This is a timeline of Faroese history comprising important legal and territorial changes and political events in Iceland and its predecessor states. To read about the background to these events, see

history of the Faroe Islands The early details of the history of the Faroe Islands are unclear. It is possible that Brendan, an Irish monk, sailed past the islands during his North Atlantic voyage in the 6th century. He saw an 'Island of Sheep' and a 'Paradise of Birds,' w ...

7th century

*About 625 – It was thought

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

monk A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...

s settled in the Faroe Islands and were 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

oat The oat (''Avena sativa''), sometimes called the common oat, is a species of cereal grain grown for its seed, which is known by the same name (usually in the plural, unlike other cereals and pseudocereals). While oats are suitable for human con ...

s have been cultivated on the Faroes since about 625, for example in Mykines.

8th century

*About 795 – Irish monks reach

Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...

. It is suggested, that they came from the Faroes after banished by the

Viking Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...

s. Diucil refers to it 825, but maybe some of the monks stayed in the Faroes.

9th century

*About 825 –

Grímur Kamban Grímr Kamban was, according to the ''Færeyinga saga'', the first Norse settler in the Faroe Islands. The modern Faroese form of the name is ''Grímur'', but it was ''Grímr'' in Old Norse and is often anglicised as ''Grim''. Settlement of the ...

is said to be the first Norse settler in the Faroes at the place, which is named

Funningur Funningur is a village on the Faroe Islands. It is located on the northwest coast of Eysturoy (). It was the only village in the municipality called ''Funnings kommuna'', which on 1 January 2009 became part of Runavíkar kommuna. To the west of ...

(the ''find''). *About 885–890 – Second wave of immigration to the Faroes under king

Harald Hårfagre Harald Fairhair no, Harald hårfagreModern Icelandic: ( – ) was a Norwegian king. According to traditions current in Norway and Iceland in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, he reigned from 872 to 930 and was the first King of Norw ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...

. Most of the settlers come from western Norway, but also many from Ireland and

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

10th century

*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 The Færeyinga saga (), the saga of the Faroe Islands, is the story of how the Faroe Islanders were converted to Christianity and became a part of Norway. Summary It was written in Iceland shortly after 1200. The author is unknown and the original ...

starts with its main story. The murder of Brestir and Beinir Sigmundsson is assumed to have happened in 969. *983 – Return of Sigmundur Brestisson. *999 – The Faroese Althing adopts Christianity against Trónd's resistance.

11th century

*1005 – Sigmundur Brestisson is killed by Tórgrímur Illi in

Sandvík Sandvík (pronounced , "Sandy Bay"; da, Sandvig) is the northernmost village of the island of Suðuroy in the Faroe Islands. It is situated on the northern side of a shallow fjord. The village was previously known as Hvalvík (''Bay of Whales'') ...

. *1026 – King

Olaf II of Norway Olaf II Haraldsson ( – 29 July 1030), later known as Saint Olaf (and traditionally as St. Olave), was King of Norway from 1015 to 1028. Son of Harald Grenske, a petty king in Vestfold, Norway, he was posthumously given the title '' Rex Per ...

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 Tróndur í Gøtu ( Icelandic: Þrándur í Götu, Old Norse Þrǫ́ndr í Gǫtu) (c. 945 – 1035) was a Viking era chieftain from the Faroe Islands. Biography Tróndur í Gøtu lived at his father's home in the village of Gøta on the isl ...

, 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.

12th century

*Around 1100 – The Faroes become the Diocese of the Faroe Islands, initially suffragan to the archbishopric of Hamburg-Bremen. The Faroese

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...

has his seat in

Kirkjubøur Kirkjubøur ( da, Kirkebø) is the southernmost village on Streymoy, Faroe Islands. The village is located on the south-west coast of Streymoy and has a view towards the islands of Hestur and Koltur towards the west, and to Sandoy towards the sout ...

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,

. *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.

13th century

*About 1200 –

Slavery Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

on the Faroes is abolished by King Sverre *1269 – Bishop Erlendur from

Bergen Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula o ...

becomes bishop in the Faroes *1271 – King

Magnus Lagabøte Magnus Haakonsson ( non, Magnús Hákonarson, no, Magnus Håkonsson, label=Modern Norwegian; 1 (or 3) May 1238 – 9 May 1280) was King of Norway (as Magnus VI) from 1263 to 1280 (junior king from 1257). One of his greatest achievements was the m ...

of Norway establishes 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.

