Death of Emperor Charlemagne
Year: 814
Category: Politics
Charlemagne dies in the city of Aachen.
Tags: Charlemagne, Holy Roman Empire, Carolingian Dynasty, Frankish Kingdom, Emperor, Succession, Political Leadership
Carolingian Empire Split by Treaty of Verdun
Year: 843
Category: Politics
The Carolingian Empire is at its height in territory and area. The three sons of Louis the Pious reach an agreement known as the Treaty of Verdun and split the Carolingian empire into three divisions; East Francia was given to Louis the German, West Francia to Charles the Bald and Middle Francia to Lothair I.
Tags: Treaty, Carolingian Empire, Succession, Fragmentation
Treaty of London: Non-Aggression Pact
Year: 1518
Category: Politics
The Treaty of London was a non-aggression pact between the major European nations. The signatories were Burgundy, France, England, the Holy Roman Empire, the Netherlands, the Papal States and Spain, all of whom agreed not to attack one another and to come to the aid of any that were under attack.
Tags: Treaty, Diplomacy, Renaissance, European Politics, Balance of Power, International Relations, Burgundy
Charles V Becomes Holy Roman Emperor
Year: 1519
Category: Politics
Death of Emperor Maximilian; Charles I of Austria, Spain, and the Low Countries becomes Emperor of Holy Roman Empire as Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (ruled until 1556).
Tags: Holy Roman Empire, Charles V, Emperor, Succession, Habsburgs, Monarchy, Imperialism
Watergeuzen Capture Brielle
Year: 1572
Category: Warfare & Military
Brielle is taken from Habsburg Spain by Protestant Watergeuzen in the Capture of Brielle, in the Eighty Years' War.
Tags: Dutch Revolt, Eighty Years' War, Christianity, Military History, Rebellion, Naval Warfare
Siege of Haarlem Ends in Spanish Victory
Year: 1573
Category: Warfare & Military
After heavy losses on both sides the siege of Haarlem ends in a Spanish victory.St. Bartholomew's Day massacre of French Protestants
Tags: Siege, Religious Conflict, Christianity, Dutch Revolt, Spanish Empire, Military Conflict, Warfare, Religious Wars
Middelburg Declares for Protestants in the Eighty Years' War
Year: 1574
Category: Warfare & Military
in the Eighty Years' War the capital of Zeeland, Middelburg declares for the Protestants.
Tags: Eighty Years' War, Dutch Revolt, Christianity, Military History, Siege Warfare, Religious Conflict, Spanish Empire
Dutch Victory at the Siege of Leiden
Year: 1574
Category: Warfare & Military
After a siege of 4 months the siege of Leiden ends in a comprehensive Dutch rebel victory.
Tags: Dutch Revolt, Siege, Military, Eighty Years' War, Spanish Empire, Military History, Rebellion, Warfare
Dutch Declaration of Independence from Spain
Year: 1581
Category: Politics
Dutch Act of Abjuration, declaring abjuring allegiance to Philip II of Spain.
Tags: Dutch Revolt, Philip II, Independence, Rebellion, Christianity, Political Revolution, Sovereignty
First Dutch Expedition Sails for the East Indies
Year: 1595
Category: Economy & Trade
First Dutch expedition to Indonesia sets sail for the East Indies with two hundred and forty-nine men and sixty-four cannons led by Cornelis de Houtman.
Tags: Exploration, Colonialism, Dutch East India Company, Maritime, Trade, Spice Trade, Maritime History
Barents' Discovery of Spitsbergen
Year: 1596
Category: Science
William Barents discovers Spitsbergen.
Tags: Exploration, Arctic, Geography, Discovery, Maritime, Age of Discovery, Cartography, Maritime History
Houtman's Spice Expedition Returns to Netherlands, Yielding Profit
Year: 1597
Category: Economy & Trade
Cornelis de Houtman's expedition returns to the Netherlands with enough spices to make a considerable profit.
Tags: Exploration, Spice Trade, Dutch East India Company, Colonialism, Economics, European Exploration, Age of Discovery, Maritime Trade, Globalization
Dutch Fleets Depart for Indonesia, Generating Profits
Year: 1598
Category: Economy & Trade
More Dutch fleets leave for Indonesia and most are profitable.Edo period screen depicting the Battle of Sekigahara
Tags: Dutch East India Company, Trade, Exploration, Colonialism, Dutch Golden Age, Spice Trade, East Indies, Maritime Trade
Van Neck Expedition Returns with High Profit
Year: 1599
Category: Economy & Trade
The van Neck expedition returns to Europe. The expedition makes a 400 per cent profit. (to 1600)
Tags: Exploration, Trade, Dutch East India Company, Maritime History, Dutch Golden Age, Spice Trade, East India Company, Maritime Trade, Colonialism
Dutch Fleet Reaches the Spice Islands
Year: 1599
Category: Economy & Trade
March, Leaving Europe the previous year, a fleet of eight ships under Jacob van Neck was the first Dutch fleet to reach the ‘Spice Islands’ of Maluku.
