Swedish History Timeline

Sweden: Gothenburg - Stockholm

Events in Swedish History

Events 1 - 200 of 252

  • 1220-08-08 Sweden is defeated by Estonian tribes in the Battle of Lihula
  • 1276-05-24 Magnus Ladulås is crowned King of Sweden in Uppsala Cathedral
  • 1323-08-12 Treaty of Nöteborg between Sweden and Novgorod (Russia) regulates the border for the first time
  • 1389-02-24 Battle at Falköping: Danes defeat King Albert of Sweden
  • 1397-06-17 Union of Kalmar established between Denmark, Sweden and Norway
  • 1397-06-30 Denmark, Norway and Sweden sign Union of Kalmar under Queen Margaretha
  • 1456-10-17 The University of Greifswald is established, making it the second oldest university in northern continental Europe (also for a period the oldest in Sweden, and Prussia)
  • 1471-10-10 Battle of Brunkeberg: Swedish regent Sten Sture defeats forces led by Danish King Christian I

Battle of Bogesund

1520-01-19 Battle of Bogesund: Christian II of Denmark defeats the Regent of Sweden, Sten Sture the Younger who is mortally wounded

  • 1520-11-04 Danish Norwegian King Christian II crowned King of Sweden
  • 1520-11-08 Stockholm Bloodbath begins: A successful invasion of Sweden by Danish forces results in the execution of around 100 people.
  • 1520-11-09 Height of the Stockholm Bloodbath - King Christian II of Denmark, Norway and Sweden executes Swedish nobles
  • 1523-06-06 Gustav Vasa is elected King of Sweden, marking the end of the Kalmar Union
  • 1527-06-24 Gustaaf I begins Reformation in Sweden, taking Catholic possessions
  • 1528-01-12 Gustav I of Sweden crowned King of Sweden, rules for 37 years, and becomes known as the "father of the nation"
  • 1564-05-30 (-31st) The first battle of Öland (between the islands of Gotland and Öland): Lübeck & Denmark beat Sweden
  • 1570-12-13 Sweden and Denmark signs Peace of Stettin
  • 1593-03-01 The Uppsala Synod is summoned to confirm the exact forms of the Lutheran Church of Sweden.

Royal Coronation

1594-02-19 Having already inherited the throne of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth through his mother, Catherine Jagellonica of Poland, Sigismund III of the House of Vasa is crowned King of Sweden, succeeding his father John III of Sweden.

  • 1600-03-20 The Linköping Bloodbath takes place on Maundy Thursday in Linköping, Sweden
  • 1605-08-08 The city of Oulu, Finland, is founded by Charles IX of Sweden.
  • 1605-09-27 The armies of Sweden are utterly defeated by the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the Battle of Kircholm
  • 1610-07-04 Battle of Klushino: King Sigismund III's Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth army defeats Russia and Sweden
  • 1611-10-30 Gustaaf II Adolf (17) becomes king of Sweden
  • 1613-01-20 Peace of Knarod ends War of Kalmar between Denmark & Sweden
  • 1617-03-09 Sweden & Russia sign Peace of Stolbowa
  • 1621-09-15 Swedish troops occupy Riga
  • 1628-04-29 Sweden & Denmark sign defense treaty against Duke of Wallenstein
  • 1629-09-26 Sweden & Poland signs Peace of Altmark
  • 1630-06-26 Swedish troops under Gustaf II Adolf lands at Peenemunde
  • 1630-07-06 Swedish troops under Gustaf II Adolf land at Peenemunde
  • 1631-01-23 France & Sweden sign anti-German Treaty of Barwald
  • 1631-09-17 Battle of Breitenfeld: King Gustaaf Adolf of Sweden defeats Johann Tserclaes, Count of Tilly.
  • 1632-09-03 Battle of Nuremberg: Duke Wallenstein beats Sweden

Battle of Lützen

1632-11-16 Battle of Lützen: Significant battle of Thirty Years' War - Swedish and Saxon forces defeat the Holy Roman Empire, at cost of the death of Swedish King Gustavus Adolphus

  • 1633-04-23 Sweden & Protestant German monarchy form Union of Heilbronn

Battle at Nördlingen

1634-09-06 Battle at Nördlingen: Imperial-Spanish force led by Ferdinand of Hungary and Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand heavily defeat a combined Swedish and German protestant army led by Gustav Horn and Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar

