HISTORY

Portugal looks back on 600 years of history, being one of the oldest countries in the world

1000 b. C. the Celts and some local tribes mix with Iberians between the Douro and Tejo River and become Lusitanian's.
About 149 b. C. the Romans conquer Lusitania
Around 500 a. C. with the collapse of the Roman Empire, the territory is taken over by Vandals, Suevi, Visigoths and Moors
711-718 the Moors conquer the Iberian Peninsula, except for the Northern parts
1064 - reconquista - Christians fight against the Moors and conquest back territories
1096 - Afonso VI, King of Castile and Leon, married his daughter Teresa to Henry of Burgundy as thanks for Henry's help in driving the Moors from New Castile. Teresa's dowry was the country of Portucale, what today is Portugal north of the Douro River.
1139 - Their son, Afonso Henriques proclaims himself King of Portugal and wins formal recognition of Portugal's independence from Castile and Leon in the Treaty of Zamora (1143)
For most of the next six centuries, Portugal repeatedly had to struggle to preserve its independence from the Spanish kings. The strategy was defensive: keep a low profile, let Castile and Leon do what they would in the rest of Iberia and the Mediterranean, but resist encroachments fiercely. Portugal had help several times from England, its Ally from the Treaty of Windsor (1386) to this day.
1250 - Afonso III drives the Moors out of the Algarve, and finishes the Portuguese Reconquista

The Age of Discovery
Due to its geographical location Portugal becomes very early a maritime nation.
1415 - the Armada seizes Ceuta from the Barbary
Prince Henry the Navigator who died in 1460 had started exploring the Atlantic:
1418 - discovery of Madeira
1432 - Azores
Expeditions to the African Coasts
1460 - Cap Verde Islands and trade with Guinea
1494 - Treaty of Tordesillas - Spain and Portugal divide the world in a Portuguese and Spanish zone of interest at the longitude 46 (to the left Spanish and to the right Portuguese).
1498 - Vasco da Gama discovers the way to India
1500 - Pedro Álvares Cabral discovers Brasil.
1557 - First conquest on Chinese territory: Macao
By the late 16th century Brazil was a colony and Portuguese trading enclaves stretch from Africa, India, the East Indies and Macao - Angola and Mozambique were not consolidated until the 19th century - the Age of Discovery had reached its climax. The resulting empire remained largely intact until the revolution of April 25th 1974 - Brazil became independent under a separate branch of the Portuguese royal family in 1822, and India seized Goa in the 1950's.

1755 - An earthquake destroys the city of Lisbon
1822 - Portugal becomes a constitutional monarchy and Brazil an independent Empire
1910 - King Manuel II abdicates

1911 - Republican Constitution
1926 - with the military revolt starts a 48 yearlong dictatorship
1932 - Antonio de Oliveira Salazar becomes Minister President until 1968
25th April 1974 - the Red Carnation revolution ends up the longest European dictatorship
1975 - Communist government
1976 - The Socialist party becomes the largest party with Mario Soares as Minister President
1986 - Portugal becomes a member of the European Market
1998 - Lisbon hosts the last World Exhibition of the 20th Century