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Jan 1, 1150
- First Swedish 'crusade' launched in south-west Finland.
They were more interested in expanding their territories than converting pagans to Christianity. -
Jan 1, 1200
Turku becomes capital of Finland.
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Jan 1, 1323
First peace treaty agreed between Sweden and Novgorod (Russia).
Finnish people divided into two different countries. -
Jan 1, 1493
Finland appeared as part of Europe, in Hartman Schedel's map
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Queen Christina of Sweden established Finland's first university.
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Sweden lost Finland to Russia and the Grand Duchy of Finland was formed with the Tsar as its ruler
Finland retained its own legislation and its old form of society, including the free status of peasantry, the Lutheran religion and the old Swedish system of law and government. -
Russia thought that Turku was too close to Sweden and declared Helsinki to be capital of Finland.
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First public performance of the Finnish national anthem occurred.
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Finland adopted its own currency, the markka.
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First Finnish woman receives a university degree.
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Finland's own national parliament was modernised to one elected by equal and universal suffrage.
Finnish women were the first in the world to be granted full national political rights, including eligibility to stand for election to their national Parliament. -
After the Russian revolution, Finland declared independence on 6 December.
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Finland was torn by a short but bloody civil war.
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Soviet Russia attacks Finland
The Finns held off the Russians, but were outnumbered by about 10 to 1. It became known as the ‘Miracle of the Winter War.’ After 105 days, a peace treaty was signed. Finland ceded about one tenth of its territory in the South-East. Residents were evacuated -
Finland tried to regain territory lost in the war, and was aided by Germany
Nazi ideology was not supported. Instead, Finnish Jews fought with the rest of the population and weren’t put into concentration camps. -
Armistice is signed between Soviet Russia and Finland in September
German troops are driven out of Finland. The task of fighting former allies was completed by early 1945. -
The Olympic Games were held in Helsinki.
They meant a great deal to this nation of sport-lovers, which had just paid huge war reparations to Russia. -
Finland joined the United Nations.
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Finland became a member of the European Union.
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Finland began using the Euro and the markka was retired after 142 years of service.