Timeline of the Faroe Islands

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[edit] 600s

about 625 - Irish monks begin to settle in the Faroes. They are the first people there. In earlier historical studies, it was assumed, that they came around 725. After botanical researches it had to be dated back to 675, and today Faroese scientists believe, that oats have been cultivated on the Faroes since about 625, for example in Mykines.

about 795 - Irish monks reach Iceland. It is suggested, that they came from the Faroes after banished by the Vikings. Diucil refers to it 825, but maybe some of the monks stayed in the Faroes.

about 825 - Grímur Kamban is said to be the first Norse settler in the Faroes at the place, which is named Funningur (the find).
about 885-890 - Second wave of immigration to the Faroes under king Harald Hårfagre of Norway. Most of the settlers come from western Norway, but also many from Ireland and Scotland.

around 900 - The Faroese Althing is assumed to be founded. If this is true, it is the oldest existing parliament of the world.
around 970 - The Færeyinga Saga starts with its main story. The murder of Brestir and Beinir is assumed to be happened in 969.
983 - Return of Sigmundur Brestisson.
999 - The Faroese Althing adopts Christianity against Trónd's resistance.

1005 - Sigmundur Brestisson is killed by Tórgrímur Illi in Sandvík.
1026 - King Olaf II of Norway tries to encash taxes from the Faroes and to establish Norwegian law - but fails.
1028 - The murder of the Norwegian legate Karl of Møre ends Olav's attempts.
1035 - Death of Tróndur í Gøtu, the last Viking chieftain of the Faroes. Leivur Øssursson becomes Christian autocrat over the Faroes as feud under Norwegian government. The Viking age on the Faroes is over.

around 1100 - The Faroes become a diocese under the archbishopric of Hamburg-Bremen. The Faroese bishop has his seat in Kirkjubøur until 1538.
around 1104 - The diocese comes under the archbishopric of Lund, (today Sweden).
1152/53 - The diocese becomes part of the archbishopric in Nidaros, Norway.
1156 - Sverre comes to the Faroes in the age of 5 for further education in Kirkjubøur. He returns to Norway in 1176 and becomes King there.

about 1200 - Slavery on the Faroes is abolished by King Sverre
1269 - Capitular Erlendur from Bergen becomes bishop in the Faroes
1271 - King Magnus Lagabøte of Norway establishs the elder Gulatingslog on the Faroes. The Faroese Althing changes from a legislative into a consultative body. 1274/76 the younger Gulatingslog was adopted.
1280 - The Hereford map is the first known map, which mentions the Faroes - as Farei.
1290 - The Hanseatic League is forbidden to trade with the Faroes.
1298 - The Sheep Letter (Seyðabrævið) becomes law. Obviously the slavery is reintroduced, for the sheep letter regulates, among other things, the exposure to slaves.

around 1300 - Beginning of the Saint Magnus Cathedral in Kirkjubøur. It was never finished, but is still the main historical building of the country.
1302 - The prohibition against the Hanseatic League is renewed by Norway.
around 1303 - Bishop Erlendur is forced to leave the Faroes.
around 1349 - The Black Death reaches the Faroes - a third of the population (estimated at least 1000 of 3000) dies.
1350 - The Dog Letter (Hundabrævið) becomes law.
1361 - The Hanseatic trade is legalized under the same conditions as of the business people from Bergen.
1397 - Within the Kalmar Union, the Faroes remain under Norway's rule.

around 1400 - The Althing is renamed into Løgting. This name is still in use today.
around 1447 - Attempts by the bishop Goswin of Iceland, to get the Faroes under his diocese, fail.
1490 - Dutch tradesmen get the same privileges in the Faroe business as the Hanseatic League.

since around 1500 - The Faroes are exposed to pirate raids from the British Isles and western France, later also Barbary (then a vassal of the Ottoman Empire).
around 1520 - Joachim Wullewever from Hamburg becomes reeve over the Faroes on behalf of King Christian II of Denmark.
1524 - After going into exile, Christian II offers the Faroes and Iceland to Henry VIII of England as collateral for a loan. Henry denies. Historians believe this saved the two countries from losing their languages, as it happened with the Norn language in Shetland and Orkney.

since around 1600 - The Faroese language can be distinguished as separate Scandinavian language.

1888 - The Christmas meeting (Jólafundurin), the start of a cultural movement and indirectly the start of modern Faroese politics.

1940 April 11-13 - The British occupation of the Faroe Islands starts (lasting until 1945).
1940 April 25 Flag of the Faroe Islands officially recognized (by the British government).
1946 September 14 A public election on either a proposal of self government or independence results in a small majority for independence.
1948 April 1 The home rule act comes into power giving the Faroes a degree of autonomy.