1783    The volcano Laki, in Iceland, begins an eight-month eruption which kills over 9,000 people and starts a seven-year famine.

1783    A poisonous cloud caused by the eruption of the Laki volcano in Iceland reaches Le Havre in France.

1899    Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur Iceland's first football club is founded.

1918    Iceland becomes a sovereign state, yet remains a part of the Danish kingdom.

1935    Iceland becomes the first Western country to legalize therapeutic abortion.

1941    World War II: U.S. forces land in Iceland, taking over from an earlier British occupation.

1941    World War II: The destroyer USS ''Reuben James'' is torpedoed by a German U-boat near Iceland, killing more than 100 United States Navy sailors. It is the first U.S. Navy vessel sunk by enemy action in WWII.

1944    Iceland declares independence from Denmark and becomes a republic.

1946    Afghanistan, Iceland and Sweden join the United Nations.

1949    A riot breaks out in Austurvöllur square in Reykjavík, when Iceland joins NATO.

1972    In Reykjavík, Iceland, American Bobby Fischer beats Russian Boris Spassky and becomes the world chess champion.

1973    A volcanic eruption devastates Heimaey in the Vestmannaeyjar chain of islands off the south coast of Iceland.

1986    Cold War: U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev meet in Reykjavík, Iceland, in an effort to continue discussions about scaling back their intermediate missile arsenals in Europe.

2000    Mount Hekla in Iceland erupts.

2002    The "55 parties" clause of the Kyoto protocol is reached after its ratification by Iceland.

2007    Iceland announces that Norway will shoulder the defense of Iceland during peacetime.

2010    Volcano Eyjafjallajökull erupts in Iceland resulting in massive disruption to air traffic in most of Europe

2010    Volcanic ash from the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland leads to the closure of airspace over most of Europe.