desires Cyprus joining Greece
1957-03-20 - Britain accepts NATO offer to mediate in Cyprus, but Greece rejects it
1957-04-06 - Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis buys the Hellenic National Airlines (TAE) and founds Olympic Airlines.
1958-03-20 - Greek Clandestine Radio (communist), Voice of Truth 1st transmission
1958-06-07 - Battles between Turkish & Greeks Cypriots break out
1959-02-19 - Britain, Turkey & Greece sign agreement granting Cyprus independence
1961-11-04 - Karamanlis becomes premier of Greece
1962-05-19 - 88th Preakness: John Rotz aboard Greek Money wins in 1:56.2
1962-11-01 - Greece enters European Common Market
1963-05-22 - Greek parliament leader Lambrakis injured
1963-06-11 - Greek government of Karamanlis resigns
1963-06-19 - Greek government of Pipinolis forms
1963-12-23 - Fire on Greek ship Laconia, 128 die
1963-12-24 - Greek & Turks riot in Cyprus
1964-02-11 - Greek & Turks begin fighting in Limassol, Cyprus
1964-02-18 - Papandreou government takes power in Greece
1964-03-06 - Constantine succeeds Paul I as king of Greece
1964-08-07 - Turkey begins air attack on Greek-Cypriots
1964-09-29 - Greece & Bulgaria close boundaries
1965-07-15 - Athanassiades Novas succeeds Papandreo as premier of Greece
1965-09-24 - Stefan Stefanopoulos forms Greek government
1967-04-21 - Military coup in Greece, Konstantinos Kollias becomes premier
1967-04-22 - Martial Law goes into effect in Greece
1967-07-12 - Greek regime deprives 480 Greeks of their citizenship
1967-08-21 - Mikis Theodorakis arrested in Greece
1967-09-23 - Greek Colonels regime frees ex-premier Georgios Papandreou
1967-12-13 - Unsuccessful coup against Greek King Constantine II
1968-03-03 - Greece, Portugal & Spain's embassies bombed in the Hague
1968-11-17 - Alexandros Panagoulis is condemned to death for attempting to assassinate Greek dictator George Papadopoulos.
1969-03-28 - Greek poet and Nobel Prize laureate Giorgos Seferis makes a famous statement on the BBC World Service opposing the junta in Greece.
1969-04-18 - Melina Mercouri establishes Greek Aid Fund
1969-12-08 - Greek DC-6B crashes in storm at Athens, 93 killed
1970-04-13 - Greek composer Mikis Theordorakis freed
1972-03-05 - Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis leaves communist party
1973-06-01 - Greek Pres Papadopoulos asks for "parliamentary presidential republic"
1973-07-29 - Greek plebiscite chooses republic over monarchy
1973-10-08 - Spyris Markezinis forms government in Greece
1973-11-17 - Greek regime attacks students with tanks, 100s killed
1973-11-18 - Greek regime calls emergency crisis due to mass protests
1973-11-25 - Bloodless military coup ousts Greek Pres George Papadopoulos
1974-01-13 - Seraphim is elected Archbishop of Athens and All Greece.
1974-07-23 - Greek military dictatorship collapses
1974-12-08 - Greek monarchy rejected by referendum
1975-06-11 - Greece adopts constitution
1976-10-10 - Greece's 98 year-old Dimitrion Yordanidis, is oldest man to compete in a marathon; he finishes in 7:33
1977-11-08 - Manolis Andronikos, a Greek Archaeologist and professor at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, discovers the tomb of Philip II of Macedon at Vergina.
1979-05-28 - European Market accepts Greece as member
1980-02-23 - Oil tanker explosion off Pilos, Greece, causes 37-mil-gallon spill
1980-05-05 - Constantine Karamanlis is elected for the first time President of Greece.
1981-01-01 - Greece is 10th country to join European Economic Community
1981-06-22 - 2 Habash terrorists attack a travel agency in Greece killing 2
1981-10-04 - Pasakevi Kouna of Greece (9) is youngest intl gymnastics participant
1981-10-18 - Andreas Papandreous' PASOK wins Greek elections
1982-06-25 - Greece abolishes headshaving of recruits in the military.