  • 1635-09-12 Sweden and Poland sign ceasefire Treaty of Stuhmsdorf
  • 1636-10-04 Battle at Wittstock, Brandenburg: Sweden beat Ferdinand III
  • 1637-11-20 Peter Minuit & 1st Swedish immigrants to Delaware sail from Sweden
  • 1638-03-29 1st permanent white settlement in Delaware (Swedish Lutherans)
  • 1638-12-17 French and Swedish troops occupy Breisach on the Rhine
  • 1641-12-25 Emperor Ferdinand III makes appointments with Sweden and France
  • 1642-11-02 Second Battle of Breitenfeld, aka First Battle of Leipzig; victory for the Swedish army under Field Marshal Lennart Torstenson over Holy Roman Empire army under Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria
  • 1645-03-05 Battle of Jankau in Bohemia: Sweden defeats Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand III
  • 1645-08-13 Sweden & Denmark sign Peace of Brömsebro
  • 1647-03-14 Thirty Years' War: Bavaria, Cologne, France and Sweden sign the Truce of Ulm
  • 1649-09-30 Last Swedish troops vacate Prague
  • 1654-04-21 England & Sweden sign trade agreement
  • 1654-06-06 Queen Christina of Sweden resigns and converts to Catholicism
  • 1655-08-29 Warsaw falls without resistance to a small force under the command of Charles X Gustav of Sweden during The Deluge.
  • 1655-09-26 Peter Stuyvesant recaptures Dutch Ft Casimir from Swedish in Delaware
  • 1655-10-09 Swedish king Karel X Gustaaf occupies Kraków
  • 1656-01-17 Brandenburg & Sweden sign Treaty of Königsberg
  • 1656-07-30 Battle of Warsaw: Swedish King Charles X Gustav beats Polish-Lithuanian King Jan II Casimir and re-occupies Warsaw
  • 1656-09-19 Treaty of Labiau: Sweden gives Prussia, Brandenburg
  • 1656-10-24 Treaty of Vilnius: Russia & Poland sign anti-Swedish covenant
  • 1656-11-03 Treaty of Vilnius: Russia & Poland sign anti-Swedish covenant [NS]
  • 1656-12-01 Germany promises Poland aid against Sweden
  • 1658-03-08 Peace of Roskilde between Sweden & Denmark
  • 1658-08-15 France, Sweden, Bavarian, Brunswick, Munster and Hessen-Kassel form Confederation of the Rhine
  • 1658-11-08 Battle of the Sound: Swedish fleet prevails over the Dutch fleet during the 2nd Northern War
  • 1659-02-11 The assault on Copenhagen by Swedish forces is beaten back with heavy losses
  • 1660-02-23 Charles XI becomes king of Sweden
  • 1660-04-23 Treaty of Oliwa is established between Sweden and Poland
  • 1660-05-03 Sweden, Poland, Brandenburg & Austria sign Peace of Oliva
  • 1660-05-27 Denmark & Sweden sign The Treaty Of Copenhagen, ends Second Northern War
  • 1661-06-21 Treaty of Kardis: Russia & Sweden sign peace treaty
  • 1668-01-23 England, Netherlands & Sweden sign Triple Alliance against French
  • 1674-10-15 Torsåker witch trials begin, largest witch trials in Sweden, 71 beheaded and burned
  • 1675-06-25 Battle at Rathenow: Brandenburgers beat Sweden
  • 1675-06-28 Battle at Fehrbellin: Brandenburg army beats Sweden
  • 1675-09-06 Swedish admiral Stenbock sails out with fleet of 66 ships

Battle of Öland

1676-06-01 Battle of Öland: allied Danish-Dutch forces defeat the Swedish navy in the Baltic Sea, during the Scanian War (1675–79)

  • 1676-06-11 Battle at Öland: Danish & Dutch fleet under CM Tromp beats Sweden
  • 1676-12-03 Battle of Lund (Scanian War): Swedish army of 8,000 defeats much larger joint Danish/Dutch force of 13,000
  • 1676-12-04 Battle of Lund: A Danish army under the command of King Christian V of Denmark engages the Swedish army commanded by Field Marshal Simon Grundel-Helmfelt
  • 1678-11-05 Brandenburgse troops occupy Greifswald in Sweden
  • 1681-09-30 Netherlands & Sweden sign treaty
  • 1682-11-12 Swedish king Charles XI establishes absolute monarchy
  • 1685-12-03 Charles II bars Jews from settling in Stockholm, Sweden
  • 1686-07-09 Germany, Sweden and Spain sign anti-French League of Augsburg

