World population about 100 million
Geography
-600
Bartolomeu Dias rounds the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa
Discovery
1488
Columbus sails to America
Discovery
1492
John Cabot discovers Labrador and Newfoundland for England
Discovery
1497
Cabral claims Brazil for Portugal
Discovery
1500
Amerigo Vespucci surmises that Columbus discovered a new continent--America
Discovery
1501
Balboa is first European to see Pacific Ocean
Discovery
1513
Magellan killed in Philippines during the first circumnavigation of the earth
Discovery
1521
Spaniards led by de Soto in search for gold and silver--discover Mississippi River
Discovery
1541
Portugal gains independence from Spain
Geography
1640
New Zealand is discovered by Dutch explorer
Discovery
1642
Jacob Roggeveen discovers Easter Island
Discovery
1722
An Omani tribe begins ruling Oman
Government
1741
World population reaches 770 million
Geography
1750
Nepal declares itself a kingdom in 1768
Government
1768
Captain Cook charts the eastern coast of Australia
Discovery
1770
American Declaration of Independence signed in Philadelphia
Government
1776
Thomas Malthus publishes "Essay on Population"
Science
1798
World population reaches 1 billion
Geography
1800
President Jefferson makes United States double in size after Louisiana Purchase
Geography
1803
Serbia gains independence from the Ottoman Empire
Geography
1804
Norway gains independence from Denmark
Geography
1814
Antarctica discovered
Discovery
1820
Formation of the kingdom of Belgium
Government
1830
Liberia becomes an independent state
Government
1847
New Zealand gains independence from the United Kingdom
Geography
1856
United Italy calls its first parliament
Government
1861
Canada gains nominal independence from the United Kingdom
Geography
1867
Romania gains independence from the Ottoman Empire
Geography
1877
Philippines gains independence from Spain
Geography
1898
Robert Peary is first to the North Pole
Discovery
1909
Amundsen is first to reach South Pole
Discovery
1911
Mongolia gains independence from the Qing Dynasty
Geography
1911
In March, France and Britain sign secret Sykes-Picot agreement
Peace
1916
Finland gains independence from Russia
Geography
1917
Latvia gains independence from the Russian and German Empires
Geography
1918
Estonia gains independence from Russian Empire
Geography
1918
Lithuania gains independence from Russian and German Empires
Geography
1918
Poland gains independence from Russia, Prussia, and Austria
Geography
1918
Czechoslovakia gains independence from Hungary
Geography
1918
Azerbaijan gains independence from the Russian Empire
Geography
1918
Afghanistan gains independence from the United Kingdom
Geography
1919
Treaty of Trianon establishes Hungary's current borders
Government
1920
Britain ends protectorate over Egypt and Sultan Fuad I becomes King of Egypt
Government
1922
The Republic of Turkey proclaimed (independence from the Ottoman Empire)
Geography
1923
World population reaches 2 billion
Geography
1925
South Africa gains independence from the United Kingdom
Geography
1931
The kingdom of Iraq was granted independence by Britain in 1932
Geography
1932
Lebanon gains independence from France
Geography
1943
Belarus gains independence from German occupation
Geography
1944
Iceland forms foundation of republic
Government
1944
Vietnam gains independence from France
Geography
1945
Indonesia's Declaration of Independence
Government
1945
Syria gains independence from French Mandate of Syria
Geography
1946
Jordan gains independence from the United Kingdom
Geography
1946
Pakistan gains independence from the United Kingdom
Geography
1947
Myanmar gains independence from the United Kingdom
Geography
1948
Sri Lanka gains independence from the United Kingdom
Geography
1948
State of Israel is born
Geography
1948
Taiwan becomes Republic of China after Nationalists lose war with Communists
Government
1949
Libya gains independence from Italy
Geography
1951
Cambodia gains independence from France
Geography
1953
Laos gains independence from France
Geography
1953
Sudan gains independence from Anglo-Egyptian Rule
Geography
1956
Morocco gains independence from France and Spain
Geography
1956
Tunisia gains independence from France
Geography
1956
Malaysia gains independence from the United Kingdom
Geography
1957
Ghana gains independence from Britain as European scramble for Africa begins
Geography
1957
Guinea-Conakry gains independence from France
Geography
