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| 300-800 | The Franks family controls the region of the Netherlands until, in the Eighth Century, Charlemagne is crowned and the Netherlands becomes a part of his empire. |
| 11th Century | Farmers from the Utrecht district begin to build dykes. |
| 1204 | Lord of Amstel builds a castle on the outskirts of what is to become Amsterdam. |
| 1270 | The River Amstel is dammed and a village (Aemstelledamme) is constructed on the site of Dam Square. |
| 1275 | The Gijsbrecht (Lord of Amstel) enters a power struggle with Count Floris V and the Bishop of Utrecht when Floris V bequeaths toll rights on Amsterdam and conquers West Friesland. The Lord of Amstel is forced to accept Floris V as his feudal lord. |
| 1300 | City rights are granted by the Bishop of Utrecht following the murder of Floris V by Gijsbrecht van Amstel. |
| 1313 | Aemstelledamme is granted full municipal rights by the Bishop of Utrecht. The Bishop also grants William III of Holland the right to govern the young Amsterdam. |
| 1323 | Amsterdam obtains exclusive rights to import beer from Hamburg. As a result, Amsterdam becomes prosperous, increasing its trade in a variety of goods because of its position between the Atlantic and Hanseatic ports. |
| 1419 | After coming to power, Phillip the Good establishes assemblies consisting of representatives from the nobility, clergy and towns. |
| 1452 | A fire destroys three-quarters of Amsterdam, leading to large-scale urban development. |
| 15th century | The Low Countries (the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg) are unified and integrated into the Burgundian-Habsburg Empire. |
| 1519 | Amsterdam is placed under Spanish rule. |
| 1534 | Anabaptists take hold of Amsterdam town hall in an effort to establish 'New Jerusalem' on the River Amstel. |
| 1568 | Eighty Years' War begins after William the Silent arranges a Protestant revolt against Spanish rule. The Dutch sought political as well as religious freedom. |
| 1572 | William of Orange leads Amsterdam's patricians to side with the rebels. |
| 1579 | Calvinist provinces proclaim independence. The Union of Utrecht is signed, allowing freedom of religious belief but not of worship. |
| 17th century | The Netherlands enjoys a "golden age" of intellectual and artistic growth. It was also a time of great economic and urban development. |
| 1602 | The first multinational company, the East India Company, is created to profit from the lucrative trade of silks and spices. The company led to colonial expansion by the Dutch. |
| 1609-1621 | Henry Hudson sails up the American river later named after him, on a voyage for the Dutch East India Company. |
| 1621 | Dutch West India Company is established to expand and trade with America. |
| 1624 - 1654 | North-east Brazil is colonised by the Dutch. |
| 1625 | The Dutch trading post on Manhattan Island is dubbed Nieuwe Amsterdam (now known as New York). |
| 1634 | A trading post for the Dutch West India Company is established in Curacao in the Antilles. |
| 1648 | Eighty Years' War ends when the treaty of the Independence of the Republic of the United Provinces is formalised. |
| 1650-1800 | During this time, the Netherlands and England are involved in four wars over the Republic of the United Provinces' monopoly on the sea. |
| 1652 | Jan van Riebeek founds the Cape Colony. |
| 1658-1795 | Sri Lanka is colonised by the Dutch. |
| 1663 | The plague kills 23,000 people in The Netherlands |
| 1664 | The English confiscate Nieuwe Amsterdam and rename it New York after the Duke of York. |
| 1677 | William of Orange weds Mary, daughter of King James II. |
| 1689 | William of Orange becomes King William III of England. |
| 1701-1713 | Spanish War of Succession. |
| 1795-1806 | French army overruns the country, and with much support from Amsterdam, the United Provinces become the new Batavian Republic. |
| 1806 | Napoleon's brother, Louis Bonaparte, becomes king of Holland. |
| 1811 | Louis Bonaparte is removed from the throne. |
| 1813 | The Netherlands are unified, removing Amsterdam's status as a self-governing city. |
| 1815 | Amsterdam officially becomes the capital of Holland and William of Orange becomes King William I, King of the Netherlands. |
| 1830 | Belgium becomes independent as a result of the Brussels Revolution. |
| 1890-1948 | The reign of Queen Wilhelmina. |
| 1922 | Women are given the right to vote. |
| 15 May 1940 | Nazi Germany invades Holland. |
| 5 May 1945 | Canadian soldiers liberate Amsterdam. Within the same year, The Netherlands becomes a United Nations member. |
| 1948 | Queen Wilhelmina resigns as Queen in favour of her daughter, Juliana. |
| Dec. 1949 | Independence of the Dutch East Indies granted. |
| 1957 | The Netherlands joins the European Economic Union. |
| 1975 | Cannabis is decriminalised and Surinam becomes an independent republic. |
| 30 April 1980 | Queen Juliana abdicates in favour of her daughter Beatrix. |
| 1986 | Flevoland becomes the 12th province. |
| 1999 | The Netherlands adopts the euro. The Dutch government considers legalising euthanasia. |
A guide to telephone, internet and television along with utility services water, electricity and gas in the Netherlands.
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