King Charles XII

1697-04-15 Charles XII succeeds his father, Charles XI, as King of Sweden

  • 1699-11-22 Treaty of Preobrasjensku Denmark, Russia, Saksen and Poland divide Sweden
  • 1700-02-12 The Great Northern War begins in Northern Europe between Denmark–Norway, Saxony and Russia and the Swedish Empire.
  • 1700-02-28 Today is followed by March 1 in Sweden, thus creating the Swedish calendar
  • 1700-08-08 Denmark & Sweden sign peace treaty
  • 1700-08-18 Swedish, English & Dutch army lands on Seeland, Denmark
  • 1700-11-30 Battle at Narva: Swedish forces of King Charles XII defeat Russian army [NS]
  • 1702-05-14 Great Northern War: Swedish troops under King Charles XII occupy Warsaw, Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
  • 1702-07-19 Great Northern War: Swedish troops under King Charles XII occupy Kraków, Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
  • 1703-04-21 Battle at Pultusk: Swedish army beats a Saxon-led force during the Great Northern War
  • 1706-02-13 Battle at Fraustadt: Swedish army beats Russia and Saxon forces, one of Swedish's Greatest victories in the Great Northern War
  • 1706-09-24 Treaty of Altranstädt: Charles XII of Sweden & August II of Saksen; Augustus renounces his claims to the Polish throne and his alliance with Russia
  • 1707-08-22 Sweden & Prussia sign military treaty
  • 1708-07-04 Battle of Holowczyn: Swedish King Charles XII defeats superior Russian force in surprising vctory
  • 1708-09-11 Great Northern War: Charles XII of Sweden stops his march to conquer Moscow outside Smolensk, marking the turning point in the war
  • 1708-10-09 Great Northern War: Battle at Lesnaya (N.S): Russian army captures Swedish convoy

Battle of Poltava

1709-06-27 Great Northern War: Peter the Great of Russia defeats Charles XII of Sweden at the Battle of Poltava; Charles goes into exile in Bender, Ottoman Empire

  • 1709-07-08 Battle of Poltava; Russians defeat Swedes, end of Swedish empire as a major power
  • 1710-02-28 In the Battle of Helsingborg, 14,000 Danish invaders under Jørgen Rantzau are decisively defeated by an equally sized Swedish force under Magnus Stenbock
  • 1712-02-29 February 29 is followed by February 30 in Sweden, in a move to abolish the Swedish calendar for a return to the Old style.
  • 1713-02-01 The Kalabalik or Tumult in Bender - Ottoman troops of sultan Ahmed III attack camp and seize his unwelcome guest, King Charles XII of Sweden
  • 1714-07-14 Battle of Aland, Russian fleet overpowers larger Swedish naval force
  • 1714-07-27 Battle at Hango (Hangut): Russians beat Swedish fleet
  • 1714-08-07 The Battle of Gangut: the first important victory of the Russian Navy during the Great Northern War against Sweden
  • 1714-11-22 King Karel XII leaves Turkish captivity to return to Sweden
  • 1715-05-01 Brandenburg-Prussia joins the Russian-led anti Swedish alliance by declaring war on Sweden during the Great Northern War
  • 1715-12-24 Swedish troops occupy Norway
  • 1716-04-15 Great Northern War: Prussian troops occupy Swedish controlled German port of Wismar
  • 1716-07-08 Great Northern War: Battle of Dynekilen, a Danish-Norwegian force under Peter Tordenskjold traps and defeats Swedish force
  • 1719-11-20 Sweden & Hannover sign for peace Treaty of Stockholm
  • 1720-01-21 Sweden and Prussia sign a peace treaty ending hostilities between them during the Great Northern War
  • 1720-02-11 Sweden & Prussia sign peace (2nd Treaty of Stockholm)
  • 1720-02-29 Queen Ulrica Eleonora of Sweden resigns
  • 1720-06-09 Sweden and Denmark signs 3rd Treaty of Stockholm
  • 1720-07-03 Sweden and Denmark sign peace treaty
  • 1721-08-30 Russian and Swedish sign Treaty of Nystad, ending North Sea War
  • 1743-08-17 Treaty of Åbo signed in Turku by Sweden and Russian Empire, ending the Russo-Swedish War (1741-1743)
  • 1751-04-05 Adolf Frederik of Holstein-Gottorp crowns himself King of Sweden
  • 1762-05-22 Sweden and Prussia sign the Treaty of Hamburg, reaffirming the status quo that existed before the Seven Years' War
  • 1770-06-19 Swedish theologian and philosopher Emanuel Swedenborg reports the completion of the Second Coming of Christ in his work True Christian Religion