Tags: Dutch East India Company, Exploration, Spice Trade, Maritime History, Maluku Islands, Age of Exploration, Colonialism, Mercantilism
Portuguese Naval Victory in Ambon and Dutch-Hituese Alliance
Year: 1600
Category: Warfare & Military
The Portuguese win a major naval battle in the bay of Ambon. Later in the year, the Dutch join forces with the local Hituese in an anti-Portuguese alliance, in return for which the Dutch would have the sole right to purchase spices from Hitu.
Tags: Colonialism, Naval Warfare, Spice Trade, Dutch East India Company, Portuguese Empire, Maritime History, Military Alliances
Dutch East India Company Established
Year: 1602
Category: Economy & Trade
The Dutch East India Company (VOC) is established by merging competing Dutch trading companies. Its success contributes to the Dutch Golden Age.
Tags: Dutch Golden Age, Colonialism, Mercantilism, Globalization, East Indies, Trade, Monopoly, Spice Trade, VOC
Acehnese Emissaries Visit the Dutch Republic
Year: 1602
Category: Politics
Two emissaries from the Aceh Sultanate visit the Dutch Republic.
Tags: Diplomacy, Trade, Sultanate, Dutch Republic, Colonialism
Dutch Establish Trading Post in Banten and Commence Privateering
Year: 1603
Category: Economy & Trade
First permanent Dutch trading post is established in Banten, West Java. First successful VOC privateering raid on a Portuguese ship.
Tags: Dutch East India Company, Trade, Colonialism, Spice Trade, Maritime History
Second English East India Company Voyage Encounters VOC Hostility in Banda
Year: 1604
Category: Economy & Trade
A second English East India Company voyage commanded by Sir Henry Middleton reaches Ternate, Tidore, Ambon and Banda. Fierce VOC hostility is encountered in Banda thus beginning Anglo-Dutch competition for access to spices.
Tags: Spice Trade, East India Company, VOC, Colonialism, Maritime Trade, Exploration, Banda Islands
VOC and Hitu Capture Portuguese Fort in Ambon
Year: 1605
Category: Warfare & Military
February, The VOC in alliance with Hitu prepare to attack a Portuguese fort in Ambon but the Portuguese surrender.
Tags: VOC, Portuguese Empire, Spice Trade, Ambon, Colonialism, Military History
Willem Janszoon Lands in Australia
Year: 1606
Category: Politics
Willem Janszoon captained the first recorded European landing on the Australian continent, sailing from Bantam, Java, in the Duyfken.
Tags: Age of Discovery, Exploration, Dutch East India Company, Colonialism, Maritime History
Dutch East India Company and Johor Sultanate Fail to Capture Portuguese Malacca
Year: 1606
Category: Warfare & Military
The Dutch East India Company enters into an alliance with the Johor Sultanate to attack Portuguese Malacca, but they are repelled.
Tags: Colonialism, Dutch East India Company, Portuguese Empire, Malacca, Military Conflict
Dutch East India Company Establishes Trading Post in Ayutthaya
Year: 1608
Category: Economy & Trade
The Dutch East India Company establishes a settlement in Siamese Ayutthaya.
Tags: Dutch East India Company, Ayutthaya, Trade, Colonialism, Globalization, Mercantilism, Spice Trade, East Indies
Telescope Patent Applications
Year: 1608
Category: Technology
Telescope: Patent applied for by Hans Lippershey. Actual inventor unknown since it seemed to already be a common item being offered by the spectacle makers in the Netherlands with Jacob Metius also applying for patent and the son of Zacharias Janssen making a claim 47 years later that his father invented it.
Tags: Optics, Scientific Revolution, Hans Lippershey
First Recorded Optical Telescope
Year: 1608
Category: Technology
Earliest record of an optical telescope.
Tags: Scientific Revolution, Optics, Astronomy, Dutch Republic, Hans Lippershey, Telescope, Observation
Twelve Years' Truce Pauses Dutch-Spanish Conflict
Year: 1609
Category: Warfare & Military
The Netherlands and Spain agree to a Twelve Years' Truce in the Eighty Years' War.
Tags: Eighty Years' War, Dutch Republic, Spanish Empire, Truce, Military Conflict, Diplomacy, Warfare
VOC Establishes Governor-General in Asia
Year: 1610
Category: Economy & Trade
The VOC appoints Pieter Both as its first Governor-General to enable firmer control of their affairs in Asia. Previously all business had (in theory) required the approval of the Heeren XVII, a group of seventeen shareholders in Amsterdam.
Tags: Dutch East India Company, VOC, Colonialism, Trade, Globalization, Mercantilism
English Trading Posts Challenge Dutch East Indies Trade Monopoly
Year: 1611
Category: Economy & Trade
The English establish trading posts at Sukadana (southwest Kalimantan), Makassar, Jayakarta and Jepara in Java, and Aceh, Pariaman and Jambi in (Sumatra) threatening Dutch ambitions for a monopoly on East Indies trade.
