Pivotal Dates in US History and European Integration (1648–2022)

Posted on Oct 4, 2025 in International Relations

Foundations of Modern Governance (1648–1830)

  1. 1648: Peace of Westphalia.
  2. 1776, July 4: Declaration of Independence.
  3. 1777: Articles of Confederation.
  4. 1783: Treaty of Versailles (ending the American Revolutionary War).
  5. 1786: Shays’ Rebellion.
  6. 1787:
    • June: Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia.
    • July: Northwest Ordinance.
    • September: Approval of the U.S. Federal Constitution.
  7. 1788: Ratification of the U.S. Federal Constitution.
  8. 1789: George Washington elected first U.S. President.
  9. 1791: Bill of Rights adopted.
  10. 1803: Marbury v. Madison Supreme Court Decision.
  11. 1804–1814: Napoleonic Empire.
  12. 1814–1815: Congress of Vienna.
  13. 1815–1830: Metternich System established.

Global Conflicts and National Unification (1860–1920)

  1. 1860–1865: American Civil War.
  2. 1871: Proclamation of the Second Reich (German Empire).
  3. 1882: Triple Alliance formed.
  4. 1907: Triple Entente formed.
  5. 1919: Treaty of Versailles signed.
  6. 1920: First meeting of the League of Nations.

The Road to European Integration (1929–1986)

  1. 1929: Briand’s Proposal for a European Union.
  2. 1940: Franco-British Union Proposal (Failed).
  3. 1944: Creation of the Benelux economic union.
  4. 1946: Winston Churchill’s Speech for European Integration.
  5. 1947: Marshall Plan initiated.
  6. 1948: Congress of The Hague (Project for Federal Integration).
  7. 1949:
    • April 4: Foundation of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization).
    • May 23: Approval of the Basic Law for the German Federal Republic.
    • May 5: Treaty of London (Creation of the Council of Europe).
  8. 1950, May 9: Schuman Declaration.
  9. 1951:
    • April: Treaty of Paris (establishing the European Coal and Steel Community – ECSC).
    • April 18: Signing of the Treaty of Paris.
  10. 1952, May 27: Signing of the European Defence Community (EDC) Treaty.
  11. 1954, August 30: French Assembly rejects the EDC Treaty.
  12. 1957, March 25: Treaties of Rome (establishing the EEC and EURATOM).
  13. 1960, January 4: Creation of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).
  14. 1965, April: Executive Merger Treaty (merging EEC, ECSC, and EURATOM institutions).
  15. 1966, January 30: Luxembourg Compromise (establishing the unanimity rule).
  16. 1975: Creation of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
  17. 1979, May 7–10: First Direct Elections to the European Parliament by universal suffrage.
  18. 1981, January 1: Greece joins the European Communities.
  19. 1985, June 14: Signing of the Schengen Agreement.
  20. 1986, January 1: Spain and Portugal join the European Communities.

The Modern Era: European Union and Global Shifts (1989–2022)

  1. 1989:
    • January 1: Spain’s First Presidency of the European Council.
    • November 9: Fall of the Berlin Wall.
  2. 1990:
    • September 12: Signing of the Two Plus Four Agreement.
    • October 3: Reunification of Germany.
  3. 1991, December 21: Dissolution of the USSR.
  4. 1992, February 7: Signing of the Treaty on European Union (Maastricht Treaty).
  5. 1995, July 1: Spain’s Second Presidency of the European Council.
  6. 1997, October 2: Signing of the Treaty of Amsterdam.
  7. 1998, June 1: Creation of the European Central Bank (ECB) in Frankfurt.
  8. 1999, June 19: Bologna Declaration.
  9. 2000, December 7: Ratification of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU.
  10. 2001, February 26: Signing of the Treaty of Nice (adjusting majorities for decisions).
  11. 2002:
    • January 1: The Euro (€) enters into force (physical currency circulation).
    • July 23: ECSC Treaty expires (Dissolved).
  12. 2004, October 29: Signing of the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe.
  13. 2005, May 29: French Referendum rejects the Constitutional Treaty.
  14. 2007, December 13: Signing of the Treaty of Lisbon.
  15. 2009, December 1: Treaty of Lisbon enters into force.
  16. 2016, June 23: Brexit Referendum held in the UK.
  17. 2017, March 29: Theresa May invokes Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty.
  18. 2019:
    • May 23–26: European Parliament Elections (EPP wins plurality).
    • July 22: Boris Johnson becomes Prime Minister of the UK.
    • December 1: Ursula von der Leyen becomes the first female President of the European Commission.
  19. 2020:
    • January 31: UK leaves the EU (Brexit).
    • April 8: Sofagate Scandal (Note: This event is widely reported as April 2021, but the date provided is retained).
  20. 2022, February 24: Russian Invasion of Ukraine begins.
  21. 2022, December 9: Qatargate Corruption Scandal in the European Parliament revealed.