King Gustav III

1771-02-12 Gustav III becomes the King of Sweden after the death of predecessor Adolf Frederick

  • 1772-08-19 King Gustav III seizes effective control of Swedish government and restores full power of monarchy, which had been subordinate to parliament since 1720
  • 1772-08-21 King Gustav III of Sweden completes a coup d'etat by adopting a new Constitution and installing himself as an enlightened despot, ending 50 years of parliamentary rule
  • 1780-08-01 Sweden declares neutrality
  • 1783-02-05 Sweden recognizes US independence
  • 1783-04-03 Sweden & US sign a treaty of Amity & Commerce
  • 1788-08-13 Prussia joins Anglo-Dutch alliance to form Triple Alliance to prevent spread of Russo-Swedish War of 1788-90
  • 1790-07-09 Russo-Swedish War: Second Battle of Svensksund - in the Baltic Sea, the Swedish Navy captures one third of the Russian fleet
  • 1790-08-14 Sweden & Russia sign Peace of Verela

Gustav III Assassinated

1792-03-16 King Gustav III of Sweden is shot by Count Jacob Johan Anckarström at a masked ball at the Opera; he dies on March 29

  • 1792-03-29 King Gustav III of Sweden dies after being shot in the back at a midnight masquerade ball at Stockholm's Royal Opera just 13 days earlier. He is succeeded by Gustav IV Adolf.
  • 1794-03-27 Denmark and Sweden form a neutrality compact
  • 1800-01-05 1st Swedenborgian temple in US holds 1st service in Baltimore
  • 1808-05-03 Finnish War: Sweden loses the fortress of Sveaborg to Russia
  • 1808-09-13 Finnish War: In the Battle of Jutas, Swedish forces under Lieutenant General Georg Carl von Döbeln beat the Russians, making von Döbeln a Swedish war hero.

Gustav IV Adolf Deposed

1809-03-09 A group of conspirators break into Gripsholm Castle and imprison King Gustav IV Adolf and appoint Charles XIII in his place as Regent of Sweden

  • 1809-03-29 King Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden abdicates after a coup d'état. At the Diet of Porvoo, Finland's four Estates pledge allegiance to Alexander I of Russia, commencing the secession of the Grand Duchy of Finland from Sweden.
  • 1809-06-06 Sweden declares independence, constitutional monarchy established with a new constitution empowering Riksdag after 20 years of absolute monarchy
  • 1809-09-17 Peace between Sweden and Russia in the Finnish War. The territory to become Finland is ceded to Russia by the Treaty of Fredrikshamn.
  • 1810-08-21 Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, Marshal of France, is elected Crown Prince of Sweden by the Swedish Riksdag of the Estates.
  • 1810-09-26 A new Act of Succession is adopted by the Riksdag of the Estates and Jean Baptiste Bernadotte becomes heir to the Swedish throne.

Napoleonic Wars

1812-01-09 Swedish Pomerania (Germany) seized by Napoleon

  • 1814-01-14 King of Denmark cedes Norway to King of Sweden by treaty of Kiel
  • 1814-05-17 Denmark cedes Norway to Sweden (National Day)
  • 1818-02-05 Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte ascends to the thrones of Sweden and Norway
  • 1818-09-07 Carl III of Sweden-Norway is crowned king of Norway, in Trondheim

Screw Propeller

1835-07-13 Swedish-American inventor John Ericsson files for a patent for his screw propeller design