1985-03-29 - Christos Sartzetakis elected president of Greece
1985-06-02 - Andreas Papandreous PASOK-party wins election in Greece
1986-04-02 - 4 US passengers killed by bomb at TWA counter Athens Airport Greece
1988-01-15 - Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder makes racist remarks about black athletes
1988-01-16 - Jimmy "the Greek" Snyder fired from CBS for racial remarks
1988-04-23 - A Greek pedals self-powered aircraft, 74 miles
1988-06-15 - Turkish premier Özal meets Greek premier Papandreou in Athens
1989-11-23 - Xenophobia Zolotas sworn in as premier of Greece
1990-04-08 - New Democracy wins the national election in Greece.
1991-08-04 - The Greek cruise ship Oceanos sinks off the Wild Coast of South Africa.
1991-12-28 - Irene the Icon of Greek Orthodox church returns after being stolen
1992-12-03 - The Greek oil tanker Aegean Sea, carrying 80,000 tonnes of crude oil, runs aground in a storm while approaching La Coruña, Spain, and spills much of its cargo.
1993-10-13 - Greek government of Papandreou forms
1994-03-10 - 1 million Greeks attend Melina Mercouri's funeral
1995-03-08 - Costis Stephanopoulos becomes president of Greece
1995-03-09 - President Konstantine Karamanlis (88) of Greece, resigns
1995-05-13 - 6.5 earthquake hits Greece
1996-02-15 - Mortar attack on the US Embassy in Athens, Greece.
1996-11-23 - Irene Skliva, 18, of Greece, crowned 46th Miss World
1997-09-05 - Athen's Greece selected for 2004 Olympics
2001-06-27 - Pope John Paul II beatifies 28 Ukrainian Greek Catholics, including 27 martyrs most of whom were killed by the Soviet secret police. Beatification takes place at the service in Lviv, western Ukraine during his first visit to this country.
2002-06-06 - Eastern Mediterranean Event. A near-Earth asteroid estimated at 10 metres diameter explodes over the Mediterranean Sea between Greece and Libya. The resulting explosion is estimated to have a force of 26 kilotons, slightly more powerful than the Nagasaki atomic bomb.
2004-01-06 - Costas Simitis announces his resignation as president of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement in Greece.
2004-03-07 - New Democracy wins the national elections in Greece.
2004-09-11 - All passengers are killed when a helicopter crashes in the Aegean Sea. Passengers include Patriarch Peter VII of Alexandria and 16 others (including journalists and bishops of the Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria).
2006-01-08 - A magnitude 6.9 earthquake with its epicenter just off the Greek island of Kythira hits much of the country and is felt throughout the entire eastern Mediterranean Sea.
2009-10-04 - George Papandreou's Panhellenic Socialist Movement defeats Greece's governing New Democracy party in an electoral landslide.
2012-02-17 - Approximately 70 ancient Olympic artifacts are stolen from the Archaeological Museum of Greece
2012-03-08 - Greece secures debt-restructuring deal with private lenders
2012-03-18 - Superleague Greece football match between Olympiacos and Panathinaikos is abandoned after fans set fire to Athens' Olympic Stadium
2012-03-21 - Greek Parliament votes in favour of an international bailout deal
2012-04-05 - 77 year old pensioner's suicide outside Greece's parliament prompts further protests in Athens
2012-04-11 - Prime Minister of Greece, Lucas Papademos, resigns and calls an election for May 6
2012-05-06 - Greece parliamentary election results in 60% support for parties opposed to austerity measures
2012-05-15 - Greece's fifth attempt to a form a coalition government fails and new June elections are scheduled
2012-06-17 - Greek voters return to the polls after the failed May 6 election
2012-06-19 - Antonis Samaras, the leader of the New Democracy party in Greece, forms a coalition government
2012-06-23 - Greece proposes to slow down austerity measures by two years
2012-09-05 - Austerity measure requires Greece to increase its maximum working days to six per week
2012-09-26 - Greek trade unions call a general strike to protest austerity measures
2012-10-17 - Tens of thousands protest austerity measures in Greece
2012-11-14 - A series of protests against austerity measures occur across Europe including Spain, Portugal, and Greece
2012-11-27 - The eurozone announces that it will pay out 43.7 billion euros in Loans to Greece