Tags: Dutch East India Company, British East India Company, Trade, Colonialism, Spice Trade, Competition, Maritime History, Mercantilism
Dutch East India Company Establishes Trading Post at Jayakarta
Year: 1611
Category: Economy & Trade
The Dutch establish a post at Jayakarta (later 'Batavia' and then 'Jakarta').
Tags: Dutch East India Company, Colonialism, Trade, Spice Trade, Batavia, VOC
Dutch Sack Banjarmasin After Trader's Death
Year: 1611
Category: Warfare & Military
A Dutch trader is killed in Banjarmasin and the Dutch East India Trading Company sacks the city.
Tags: Dutch East India Company, Colonialism, Trade, Military Conflict, Violence, Spice Trade
Dutch Expel Portuguese from Solor Fort
Year: 1613
Category: Warfare & Military
The Dutch expel the Portuguese from their Solor fort, but won't stay for long.
Tags: Colonialism, Dutch East India Company, Portuguese Empire, Spice Trade, Military Conflict, Fort
Dutch East India Company Begins Operations in Timor
Year: 1613
Category: Economy & Trade
The Dutch East India Company makes its first forays into Timor.
Tags: Dutch East India Company, VOC, Colonialism, Spice Trade, Trade, Exploration, Mercantilism
Dutch East India Company Attack on Malacca Repulsed
Year: 1615
Category: Warfare & Military
A Dutch East India Company attack on Portuguese Malacca is repelled.
Tags: Colonialism, Dutch East India Company, Portuguese Empire, Malacca, Naval Warfare, Military Conflict, Trade
Dutch East India Company Conflicts with the Kingdom of Gowa
Year: 1615
Category: Warfare & Military
The Dutch East India Company is in open hostilities with the Kingdom of Gowa, South Sulawesi.
Tags: Dutch East India Company, VOC, Colonialism, Trade, Warfare, Military Conflict
Execution of Dutch Traders in Jepara by Mataram Forces
Year: 1618
Category: Warfare & Military
Dispute leads to the execution of Dutchmen in Mataram-controlled Jepara.
Tags: Dutch East India Company, VOC, Mataram Sultanate, Colonialism, Trade, Conflict
Dutch East India Company Storms Jayakarta and Establishes Batavia
Year: 1619
Category: Warfare & Military
The Dutch East India Company storm Jayakarta and withstand a months-long siege by the combined English, Bantenese and Jayakartan forces. They are relieved by Jan Pieterszoon Coen and a fleet of ships from Ambon. The dutch destroys Jayakarta and builds its new headquarters, Batavia, on top of it.
Tags: Dutch East India Company, Colonialism, Siege, Military Conflict, Trade, Batavia, Jan Pieterszoon Coen
Anglo-Dutch Cooperation in Spice Trade
Year: 1620
Category: Economy & Trade
Diplomatic agreements in Europe commence a three-year period of cooperation between the Dutch and the English over the spice trade.
Tags: Spice Trade, Dutch East India Company, British East India Company, Colonialism, Diplomacy, Trade Agreements, Mercantilism
Amboyna Massacre: Execution of English and Japanese Traders
Year: 1623
Category: Politics
In a notorious but disputed incident, known as the 'Amboyna massacre', ten English and ten Japanese traders are arrested, tried and beheaded for conspiracy against the Dutch Government. The English quietly withdraw from most of their Indonesian activities (except trading in Bantam) and focus on other Asian interests.
Tags: Colonialism, East Indies, Spice Trade, Dutch East India Company, British East India Company, Maritime History, Massacre
Dutch West India Company Captures Bahia
Year: 1624
Category: Warfare & Military
The Dutch West India Company invades the Portuguese colony of Bahia in Brazil.
Tags: Colonialism, Dutch West India Company, Portuguese Empire, Atlantic Trade, Imperialism, Warfare
Dutch West India Company Establishes New Amsterdam
Year: 1625
Category: Economy & Trade
New Amsterdam founded by the Dutch West India Company in North America.
Tags: Colonialism, Dutch Empire, Mercantilism, North American History, Trade, New York, Dutch West India Company
Mataram's First Failed Siege of Batavia
Year: 1628
Category: Warfare & Military
1629: Sultan Agung of Mataram launches a failed campaign to conquer Dutch Batavia.
Tags: Colonialism, Dutch East India Company, Sultan Agung, Mataram Sultanate, Military Conflict, Siege Warfare
Willebrord Snellius Formulates the Law of Refraction
Year: 1628
Category: Science
Willebrord Snellius: the law of refraction also known as Snell's law.
Tags: Physics, Optics, Scientific Revolution, Mathematics
Dutch Invasion of Pernambuco and Establishment of Dutch Brazil
Year: 1630
Category: Warfare & Military
The Dutch West India Company invades the Portuguese colony of Pernambuco and founds Dutch Brazil.
