• 810 The reign of the first recorded Danish king, Godfred, ends.

  • 811 The southern boundary of the Danish kingdom is established at the banks of the Eider River, where it remains for almost a thousand years.

  • 800-950 Vikings emerge to plunder the monasteries and settlements of England, France, and Russia.

  • 940-985 Harald Bluetooth brings Christianity to Denmark.

  • 1013-43 The crowns of Denmark and England are united.

  • 1104 The foundation is laid for a Danish national church that is distinctly different from that within German lands to the south.

  • 1397 The Union of Kalmar, under the leadership of Queen Margrethe, unites Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Meanwhile, high percentages of Danes are allowed to work their own farmland, forming the basis of Denmark's eventual strength as an agrarian nation.

  • 1471 Sweden abandons the union; Denmark and Norway remain united under Christian I (1426-81).

  • 1530 Lutheran preachers bring the Reformation to Denmark.

  • 1536 After a siege of Copenhagen, most of the lands and assets owned by the Catholic Church are seized by the Danish crown.

  • 1577-1648 The long reign of Christian IV brings prosperity but ends in a losing war with Sweden.

  • 1675-79 The Skane War is fought, and Denmark loses large territories to Sweden, including the "chateau country" of southern Sweden.

  • 1801-07 England, in a black chapter of its foreign policy, bombards Copenhagen and confiscates the ships of Denmark's navy as a means of ensuring that the Danes don't cooperate with Napoleon.

  • 1813 The national treasury of Denmark, faced with punitive clauses in the treaty at the end of the Napoleonic Wars, goes bankrupt.

  • 1810-30 The golden age of Danish literature, as defined by the creation of works by S?ren Kierkegaard and Hans Christian Andersen.

  • 1849 Simultaneous with revolutions that break out across Europe, liberal reforms are activated in the form of a new Danish constitution.

  • 1866 Denmark loses Schleswig-Holstein to Prussia.

  • 1890s Many liberal reforms in education and health insurance act as precursors of the liberal social policies of Denmark in the 20th century.

  • 1914 Denmark struggles to maintain neutrality in World War I.

  • 1915 A new constitution gives Denmark universal suffrage.

  • 1916 Denmark sells Virgin Islands to the U.S. for $25 million.

  • 1926-40 Economic depression causes great suffering in Denmark.

  • 1940-45 Denmark is invaded and occupied by Nazi Germany.

  • 1949 Over some protests, Denmark joins NATO.

  • 1953 A new constitution provides for a single-chamber parliament.

  • 1972 Denmark joins the European Economic Community; Margrethe, daughter of Frederik IX, becomes queen of Denmark.

  • 1982 Poul Schluter becomes the first Conservative prime minister since 1894.

  • 1989 Denmark leads the world in certain social policies: the first NATO country to allow women in front-line military units and the first country to recognize same-sex marriages.

  • 1992 Denmark votes against the Maastricht Treaty, which establishes the framework for the European Economic Union.

  • 1993 Denmark votes to support the Maastricht Treaty and then presides over the European Union for the first half of the year.

  • 1996 Copenhagen is designated the "Cultural Capital of Europe"; the "Copenhagen '96" festival attracts artists and performers from all over the world, with more than 25,000 performances staged.

  • 1998 By a narrow margin, Denmark votes to enlarge its ties with the European Union.

  • 2000 Danes vote not to join the Eurozone; ?resund Bridge links the island of Zealand with Sweden.

  • 2004 Crown Prince Frederik takes a bride, HRH Crown Princess Mary.

  • 2005-06 Muhammad cartoons published in Denmark set off worldwide protests in the Muslim world.
  • 2006 Prince Joachim divorces Asian bride.
  • Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.