14th century

*Around 1300 – Beginning of the construction of the Saint Magnus Cathedral in

. 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

. *1397 – Within the Kalmar Union, the Faroes remain under Norway's rule.

15th century

*Around 1400 – The ''Althing'' is renamed into Løgting. This name is still in use today. *Around 1447 – Attempts by the bishop Goswin of

, to get the Faroes under his diocese, fail. *1490 –

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

tradesmen get the same privileges in the Faroe business as the Hanseatic League.

16th century

*Since around 1500 – The Faroes are exposed to

pirate Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...

raids from the

British Isles The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles, ...

and western

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

, later also Barbary (then a

vassal A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerain ...

of the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

). *Around 1520 – Joachim Wullenwever from

Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...

becomes reeve over the Faroes on behalf of King Christian II of Denmark. *1524 – After going into exile, Christian II offers the Faroes and

Henry VIII of England Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...

collateral Collateral may refer to: Business and finance * Collateral (finance), a borrower's pledge of specific property to a lender, to secure repayment of a loan * Marketing collateral, in marketing and sales Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Collate ...

for a

loan In finance, a loan is the lending of money by one or more individuals, organizations, or other entities to other individuals, organizations, etc. The recipient (i.e., the borrower) incurs a debt and is usually liable to pay interest on that ...

. Henry denies. Historians believe this saved the two countries from losing their languages, as it happened with the

Norn language Norn is an extinct North Germanic language that was spoken in the Northern Isles ( Orkney and Shetland) off the north coast of mainland Scotland and in Caithness in the far north of the Scottish mainland. After Orkney and Shetland were pledged ...

in Shetland and Orkney. *1540 – Land which belonged to the church now became property of the Danish king (kongsjørð). The land was leased by Faroese peasants.

17th century

*Since around 1600 – The Faroese language can be distinguished as a separate language. *1629 – Slave raid of Suðuroy

18th century

*1709 – The

Danish Royal Trade Monopoly in the Faroe Islands The Danish royal trade monopoly, referred to in Faroese as and in Danish as , oversaw all trade between the Faroe Islands and other regions from 1709 to 1856. History Beginning in 1662, the Danish nobleman Christoffer Gabel and his heirs held exclu ...

is founded. *1720 – The Faroe Islands becomes a county of

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

as part of

Sjælland Zealand ( da, Sjælland ) at 7,031 km2 is the largest and most populous island in Denmark proper (thus excluding Greenland and Disko Island, which are larger in size). Zealand had a population of 2,319,705 on 1 January 2020. It is the 1 ...

province. *1724 – The Faroe Islands is combined with

into a single province. *1775 – The Faroe Islands are administratively split from Iceland.

19th century

*1816 – The Parliament is discarded. *Since 1709 only one store was in the Faroe Islands, it was located in Tórshavn and belonged to the Danish royal trade monopoly, nobody else was allowed to trade in the Faroes. In the 1830s three stores which belonged to or were under control of the royal trade monopoly opened in the villages

Vestmanna Vestmanna is a town in the Faroe Islands on the west of the island of Streymoy. It was formerly a ferry port, until an undersea tunnel, the Vágatunnilin, was built from Vágar to Kvívík and Stykkið further south on Streymoy. The cliffs w ...

Tvøroyri Tvøroyri is a village on the north side of the Trongisvágsfjørður on the east coast of Suðuroy island in the Faroe Islands. Together with Froðba, Trongisvágur, Líðin and Øravík it forms Tvøroyri Municipality. The village is considered ...

and

Klaksvík Klaksvík is the second largest town of the Faroe Islands behind Tórshavn. The town is located on Borðoy, which is one of the northernmost islands (the Norðoyar). It is the administrative centre of Klaksvík municipality. History The first ...