Tags: Colonialism, Dutch Empire, Portuguese Empire, Military Conflict, Atlantic Trade, Dutch West India Company, Imperialism
Tulip Mania's Market Crash
Year: 1637
Category: Economy & Trade
End of Tulip mania.
Tags: Speculation, Economy, Trade
Dutch Victory Over Spanish Fleet at the Downs
Year: 1639
Category: Warfare & Military
Naval Battle of the Downs – Republic of the United Provinces fleet decisively defeats a Spanish fleet in English waters.
Tags: Naval Warfare, Thirty Years' War, Dutch Republic, Spanish Empire, Military History, Maritime History, Naval Battle
Abel Tasman's European Sighting of New Zealand
Year: 1642
Category: Science
Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman achieves the first recorded European sighting of New Zealand.
Tags: Exploration, Age of Discovery, Maritime History, Dutch Empire, Colonialism, Cartography
Dutch East India Company Establishes Cape Town
Year: 1652
Category: Economy & Trade
Cape Town founded by the Dutch East India Company in South Africa.
Tags: Colonialism, Dutch East India Company, Trade, Exploration, Atlantic Slave Trade, European Expansion, Cape Colony
Huygens Determines the Shape of Saturn's Rings
Year: 1656
Category: Science
Christiaan Huygens describes the true shape of the rings of Saturn.
Tags: Astronomy, Scientific Revolution, Physics, Cosmology, Telescope, Christiaan Huygens, Observation
Pendulum Clock Invention
Year: 1656
Category: Technology
Pendulum clock: Invented by Christiaan Huygens. It was first conceptualized in 1637 by Galileo Galilei but he was unable to create a working model.
Tags: Scientific Revolution, Timekeeping, Clockmaking, Mechanics, Christiaan Huygens, Galileo Galilei
Christiaan Huygens Invents the Pendulum Clock
Year: 1657
Category: Technology
Christiaan Huygens develops the first functional pendulum clock based on the learnings of Galileo Galilei.
Tags: Scientific Revolution, Timekeeping, Clockmaking, Physics, Mechanics, Galileo Galilei, Instrumentation, Precision
Huygens Observes Martian Surface Details
Year: 1659
Category: Science
Christiaan Huygens first to observe surface details of Mars.
Tags: Astronomy, Mars, Scientific Observation, Telescope, Scientific Revolution, Planetary Science, Christiaan Huygens
Koxinga's Capture of Taiwan and Founding of the Kingdom of Tungning
Year: 1662
Category: Warfare & Military
Koxinga captures Taiwan from the Dutch and founds the Kingdom of Tungning, which rules until 1683.
Tags: Military History, Colonialism, Ming Dynasty, Dutch East India Company, Siege
British Takeover of New Amsterdam
Year: 1664
Category: Warfare & Military
British troops capture New Amsterdam and rename it New York.
Tags: Colonialism, British Empire, Anglo-Dutch Wars, Territorial Disputes, North American History, Conquest, New York City, Atlantic World
Second Anglo-Dutch War Begins
Year: 1665
Category: Warfare & Military
1667: The Second Anglo-Dutch War fought between England and the United Provinces.
Tags: Naval Warfare, Anglo-Dutch Wars, Maritime Power, Colonialism, Warfare
Dutch Raid on the Medway
Year: 1667
Category: Warfare & Military
The Raid on the Medway during the Second Anglo-Dutch War.
Tags: Naval Warfare, Dutch Republic, Royal Navy, Blockade, Military Strategy, Anglo-Dutch Wars
France Invades the Netherlands, Leads to Peace of Aix-la-Chapelle
Year: 1667
Category: Warfare & Military
1668: The War of Devolution: France invades the Netherlands. The Peace of Aix-la-Chapelle (1668) brings this to a halt.
Tags: French Expansionism, Louis XIV, Military Conflict, Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, European History
Dutch Secure Nutmeg Monopoly with Treaty of Breda
Year: 1667
Category: Economy & Trade
As a result of the Treaty of Breda between Dutch and England, the Dutch secured a worldwide monopoly on nutmeg by forcing England to give up their claim on Run, the most remote of the Banda Islands.
Tags: Colonialism, Spice Trade, Dutch East India Company, Mercantilism, Banda Islands, Monopoly
Swammerdam's Epigenesis Research in Insects
Year: 1669
Category: Science
Jan Swammerdam: epigenesis in insects.
Tags: Biology, Scientific Revolution, Microscopy
The Third Anglo-Dutch War Begins
Year: 1672
Category: Warfare & Military
1674: The Third Anglo-Dutch War fought between England and the United Provinces
Tags: Anglo-Dutch Wars, Naval Warfare, European History, Colonialism, Trade, Warfare
French Invasion of the Netherlands Begins Franco-Dutch War
Year: 1672
Category: Warfare & Military
1676: Polish–Ottoman War.French invasion of the Netherlands, which Louis XIV initiated in 1672, starting the Franco-Dutch War
Tags: Louis XIV, Warfare, European History, Military Conflict, Expansionism, Conflicts
Assassination of the De Witt Brothers and William of Orange's Rise
Year: 1672
Category: Politics
Lynching of Johan de Witt and his brother Cornelis de Witt in the Hague – William III of Orange takes power.