1958
Alaska and Hawaii become 49th and 50th U.S. states
Geography
1959
World population reaches 3 billion
Geography
1960
Nigeria gains independence from the United Kingdom
Geography
1960
Democratic Republic of the Congo gains independence from Belgium
Geography
1960
Madagascar gains independence from France
Geography
1960
Somalia gains independence from Italy and Britain
Geography
1960
Benin (Dahomey) gains independence from France
Geography
1960
Congo-Brazzaville gains independence from France
Geography
1960
Niger gains independence from France
Geography
1960
Senegal gains independence from France
Geography
1960
Cyprus gains independence from the United Kingdom
Geography
1960
Burkina Faso (Upper Volta) gains independence from France
Geography
1960
Cameroon gains independence from France
Geography
1960
Chad gains independence from France
Geography
1960
Ivory Coast gains independence from France
Geography
1960
Central African Republic gains independence from France
Geography
1960
Mali gains independence from France
Geography
1960
Tanzania gains independence from the United Kingdom
Geography
1961
Kuwait gains independence from the United Kingdom
Geography
1961
Sierra Leone gains independence from United Kingdom
Geography
1961
South Africa leaves British Commonwealth
Geography
1961
Jamaica and British West Indies gain independence
Geography
1962
Algeria gains independence from France
Geography
1962
Samoa gains independence from New Zealand
Geography
1962
Uganda gains independence from United Kingdom
Geography
1962
Rwanda gains independence from Belgium
Geography
1962
Kenya gains independence from the United Kingdom
Geography
1963
Malta gains independence from the United Kingdom
Geography
1964
Zambia gains independence from the United Kingdom
Geography
1964
Malawi gains independence from United Kingdom
Geography
1964
Singapore gains independence from Malaysia
Geography
1965
Barbados gains independence from the United Kingdom
Geography
1966
Botswana gains independence from the United Kingdom
Geography
1966
Yemen gains independence from the United Kingdom
Geography
1967
Fiji gains independence from the United Kingdom
Geography
1970
Tonga becomes independent of Britain
Geography
1970
United Arab Emirates becomes independent from Britain
Geography
1971
Bahrain gains independence from the United Kingdom
Geography
1971
Eastern Pakistan breaks with Western Pakistan to become Bangladesh
Government
1971
Qatar gains independence from the United Kingdom
Geography
1971
African colonies gain independence (Guinea-Bissau)
Geography
1973
World population reaches 4 billion
Geography
1975
Angola gains independence from Portugal
Geography
1975
Papua New Guinea gains independence from Australia
Geography
1975
Mozambique gains independence from Portugal
Geography
1975
Seychelles gains independence from the United Kingdom
Geography
1976
Djibouti gains independence from France
Geography
1977
Kiribati becomes independent of Britain
Geography
1979
Zimbabwe led by Robert Mugabe gains independence from the United Kingdom
Geography
1980
Vanuatu gains independence from the United Kingdom and France
Geography
1980
World population reaches 5 billion
Geography
1987
Namibia gains independence from South Africa
Geography
1990
Slovenia gains independence from Yugoslavia
Geography
1990
Croatia gains independence from SFR Yugoslavia
Geography
1991
Uzbekistan gains independence from the Soviet Union
Geography
1991
Macedonia gains independence from Yugoslavia
Geography
1991
Georgia gains independence from Soviet Union
Geography
1991
Kazakhstan gains independence from the Soviet Union
Geography
1991
Kyrgyzstan gains independence from the Soviet Union
Geography
1991
Moldova gains independence from the Soviet Union
Geography
1991
Ukraine gains independence from Soviet Union
Geography
1991
Turkmenistan becomes independent from the Soviet Union
Geography
1991
Tajikistan gains independence from the Soviet Union
Geography
1991
Yugoslavia collapses as Croatia and Slovenia declare independence
Geography
1991
Slovakia gains independence from Czechoslovakia
Geography
1992
Bosnia-Herzegovina gains independence from Soc. Fed. Rep. of Yugoslavia
Geography
1992
Eritrea becomes independent from Ethiopia
Geography
1993
World population reaches 6 billion
Geography
2000
Montenegro gains independence from Serbia
Geography
2006
World population reaches 7 billion
Geography
2011
South Sudan gains independence from Sudan
Geography
2011