. *1852 – The Parliament is re-established. *1856 – The Danish royal trade monopoly abolished. *1888 – The Christmas Meeting (''Jólafundurin''), the start of a cultural movement and indirectly the start of modern Faroese politics. *1889 – In March a play was performed in Faroese language for the first time. The play was called ''Veðurføst'' (it means something like: got stuck due to bad weather) and was written by Súsanna Helena Patursson. *1894 – The industrial revolution reaches the Faroes, with the arrival of commercial whaling, the first actual factory is built at Gjánoyri in 1901. *1899 – On 5 November the Føroya Fólkaháskúli (Faroese

Folk high school Folk high schools (also ''Adult Education Center'', Danish: ''Folkehøjskole;'' Dutch: ''Volkshogeschool;'' Finnish: ''kansanopisto'' and ''työväenopisto'' or ''kansalaisopisto;'' German: ''Volkshochschule'' and (a few) ''Heimvolkshochschule;' ...

) was founded in Klaksvík, here the Faroese people could learn how to read and write in Faroese language, which they could not in the public schools, where Danish was the only language teachers were allowed to use. Ten years later the school was moved to Tórshavn.

20th century

*1906 – The political party Sambandsflokkurin (Union Party) was founded. *1906 – The political party Sjálvstýrisflokkurin ( Self-Government Party) was founded. *1919 – The

Flag of the Faroe Islands The flag of the Faroe Islands (in faroese: ''Merkið'') is an offset cross, representing Christianity. It is similar in design to other Nordic flags – a tradition set by the '' Dannebrog'' of Denmark, of which the Faroe Islands are an auto ...

is created by Faroese students in Copenhagen, it was raised in the village Fámjin later the same year. *1938 – Faroese language is now allowed as teaching language in the Faroese schools. *1939 – Faroese language is now allowed to use in the churches of the Faroes (Fólkakirkjan, state church) *1940 13 April – The British occupation of the Faroe Islands starts (lasting until 1945). *1940 April

officially recognized (by the British government). *1946 September – A

referendum A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a ...

on either a proposal of self-government or independence results in a small majority for independence. *1948 April The home rule act comes into power giving the Faroes a degree of autonomy. *1953 – The

Constitution of Denmark The Constitutional Act of the Realm of Denmark ( da, Danmarks Riges Grundlov), also known as the Constitutional Act of the Kingdom of Denmark, or simply the Constitution ( da, Grundloven, fo, Grundlógin, kl, Tunngaviusumik inatsit), is the c ...

(Grundloven) allowed the Faroe Islands as well as Greenland two members in the Danish Parliament. *1957 – On 6 February Útvarp Føroya (now Kringvarp Føroya) started to broadcast Faroese radio. *1973 – Denmark joins the European Economic Community, but the Faroes opt to remain outside the EEC to avoid the Common Fisheries Policy. *1988 – The Faroe Islands became a member of FIFA *1989 – Faroe Islands is host for the

Island Games The Island Games (currently known as the NatWest International Island Games for sponsorship reasons) are biennial international multi-sports events organised by the International Island Games Association (IIGA). Competitor teams each represent d ...

. *1992 – On 6 October, the bank Sjóvinnubankin declares bankruptcy starting the worst economic depression in Faroese history.

21st century

*2005 – The Takeover Act (Overtagelsesloven) of 24 June 2005 which is an extension to the Self-governing Act of 1948, grants the Faroe Islands extended self-rule. The

(1953), The Self-governing Act (1948) and The Takeover Act (2005) make up the legal rights of the Faroe Islands within the Danish Realm. *2007 – The Faroese government took over the responsibilities of the only airport in the Faroe Islands, Vága Floghavn. Until this day the airport was run by Danish authorities (Statens Luftfartsvæsen). *2007 – The Faroese government took over the responsibilities of the Faroese Church (Fólkakirkjan) which until then had been Danish. *2013 – In July 2013 the EU imposed sanctions to the Faroe Islands due to a dispute over the fishing quota of herring and mackerel. The boycott started on 28 August 2013, the boycott implies that Faroese vessels carrying herring or mackerel are banned from all EU ports, including Denmark, Sweden and Finland.noraregiontrends.org, GREENLAND SUPPORTS THE FAROE ISLANDS IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC FISHERIES CONFLICT
The Faroe Islands can no longer export herring or mackerel to EU countries as long the boycott persists.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Timeline of the Faroe Islands History of the Faroe Islands Regional timelines