Tags: Political Assassination, Dutch Republic, Religious Conflict, Oligarchy, Regicide
Leeuwenhoek Observes Microbes
Year: 1673
Category: Science
Antoni van Leeuwenhoek is the first to observe microbes with a homemade microscope, using samples he collected from his teeth scrapings, raindrops, and his own feces. He calls them "animalcules."
Tags: Microbiology, Scientific Revolution, Germ Theory, Biology
Huygens Publishes Study on Oscillating Systems and Pendulum Clock Design
Year: 1673
Category: Science
Christiaan Huygens: first study of oscillating system and design of pendulum clocks
Tags: Physics, Mechanics, Timekeeping, Scientific Revolution, Christiaan Huygens
Treaty of Westminster Ends Anglo-Dutch War
Year: 1674
Category: Warfare & Military
The Treaty of Westminster ends the war between England and the Republic of the United Provinces.
Tags: Anglo-Dutch Wars, Treaties, Warfare, Diplomacy, European History, International Relations
Van Leeuwenhoek Observes Microorganisms
Year: 1675
Category: Science
Anton van Leeuwenhoek: observes microorganisms using a refined simple microscope.
Tags: Microbiology, Scientific Revolution, Biology, Cell Theory
Antonie van Leeuwenhoek Observes Bacteria
Year: 1676
Category: Science
Antonie van Leeuwenhoek discovers Bacteria.
Tags: Microbiology, Scientific Revolution, Observation, Biology, Discovery
Huygens Describes the First Piston Engine
Year: 1680
Category: Technology
Christiaan Huygens provides the first known description of a piston engine.
Tags: Scientific Revolution, Inventions, Engine
Dutch Invasion of England and the Rise of a Constitutional Monarchy
Year: 1688
Category: Politics
1689: The Glorious Revolution starts with the Dutch Republic invading England, England becomes a constitutional monarchy.
Tags: Glorious Revolution, Constitutional Monarchy, Dutch Republic, William of Orange, James II, Monarchy, Parliament, Political Reform
Peter the Great's European Grand Embassy Begins
Year: 1697
Category: Politics
1699: Grand Embassy of Peter the Great to Western Europe.
Tags: Peter the Great, Diplomacy, Westernization, Modernization, Foreign Policy, Travel, European History
Textiles Surpass Spices as Dominant Trade Item in Dutch East Indies
Year: 1700
Category: Economy & Trade
With the decline of the spice trade, textiles are now the most important trade item in the Dutch East Indies.
Tags: Dutch East Indies, Trade, Textiles, Spice Trade, Colonialism, Economic History, Globalization, Dutch East India Company
Outbreak of the War of the Spanish Succession
Year: 1701
Category: Warfare & Military
1714: The War of the Spanish Succession is fought, involving most of continental Europe.
Tags: Warfare, European History, Succession, Military Conflict, Great Powers, Louis XIV
French Victory at the Battle of Denain
Year: 1712
Category: Warfare & Military
War of the Spanish Succession: The French defeat a combined Dutch-Austrian force at the Battle of Denain.
Tags: War of the Spanish Succession, Military History, Dutch Republic, Battle, Louis XIV, Military Strategy, European Politics
Coffee from Java Arrives in Amsterdam
Year: 1712
Category: Economy & Trade
The first shipment of coffee from Java reaches Amsterdam.
Tags: Colonialism, Dutch East India Company, Trade, Commodities, Global Trade
End of the War of the Spanish Succession and Treaty of Utrecht
Year: 1713
Category: Politics
The Treaty of Utrecht until War of the Spanish Succession ended after treaties of Rastatt and Baden were established in 1913 after a new British Government led to a withdrawal of troops by their subsidiaries.
Tags: Treaty, Warfare, Succession, Diplomacy, European History, Balance of Power, Spanish Empire
Fahrenheit Invents the Mercury-in-Glass Thermometer
Year: 1714
Category: Technology
In Amsterdam, Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit invents the mercury-in-glass thermometer, which remains the most reliable and accurate thermometer until the electronic era.
Tags: Scientific Revolution, Measurement, Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit
Triple Alliance Formed by Netherlands, Britain, and France
Year: 1717
Category: Politics
The Netherlands, Britain and France sign the Triple Alliance.
Tags: Alliance, Diplomacy, International Relations, European History, Political Alliances, War of the Quadruple Alliance
Surabaya Uprising Against the Dutch East India Company
Year: 1717
Category: Warfare & Military
Surabaya rebels against the VOC.
