VILNIUS IN THE HISTORICAL DATES
10 000–5 000 BC. –– The first inhabitants in the present territory of the Vilnius city.
From 10th c. –– wooden city and wooden castle (in the territory of the Upper and Lower castle).
1263–1386 –– The principal pagan temple functions in Vilnius.
1323 –– The first mention of Vilnius, as the capital of Lithuania under the rule of the Great Duke Gediminas.
1387 –– The christening of Lithuania begins in Vilnius. Vilnius is granted the Magdeburg Rights.
1522 –– The first printing house is founded in Vilnius.
1544–1566 –– In Vilnius Royal Palace lives the Great Duke of Lithuania Sigismundus Augustus, and awhile there lives the queen Bona Sforza and Barbora Radvilaite. The Golden Age of Lithuania.
1579 m The Vilnius University is founded by the king Stephen Bathory.
1655–1661 –– The castle of Vilnius and the city is destroyed by the Moscow army.
1650 – 1750 –– The baroque architecture flourished in Vilnius. “The Vilnius Baroque”.
1720 – 1797 –– Living years of the Jewish sage, the Gaon of Vilnius.
1795 –– Vilnius is incorporated into the Russian Empire.
1801 –– Vilnius becomes the centre of Vilnius Gubernia and Governorate General (about 20 000 inhabitants).
1803–1832 –– Vilnius University predominates in the life of the city and the whole region. (1815 – 1824 the eminent poet Adomas Mickevicius (Adam Mickiewicz) learned, studied and worked in Vilnius.
1812 –– the city under French reign during the Napoleon wars.
1831 –– The command of the Uprising against Russian rule works in Vilnius.
1832 –– The Vilnius University is closed by the government of the tsar.
1863–1864 –– The Uprising. The underground government of the rebels works in the city.
1864–1904 –– “The Russification Period”. Catholic churches and monasteries are being closed, the orthodox churches are being erected.
The end of the 19th c. –– Vilnius is the significant centre of the conspiratorial socialistic movements. (In 1893 here is established Polish Socialist Party; in 1896 Social Democratic Party of Lithuania; in 1897 General Jewish Labour Union of Lithuania, Poland and Russia, which took active part in the foundation of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party.)
1905 12 04/05 –– The Great Seimas of Vilnius.
1915 – 1918 –– Vilnius is occupied by the German army of Kaiser.
1918 02 16 –– The Act of Independence of Lithuania is being signed in Vilnius.
1919 01 05 –– the city is being occupied by the Red Army of Russia.
1919 04 19 –– the Polish army expels the Bolsheviks.
1920 July –– Vilnius is being returned to the hand of Lithuanian state.
1920 10 09 –– Vilnius is being occupied by the “rebel army” of general Zeligowski.
1939 10 29 –– The Republic of Lithuania takes over Vilnius.
1941 06 – 1944 07 –– Vilnius under the rule of the Nazi Germany.
1943 09 23 –– The Vilnius Ghetto is being liquidated.
1988–1989 –– The great meetings and events of Sajudis (the Reform Movement of Lithuania).
1990 the 11th of March –– Lithuania regains its independence.
1991 01 13 –– “The bloody Sunday”. The Soviet Union ineffectively tries to perform a military upheaval in Lithuania..
2009 –– Vilnius becomes a European Capital of Culture.