  • 1844-03-08 King Oscar I ascends to the throne of Sweden-Norway
  • 1844-09-28 Oscar I of Sweden-Norway is crowned king of Sweden
  • 1847-01-15 1st Swedish magazine in US, Skandinavia, published in NYC
  • 1852-09-03 Anti-Jewish riots break out in Stockholm, Sweden
  • 1859-07-08 King Charles XV/Carl IV accedes to the throne of Sweden-Norway
  • 1860-03-21 US extradition treaty with Sweden
  • 1860-05-03 Charles XV of Sweden-Norway is crowned king of Sweden
  • 1860-08-05 Carl IV of Sweden-Norway is crowned King of Norway in Trondheim

Nobel Patents Dynamite

1867-05-07 Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel patents dynamite in England, the first of three patents he would receive for the explosive material

  • 1868-11-30 Statue of King Charles XII of Sweden dedicated at the King's garden in Stockholm
  • 1872-09-18 King Oscar II accedes to the throne of Sweden-Norway
  • 1873-05-12 Oscar II of Sweden-Norway is crowned King of Sweden

Nobel Prizes Established

1895-11-27 Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel's will establishes the Nobel Prize

  • 1897-10-05 Swedish explorer Solomon August Andrée expedition to the North Pole reaches White Island
  • 1905-06-07 Norway dissolves union with Sweden (in effect since 1814)
  • 1905-10-26 Union of Sweden & Norway ends
  • 1905-11-09 Swedish mine workers win 5 month strike for minimum wages
  • 1907-05-14 Sweden adopts universal suffrage for elections to its lower house and proportional representation for both houses
  • 1907-12-08 King Gustaf V of Sweden accedes to the Swedish throne.
  • 1908-04-23 Denmark, Germany, Britain, France, Netherlands & Sweden sign North Sea accord
  • 1912-07-17 IAF (Intl Amateur Athletic Federation) forms in Sweden
  • 1912-12-21 Denmark, Norway & Sweden declare neutrality in Comende war
  • 1913-08-27 Swedish engineer Gideon Sundback of Hoboken applies to patent all-purpose zipper
  • 1921-05-08 Sweden abolishes capital punishment
  • 1923-02-28 Swedish King Gustaaf V begins state visit to Netherlands
  • 1924-03-17 Sweden & USSR exchange diplomats
  • 1925-01-24 Sandler follows Branting as premier of Sweden
  • 1926-06-07 Swedish government of Ekman forms
  • 1926-09-22 Belgian crown prince Leopold and Swedish Princess Astrid get engaged
  • 1927-04-14 The first Volvo car premieres in Gothenburg, Sweden
  • 1930-10-05 Homecoming of the bodies of Swedish polar balloon expedition (1897) led by Salomon August Andrée
  • 1931-05-14 Ådalen shootings: five people are killed in Ådalen, Sweden, as soldiers open fire on an unarmed trade union demonstration
  • 1935-12-30 Italian bombers destroy Swedish Red Cross unit in Ethiopia
  • 1942-08-28 Gunther Hagg (Sweden) sets world record for 3,000m (8:01.2)

Meeting of Interest

1944-07-19 Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg 1st meets Adolf Eichmann

  • 1944-10-30 Sweden announces intention to stay neutral & refuse sanctuary in WW II
  • 1945-01-17 Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg, credited with saving tens of thousands of Jews from the Nazis, arrested by Soviet secret police in Hungary
  • 1945-01-28 Swedish ships bring food to starving Netherlands
  • 1949-12-16 Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget, later knows as SAAB, is founded in Sweden.
  • 1950-01-12 Swedish tanker rams British submarine Truculent in Thames, 64 die
  • 1952-06-13 Soviet fighters shoot Swedish Dakota down over East Sea, kills 8
  • 1952-06-16 Soviet Fighters shoot Swedish Catalina reconnaissance flight down

Election of Interest

1953-04-07 UN General Assembly begins session that will elect Dag Hammarskjöld of Sweden as Secretary-General

FIFA World Cup

1958-06-29 FIFA World Cup Final, Råsunda Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden: Vavá & Pelé each score 2 goals as Brazil beats Sweden, 5-2

  • 1961-04-24 17th century Swedish warship Vasa, which sunk on her maiden voyage in 1628, is salvaged
  • 1969-01-10 Sweden is the 1st Western country to recognize North Vietnam
  • 1969-10-14 Palme government forms in Sweden
  • 1973-09-19 Carl XVI Gustaf, becomes King of Sweden