Tags: Colonialism, Rebellion, VOC, Dutch East India Company, Military Conflict, Resistance
Outbreak of the War of the Quadruple Alliance
Year: 1718
Category: Warfare & Military
1720: War of the Quadruple Alliance with Spain versus France, Britain, Austria, and the Netherlands.
Tags: War of the Quadruple Alliance, European History, International Relations, Spanish Empire, Military Conflict, Balance of Power
Leyden Jar Development: Early Capacitor
Year: 1745
Category: Science
Musschenbroek and Kleist independently develop the Leyden jar, an early form of capacitor.
Tags: Physics, Electricity, Capacitor, Scientific Revolution, Instrumentation, Experimentation
French Capture Clove Plants, Challenging Dutch Spice Monopoly
Year: 1769
Category: Economy & Trade
French expeditions capture clove plants in Ambon, ending the Dutch East India Company's (VOC) monopoly of the plant.
Tags: Colonialism, Spice Trade, Dutch East India Company, French Empire, Monopoly, Competition, Ambon, Economy, Globalization
Royal Batavian Society of Arts and Sciences Founded
Year: 1778
Category: Science
24 April, the Royal Batavian Society of Arts and Sciences is established by a group of Dutch intellectuals; this institution is a pioneer of scientific efforts in Indonesia and the founder of the National Museum of Indonesia.
Tags: Enlightenment, Cultural Exchange, Exploration, Knowledge
Martinus van Marum Pioneers Electrolysis
Year: 1785
Category: Science
Martinus van Marum is the first to use the electrolysis technique.
Tags: Chemistry, Electricity, Experimental Physics, Scientific Revolution
Birth of Dutch Supercentenarian Geert Adriaans Boomgaard
Year: 1788
Category: Society & Culture
Dutch Geert Adriaans Boomgaard (1788–1899) would become the first generally accepted validated case of a supercentenarian on record.
Tags: Longevity, Demographics, Historical Records
Establishment of the Batavian Republic
Year: 1795
Category: Politics
Establishment of the French-backed Batavian Republic in present-day Netherlands.
Tags: French Revolution, Republic, Napoleonic Wars, Political Transformation, Nationalism, Enlightenment
British Takeover of Dutch Colonies in Ceylon and South Africa
Year: 1796
Category: Warfare & Military
The British eject the Dutch from Ceylon and South Africa.
Tags: British Empire, Dutch Empire, Colonialism, Military History, Napoleonic Wars, Imperialism, Ceylon, Cape Colony, East India Company, Warfare
Dutch East India Company Dissolved
Year: 1799
Category: Economy & Trade
Dutch East India Company is dissolved.
Tags: Colonialism, Dutch Empire, Trade, Mercantilism, Globalization, Spice Trade, VOC, Imperialism, Decline of Empires
VOC Dissolved, Dutch East Indies Established
Year: 1800
Category: Politics
On 1 January, the bankrupt VOC is formally dissolved and the nationalized Dutch East Indies are established.
Tags: Colonialism, Dutch Empire, VOC, East Indies, Nationalization, Political Transition, Global Trade, Imperialism
Napoleon Establishes Bonaparte Monarchies in Naples and Holland
Year: 1806
Category: Politics
Napoleon makes brother Joseph Bonaparte king of Naples & brother Louis Bonaparte king of Holland.
Tags: Napoleon Bonaparte, Napoleonic Wars, French Empire, Monarchy, European Politics, Political Restructuring, Imperialism
Napoleon's Return, Hundred Days, and Waterloo Defeat
Year: 1815
Category: Warfare & Military
Napoleon escapes exile and begins the Hundred Days before finally being defeated at the Battle of Waterloo and exiled to St Helena. His defeat brings a conclusion to the Napoleonic Wars.
Tags: Napoleonic Wars, French Empire, Napoleon Bonaparte, Exile, Military History, European History, Coalition Wars
Java War: Escalation of Fighting
Year: 1825
Category: Warfare & Military
Java War. (to 1830)
Tags: Colonialism, Dutch East India Company, Resistance, Warfare, Insurgency, Military Conflict
Belgian Independence Achieved
Year: 1830
Category: Politics
The Belgian Revolution in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands led to the creation of Belgium.
Tags: Revolution, Independence, Nationalism, Monarchy, Liberalism, Political Change
Dutch Control of Yogyakarta and Surakarta After Diponegoro War
Year: 1830
Category: Warfare & Military
Following the Diponegoro War, the Dutch solidified their control over Yogyakarta and Surakarta with the Klaten Agreement, permanently dividing the Mataram kingdom and establishing Dutch dominance in the region.
Tags: Colonialism, Dutch East Indies, Mataram Sultanate, Military Occupation
Belgium Officially Declared an Independent Kingdom
Year: 1839
Category: Politics
Kingdom of Belgium declared.
