History

30000-10000 BC – the first people migrated from Asia to the territory of modern Canada. Indigenous tribes lived in the southern part, while the Inuit inhabited the north. 

AD 990 – the Icelandic explorer Leif Eriksson leads a Viking expedition to the New World, discovering the island of Newfoundland, Baffin Island, and the Labrador Peninsula. Remains of the explorers' settlement were later found at L'Anse aux Meadows on the island of Newfoundland.

1497 – the explorer John Cabot reaches the lands of Newfoundland, naming the land Terranova. These explorations laid the foundation for England's claims to the territory of Canada.

1508 – the publication of a detailed map of the New World in Rome, which first mentions Terranova (Newfoundland). 

1534 – the first expedition of the Bretons navigator Jacques Cartier, which explores Newfoundland, the Gaspé Peninsula, the southern shore of Labrador, and the St. Lawrence Bay. Local indigenous people referred to the European settlement as "kanata," meaning "village." Later, Europeans began to refer to the entire region around the St. Lawrence River and neighboring areas by this name. 

1535 – 1536 – Jacques Cartier's second expedition, during which he discovers the St. Lawrence River and finds Prince Edward Island. Additionally, he locates the areas that now host Quebec City and Montreal.

1541 – 1542 – Jacques Cartier's third expedition. The French explorer organizes a settlement at Cap Rouge, studying the Saguenay River.

1570 – south of Lake Ontario, a confederation of Iroquois-speaking tribes forms, later known as the Iroquois Confederacy. Initially, the political union included 5 tribes: Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca, but later, in 1722, the Tuscarora tribe joined the league.

1576 – the English navigator Martin Waldseemüller explores the region of Baffin Island. 

1579 – English captain and navigator Francis Drake visits Vancouver Island during his circumnavigation.

1585 – 1587 – English navigator John Davis discovers the strait between Greenland and Canada, which is named Davis Strait after the discoverer. 

1600 – French naval captain Pierre de Chauvigny de Tonnetuit builds Canada’s first fortified trading post in Tadoussac in what is now Quebec.

1608 – French explorer and hydrographer Samuel de Champlain founds a French colony in Quebec, which became the first permanent French settlement in North America. 

1610 – English navigator Henry Hudson explores the bay that would later be known as Hudson Bay. 

1660  – during the first census of Canada, it was found that 3,418 people lived in the country.

1663  –  Canada becomes a royal colony of the French crown.

1667  –  Marquis Alexandre de Prouville de Tracy signs the first genuine Franco-Iroquois peace treaty after more than five decades of military action.

1670  –  The Hudson's Bay Company is founded, the oldest trading corporation in North America. Its aim was to find the Northwest Passage, develop the areas around Hudson Bay, and trade with local tribes.

1679  –  having obtained permission to explore the western part of North America, French explorer René-Robert Cavelier launches the "Griffon," the first ship to sail the Great Lakes.

1686 –  France and England sign a Treaty of Neutrality, ensuring peace between the respective holdings in America and resolving disputes regarding activities in Hudson Bay.

1701 – 1714 – the War of the Spanish Succession. France ceded vast lands around Hudson Bay to the English. 

1739 – the census of Canada recorded 42,701 people.

1749 – Edward Cornwallis, governor of Nova Scotia, announces the founding of Halifax.

1751 – a fort called Fort Rouille is constructed where Toronto now stands, serving as a trading post with local Indigenous peoples.

1752  – Canada’s first newspaper, the Halifax Gazette, is published by John Bushnell.

1756 – 1763 – the Seven Years' War, referred to by the English as the ‘French and Indian War.’ During the military actions, Britain managed to capture Quebec and Montreal. 

1763 – the Treaty of Paris is signed. France lost all its possessions in North America except for a few small islands near Newfoundland. 

1775 – the Battle of Quebec, where American General Montgomery invaded Quebec, but the English emerged victorious. 

1778 – as part of the expedition of English explorer James Cook and English navigator George Vancouver, Canadian territories adjacent to the Pacific Ocean came under British jurisdiction. Subsequently, a colony named British Columbia was established here. 

1791 – Quebec is divided into two parts: English-speaking Upper Canada and French-speaking Lower Canada. 

1793 – Scottish explorer Alexander Mackenzie becomes the first to travel across the northern part of Canada from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Following his expedition, British sovereignty was formally established over Canadian territory. 

1793  – Governor John Simcoe selects Toronto as the capital of Upper Canada.

1812 – the Battle of Queenston Heights. Fighting broke out along the American-Canadian border, resulting in a stalemate. 

1814 – the signing of the Treaty of Ghent with America, which ended the Anglo-American War.

1825 – according to the latest census, the population of Lower Canada (Quebec) was 479,288, while that of Upper Canada (Ontario) was 157,923.

1837 – the Patriotes' Rebellion led by Canadian politician Louis-Joseph Papineau. The residents of Lower Canada resisted British authority. This rebellion was violently suppressed by the British army, with some rebels executed or exiled to Australia, while others fled to the USA. 

1840 – the signing of the Act of Union, which merged Upper and Lower Canada into one colony. 

1851 – the first official postage stamp of Canada – the three-penny beaver is issued.

1857 – Queen Victoria names Ottawa as the new capital of Canada.

1867 – The British North America Act or the Constitution Act of 1867, through which New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Ontario joined the union. Canada gains the right to form its own government while remaining part of the British Empire. Effectively, Canada achieved the status of a dominion of Britain and became independent. Later, other British colonies in North America also join the confederation.

1870  – Manitoba becomes the fifth province of Canada, and the Northwest Territories are also included in the country.

1871  – the first census of Canada as a dominion of Britain shows that 3,689,257 people live within its territory.

