Malta; key historical events
Page last
modified 5/12/2022
See also Sicily
See
also Italy
See also Roman Empire
1/1/2008, Malta
adopted the Euro.
2004, Malta joined the EU.
2003, In a referendum, Malta voted in favour of joining the EU.
1998, Early elections restored the Nationalist
Party under Fenech Adami
to power
1996, A modernised Malta Labour Party
was elected under Alfred Sant. It
halted talks on accession to the EU, and weakened trade union links. Hopwevert
it only had a small majority, reducing its powers.
10/5/1987, In
elections in Malta, the Nationalist
Party (NP) defeated the ruling Labour Party. The NP favoured free markets and deregulation. Fenech Adami,
NP Prime Minister, began talks to join the EU.
22/12/1984, Dom Mintoff resigned as President of Malta.
31/3/1979, The British Royal Navy finally withdrew from Malta.
13/12/1974. Malta became a
republic within the Commonwealth.
26/3/1972, Britain and NATO agreed to pay Malta �14 million a
year for use of military bases there.
1971, The Malta Labour Party under Dom Mintoff
was elected. He promoted Malta�s non-aligned status, ended the UK�s naval
presence in Malta, forged closer links with Libya (which advised and trained
the Maltese Army, and nationalised several major industries.
21/9/1964. Malta became independent of Britain, after
164 years of British rule.
21/4/1958, Dom Mintoff, Labour Prime Minister of Malta, found
Britain�s terms for integration unacceptable. The British
Governor-General,� Sir Robert Laycock, assumed control, and declared
a State of Emergency on 30/4/1958 after demonstrations in Valetta.
30/12/1957, Malta,
fearing that Britain will not maintain investment in the island, passed a
resolution that Malta had no obligations to the UK unless Britain found employment for discharged dock workers.
11/2/1956. A Maltese
referendum favoured integration with Britain.
7/3/1955, In Malta,
Dom Mintoff,
Labour Party, won elections on the
platform of seeking greater integration with Britain.
1947, Malta became
self-governing.
For main events of World War Two in Europe see France-Germany
1941, Malta was
heavily bombed by the Luftwaffe, and withstood a harsh siege, until Allied forces
arrived in 1942.
1929, Mussolini
made territorial claims on the British colony of Malta.
12/2/1928. The British
colony of Malta gained Dominion status.
7/6/1919, Anti-British
pro-independence riots in Malta.
6/8/1916, �Dom Mintoff,
Labour politician and Prime Minister of
Malta, was born.
30/3/1913, Censu Tabone,
President of Malta, was born.
1850s, Poliical upheavel in Italy led to many Italian
revolutionaries and intellectuals seeking refuge in Malta. A possible future
union with Italy was possible at this point.
1838, Queen Adelaide of Britain visited Malta, and
opened the Coillegiate Anglican Church of St Paul.
1829, Malta instituted trial by jury, for criminal cases. Further
governmental reforms in the 1830s included freedom of the Press, a police force
modelled on British lines, new schools being opened in rural areas, a
broadening of the tax base, and a simplification of the legal system.
1814, The Treaty of Paris gave Malta to Britain. This was
confirmed at the 1815 Congress of Vienna.
1802, The Treaty of Amiens proposed restoring Malta to the
Knights of St John. The Maltese, however, protested, feariung that this would
lead to a resumption of French influence.
9/2/1799, Britain,
assisted by Portugal and the Maltese rebels, took control of Malta� Captain Ball of the Royal Navy became the
first British Goivernor.
2/9/1798, Rebellion
by the Maltese against French occupation, sparked by a French attempt to seize
Church assets. The Maltese mounted an adept guerrilla campaign, which was to
assist the British conquest of Malta.
6/1798, Napoleon captured Malta from the Knights of St
John, with scarcely a shot being fired. Napoleon was aided from within by a �fifth
column� of Maltese. After a few days Naopleon left Malta taking most of his
forces, to attack Egypt. He left General Vaubois to hold Malta.
1797, Ferdinand Hompesch, a weak ruler, was elected
as the last Grand Master to rule Malta.
1775, Rebellion against bad government on Malta. This was the
so-called Revolution of the Priests, led by Mannarino.
1722, A planned revolt by the numerous Turkish slaves
on Malta was discovered; severe repressive meausres followed.
29/9/1565, A
combined force of Spanish troops under Garcia de Toledo amnd the Knights Hospitaller
(Knights of St John) forced the Ottoman Turks to withdraw from Malta.
5/1565, Suleiman the Magnificent sent a fleet of 35,000
men in 200 ships to besiege and capture Malta from the Knights of St John. The Knights has been using Malta as a base to
raid Ottoman
shipping in the Mediterranean. Malta held out for four months until a relief
force arrived from Sicily. By this time just 1,000 of the original 9,000
Knights survived unwounded. The Ottomans withdrew, having lost half their men,
and never attempted an attack on the western Mediterranean again.
1551, Gozo was raided by African Arabs under Selim Pasha. They also attacked
Malta but were repulsed.
26/10/1530, The Knights of Malta were formed when the Knights
Hospitaller were given Malta by Charles V.
1530, The Knights of St
John, driven from Rhodes by the Turks, found a new home on Malta. They were
given the island by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor. In fact the
island was only �rented� to the Knights, in return for an annual payment of one
falcon.
1427, Ottoman Turkish raid on Malta. Many inhabitants were taken
off as slaves, but the Turks did not occupy the island.
1282, Aragon, Spain, ruled Malta after the Maltese chose
Aragonese King Peter III as their monarch.
1265, Pope Alexander IV installed Charles of
Anjou as ruler of Malta.
1223, Henry, Grand Admiral of Siciliy, was Count of
Malta.
1194, Constance, wife of Emperor Henry IV of Germany,
inherited Malta. She was its last Norman ruler.
1193, Margarito Brundusio became Count of Malta; he
was already Grand Admiral of Sicily.
1090, The Normans under Count Roger (son of Tancred de Hauteviulle, then
Governor of Sicily)
captured Malta from the Arabs. The Normans were welcomed by the indigenous
Christian Maltese as liberators..
869,
The Arabs
captured Malta. The Byzantine Greek garrison,
3,000 soldiers, were massacred.
534,
Malta taken by Byzantium (who held it until 870).
395, On the division of the Roman Empire into east and west, Malta was
assigned to the eastern half, ruled from Constantinople.
58
CE, The Apostle Paul was shipwrecked at
Malta.
200 BC,
The original capital of Malta, Mdina (Arabic, �Medina� = �the city�) was
founded.