Tags: Kingdom, Independence, Nationalism, European History, Monarchy
Batavian Museum Opens in Dutch East Indies
Year: 1868
Category: Society & Culture
The Batavian Museum (today National Museum of Indonesia) was officially opened by Dutch East Indies government.
Tags: Colonialism, Dutch East Indies, Art, History
Dismantling of the Cultivation System in the Dutch East Indies
Year: 1870
Category: Economy & Trade
Official dismantling of the Cultivation System and beginning of a 'Liberal Policy' of deregulated exploitation of the Netherlands East Indies.
Tags: Colonialism, Dutch East Indies, Exploitation, Free Trade, Agriculture, Commodities, Dutch Empire, Resource Extraction
Dutch Invasion of Aceh Begins
Year: 1873
Category: Warfare & Military
The beginning of the bloody Aceh War for Dutch occupation of the province.
Tags: Colonialism, Dutch Empire, Military Conflict, Imperialism, Occupation
Van der Waals Postulates Intermolecular Force
Year: 1873
Category: Science
Johannes Diderik van der Waals: was one of the first to postulate an intermolecular force: the van der Waals force.
Tags: Physics, Chemistry, Physical Chemistry
Van 't Hoff Publishes 'Études de dynamique chimique'
Year: 1884
Category: Science
Jacobus Henricus van 't Hoff: discovered the laws of chemical dynamics and osmotic pressure in solutions (in his work "Études de dynamique chimique").
Tags: Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, Thermodynamics, Scientific Publication
Koninklijke Paketvaart-Maatschappij (KPM) Founded
Year: 1888
Category: Economy & Trade
Founding of the shipping line Koninklijke Paketvaart-Maatschappij (KPM) that supported the unification and development of the colonial economy.
Tags: Colonialism, Dutch East Indies, Shipping, Trade, Economic Development, Infrastructure, Maritime Transport
Dutch Destruction of Cakranegara Palace and Manuscript Discovery
Year: 1894
Category: Warfare & Military
Lombok War The Dutch looted and destroyed the Cakranegara palace of Mataram. J. L. A. Brandes, a Dutch philologist discovered and secured Nagarakretagama manuscript in Lombok royal library.
Tags: Military Conflict, Cultural Heritage, Imperialism
Van Heutz Appointed Chief of Staff in Aceh; Wilhelmina Ascends Dutch Throne
Year: 1898
Category: Warfare & Military
General van Heutz becomes chief of staff of Aceh campaign. Wilhelmina becomes queen of the Netherlands.
Tags: Colonialism, Dutch East Indies, Military Leadership, Monarchy, Imperialism
Beijerinck Defines Viruses as Infectious Agents
Year: 1898
Category: Science
Martinus Beijerinck: concluded that a virus is infectious—replicating in the host—and thus not a mere toxin, and gave it the name "virus"
Tags: Infectious Diseases, Microbiology, Germ Theory, Medical History, 19th Century Science
Hague Convention Formulates Laws of War and Outlaws War Crimes
Year: 1899
Category: Warfare & Military
1899: Hague Convention of 1899 formulated the laws of war and outlaws war crimes.
Tags: Warfare, International Law, Human Rights, Diplomacy, Peacekeeping, War Crimes, Multilateralism, Ethics
Second Boer War Ends with British Victory
Year: 1902
Category: Warfare & Military
May 31: Second Boer War ends in British victory.
Tags: Warfare, Imperialism, Colonialism, British Empire, Military History, Conflict
Heike Kamerlingh Onnes Discovers Superconductivity
Year: 1911
Category: Science
Heike Kamerlingh Onnes: Superconductivity
Tags: Physics, Discovery, Scientific Breakthrough, Material Science, Nobel Prize
Phase-Contrast Microscopy Invented
Year: 1930
Category: Science
The Phase-contrast microscopy is invented by Frits Zernike.
Tags: Microscopy, Optics, Scientific Instruments, Cell Biology
Nazi Invasions of Western Europe
Year: 1940
Category: Warfare & Military
May – June: Nazis invade Denmark and Norway, followed by Belgium, the Netherlands and France; their governments (except Denmark) are exiled to the United Kingdom.
Tags: World War II, Nazi Germany, Invasion, Occupation, Western Front, Exile, Military Campaign, Axis Powers
World War II Ends in Europe, Holocaust's Conclusion
Year: 1945
Category: Warfare & Military
May: End of World War II in Europe.
The Holocaust ends after ~12 million deaths, including 6 million Jews.
Tags: World War II, Holocaust, Nazism, Allies, Axis Powers, Genocide, Totalitarianism, Liberation
Marshall Plan Officially Begins
Year: 1948
Category: Economy & Trade
April 3: The Marshall Plan, an American initiative for foreign aid of $13 billion to 16 Western European countries, comes into effect.
Tags: Cold War, Post-World War II, Reconstruction, Foreign Policy, Containment, Capitalism
OECD Founded to Promote Economic Cooperation
Year: 1948
Category: Economy & Trade
April 16: The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) founded.