1871 – British Columbia and Vancouver Island join the Canadian confederation. The government makes efforts to gain control of the territories between British Columbia and Ontario. 

1873  – Prince Edward Island joins the Confederation.

1885  – the construction of the Pacific Railway is completed.

1899 – over 1,000 Canadian soldiers depart from Quebec to South Africa for the Anglo-Boer War.

1900 – Liberal Party representative Wilfrid Laurier becomes Prime Minister of Canada. 

1904  – Canada participates in the Olympic Games in St. Louis for the first time.

1905 – acts proclaiming Alberta and Saskatchewan as the newest provinces of Canada receive the queen's approval.

1908  – the first coin is minted in the new Royal Canadian Mint building in Ottawa, ending years of importing Canadian currency from England.

1914 – Canada enters World War I as a colony of Britain. 

1917 – the Canadian Corps attacks German positions during the Battle of Vimy Ridge in France.

1917 – the French munitions ship "Mont-Blanc" explodes in the Halifax harbor, killing over 1,000 people and destroying about 6,000 homes.

1918 – women in Canada gain the right to vote in federal elections.

1918 – the end of World War I, during which Canada lost 60,000 soldiers.

1920 – the Northwest Mounted Police and the Dominion police merge to form the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

1921 – Agnes Macphail becomes the first woman elected to parliament.

1923 – Frederick Banting and J. J. R. Macleod become the first Canadians to receive the Nobel Prize for the discovery of insulin.

1929 – 1933 – the worldwide economic crisis (the ‘Great Depression’) severely affects the Canadian economy. 

1930 – the first woman senator in Canada, Cairine Wilson, is appointed.

1931 – parliament passes the Statute of Westminster, establishing the legal status of the dominions and their relationship with Britain. Now, British law would require the consent of the local government to be applied in Canada. 

1934 – parliament passes the Bank of Canada Act, creating a central bank.

1939 – Canada enters World War II. The country's economy experiences a boom following the economic crisis.

1941 – the federal government allows women to serve in the military.

1942 – the Battle of Dieppe, involving the armed forces of Britain and Canada. 

1943 – British and Canadian troops land in Italy.

1944 – the Normandy operation "Overlord," involving the armies of the United States, Britain, and Canada.

1946 – the Canadian Citizenship Act is enacted, meaning that a citizen of Canada is no longer classified as a British subject.

1949 – the territory of Canada is fully established: Newfoundland finally joins the confederation and becomes the tenth province. 

1950 – 1953 – Canadian troops are involved in the Korean War.

1951 – parliament passes a proposal to amend the constitution to provide pensions for all Canadians over 70 years old.

1952 – the first Canadian television station, CBFT Montreal, begins broadcasting.

1959 – the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway. 

1960 – 1970 – the Quiet Revolution in Quebec aimed to clearly delineate living space between Anglo-Canadians and the Francophone community, whose attempts to coexist equally in a single state were accompanied by conflicts. 

1962 – the Canadian government announces a new immigration policy aimed at eliminating any racial discrimination.

1962 – the Saskatchewan Medicare Act goes into effect, creating Canada's first comprehensive public health program.

1967 – Canada's centenary. The World Expo "Expo 67" is held in Montreal.

1968 – the sitting Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau introduces the Official Languages Act, making English and French the two official languages of Canada.

1970 – the October Crisis in Canada, linked to the kidnapping and murder of Quebec's Deputy Premier and Labor Minister Pierre Laporte by members of the Front de libération du Québec. 

1972 – Canada's hockey team defeats the Soviet Union by a score of 4-3.

1976 – the Summer Olympics are held in Montreal.

1980 – the first referendum on Quebec independence. During the campaign, about 60% of those voting expressed opposition to the province's separation, while 40% supported the initiative.

1982 – a new Constitution Act for Canada is signed. 

1986 – the World Transportation and Communication Expo "Expo 86" opens in Vancouver.

1987 – the Meech Lake Accord is signed between Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and provincial premiers. However, in 1990, two legislatures ratified the amendments mentioned in the accord, but it was never passed.

1987 – a one-dollar coin, which quickly earned the nickname loonie, is introduced.

1988 – a free trade agreement between Canada and the USA is signed by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and US President Ronald Reagan.

1988 – women are allowed to have an abortion on demand, without medical justification.

1988 – the Winter Olympics are held in Calgary.

1991 – Canadian CF-18 fighter jets undertake offensive operations during the Gulf War.

1992 – the Charlottetown Accord is rejected. 

1994 – the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) comes into effect between the USA, Canada, and Mexico.

1995 – the second referendum on Quebec independence. This time, approximately 51% of voters opposed the province's separation, while 49% supported the initiative. 

1996 – the House of Commons approves amendments to the Canadian Human Rights Act prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation.

1997 – the Confederation Bridge opens, connecting Prince Edward Island with the mainland of Canada.

1999 – Nunavut becomes a territory of Canada.

2000 – the Clarity Act, leading to an agreement between Quebec and the federal government of Canada, is passed.

2001 – Prime Minister Jean Chrétien announces Canada's participation in an international anti-terrorist mission in Afghanistan.

2002 – Beverley McLachlin becomes the first female Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada.

2003 – Canada refuses to participate in the war in Iraq.

2005 – same-sex marriage becomes legal in Canada.

2006 – census data shows that Canada's population is 31,612,897 people.

2005 – the sitting Prime Minister Paul Martin begins an investigation into the Canadian government’s sponsorship program in Quebec. This investigation became officially known as the Gomery Commission.

2010 – Canada sets a record for gold medals at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

2018 – recreational cannabis use becomes legal in Canada.

2020 – the COVID-19 pandemic begins in Canada.