Tags: Economic Cooperation, Post-War Reconstruction, International Organizations, Global Economy, Trade, Development, Cold War, Western Bloc
North Atlantic Treaty Organization Founded
Year: 1949
Category: Warfare & Military
April 4: The Creation of NATO.
Tags: Cold War, Military Alliance, Geopolitics, Western Bloc, Soviet Union, Containment, International Relations
Western European Union Founded
Year: 1954
Category: Warfare & Military
October 23: The Western European Union is established.
Tags: Cold War, European Integration, Military Alliance, Post-War, NATO, West Germany, Defense
Formation of the European Economic Community
Year: 1957
Category: Politics
March 25: Treaty of Rome, which would eventually lead to the European Union.
Tags: European Union, European Integration, Post-War, International Relations, Treaty, Economic Cooperation
Invention of the Optical Disc and Cassette Tape
Year: 1958
Category: Technology
Invention of the optical disc and the cassette tape.
Tags: Inventions, Audio Technology, Data Storage, Electronics, Consumer Goods, Entertainment, Philips, Music Industry
1973 Oil Embargo and Price Shock
Year: 1973
Category: Economy & Trade
October: 1973 oil crisis.
Tags: Oil Crisis, Energy Crisis, OPEC, Inflation, Geopolitics, Economic Recession, Cold War, Arab-Israeli Conflict
Greece Enters the European Communities
Year: 1981
Category: Politics
January 1: Greece joins the European Communities.
Tags: European Union, European Integration, Political Alliances, International Relations, Economic Development, Cold War, Post-War
Initial Development of CD-ROM Technology
Year: 1982
Category: Technology
A CD-ROM contains data accessible to, but not writable by, a computer for data storage and music playback. The 1985 Yellow Book standard developed by Sony and Philips adapted the format to hold any form of binary data.
Tags: Data Storage, Digital Media, Sony, Philips
Quantized Conductance Discovery in Two-Dimensional Electron Gas
Year: 1988
Category: Science
Bart van Wees and colleagues at TU Delft and Philips Research discovered the quantized conductance in a two-dimensional electron gas.
Tags: Physics, Quantum Mechanics, Nanotechnology, Electronics
Maastricht Treaty Signed, Establishing the European Union
Year: 1992
Category: Politics
February 7: The Maastricht Treaty is signed, creating the European Union.
Tags: European Integration, European Union, Treaty, International Relations, Political Union, Globalization, Multilateralism, Sovereignty, Economic Cooperation
Maastricht Treaty Enters into Force
Year: 1993
Category: Politics
November 1: The Maastricht Treaty comes in to effect.
Tags: European Union, Treaty, European Integration, Political Union, International Relations
DVD Format Developed by Consortium
Year: 1995
Category: Technology
DVD is an optical disc storage format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than compact discs while having the same dimensions.
Tags: Digital Media, Consumer Electronics, Entertainment, Philips, Sony
Euro Introduced to Financial Markets
Year: 1999
Category: Economy & Trade
January 1: Euro introduced to the financial markets. Coins and banknotes enter circulation in participating countries in 2002.
Tags: European Union, Currency, Eurozone, Economic Integration, Finance, Monetary Policy, Globalization, International Trade, Economic History
Euro Currency Officially Enters Circulation
Year: 2002
Category: Economy & Trade
January 1: The Euro enters circulation.
Tags: European Union, Currency, Economic Integration, Monetary Policy, Globalization, Eurozone, Finance, Trade
EU Member States Sign the Treaty of Lisbon
Year: 2007
Category: Politics
December 13: 27 EU member states sign the Treaty of Lisbon, with the treaty coming into effect on December 1, 2009.
Tags: European Union, Treaty, Political Integration, International Relations, Law, EU Enlargement, Governance
Women's March Held Across the Globe
Year: 2017
Category: Society & Culture
January 21: Millions of people participate in the Women's March in response to the inauguration of Donald Trump.
Tags: Protest, Feminism, Social Movements, Activism, Gender Equality, Human Rights, Political Polarization, Donald Trump
Glasgow Climate Pact Signed, Shell Mandated to Comply with Paris Agreement
Year: 2021
Category: Politics
197 nations sign the Glasgow Climate Pact, agreeing to limit the use of coal, and the Netherlands legally mandates Royal Dutch Shell to comply with the Paris Agreement.
Tags: Climate Change, Environmentalism, Fossil Fuels, United Nations, Global Cooperation
International Criminal Court Issues Arrest Warrant for Vladimir Putin
Year: 2023
Category: Politics
The International Criminal Court issues an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin.
Tags: War Crimes, International Law, International Criminal Court, Vladimir Putin, Justice, Accountability
ICJ Rules Israeli Occupation of Palestinian Territories Illegal
Year: 2024
Category: Politics
July 19: ICJ finds Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories a violation of international law
Tags: International Law, Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Occupation, Human Rights, Territorial Disputes, Diplomacy, Self-determination, International Relations
