History shapes culture, arts, science, and society into what it is today. And what could be more important than knowing what happened before we came to our land? Well, the next step would be embracing it!

That’s precisely what you’ll end up doing after I show you Spain’s history timeline. I’ve gathered the main historical events that shaped human existence and even explained some of them so you can get the big picture.

Also, at the end of this article, you’ll see a colorful and complete infographic with Spain’s history timeline for you to download for free!

I’m sure you’ll become an absolute expert, so let’s take a ride back to the prehistoric ages.

Carthaginians, Romans Visigoths in the Iberian Peninsula

• 219 B.C.: Hannibal, a Carthaginian general, takes over Sagunto after a battle between the Carthaginians and Saguntines, allies of Rome. This battle triggered the Second Punic War. 
• 227 B.C.: Foundation of Carthage Nova by the Carthaginian general Asdrubal the Beautiful, son-in-law and successor of General Hannibal’s father, Hannibal Barca. 
• At that time, Carthage Nova was the most important of the Peninsula’s cities due to its strong position and a well-built wall. It was provided with ports, lagoons, and silver mines. 
• 226 B.C.: Rome and Carthage signed the Treaty of the Ebro, fixing their respective areas of influence to the north and south of this river. Under these terms, Carthage could not expand north of the Ebro as long as Rome did not do the same to the south.
• 29 B.C. to 19 B.C. Cantabrian Wars between the Roman State and the different Asturian and Cantabrian peoples.
• 313: Edict of Milan, religious freedom and Christianity is tolerated
• 380: Christianity became the Roman Empire’s official religion in the Edict of Thessalonica.
• 409: Penetration of Vandals, Alans, and Suevi into the Iberian Peninsula
• 414: Arrival of the Visigoths, expelled from southern Gaul by the Franks.
• 711: Muslim conquest: Al-Andalus.

During the Roman Empire, Romans referred to the Iberian Peninsula as “Hispania” and the Peninsula was divided into two provinces during the conquest phase, Ulterior and Citerior.

Greco-Roman deities, Roman law, and Latin replaced local gods, rules, and languages in the Spanish Territory. They built roads to connect Hispania with Rome and the rest of the Empire and to make it easier to exploit minerals and agricultural resources. Read more:

Romans in Spain: Influence, Legacy, and 15 Archeological Sites

Rome tried to defend its Hispanic borders and expel the invaders with the help of another Germanic people, the Visigoths, who entered the territory from France in 411. The end of the Empire also coincided with the rapid spread of Christianity in the Peninsula. 

The tensions between the Hispano-Roman Church and Arianism of the Visigoths ended with the conversion to Catholicism of King Recaredo in 589. 

Middle Ages in Spain

• 711: Muslim penetration to the Iberian Peninsula. In their expansion through North Africa, the Muslims reached the Atlantic in 707. And, to their benefit, they saw that the Visigoths had many internal disputes. Therefore, the governor of North Africa, Musa, allowed them to extend their conquests to the Iberian Peninsula.
• 722: Victory of Pelayo in Covadonga. He was the founder of the Christian kingdom of Asturias in northern Spain. He stopped the expansion of the Muslims to the north and began the Reconquest.
• 756: Abderramán I proclaimed himself Emir, becoming politically independent from the rest of the Muslim Empire. Giving rise to Al-Andalus.
• VIII-X: The rise of the kingdoms of Asturias and Pamplona and the counties of Aragon, Sobrarbe, Ribagorza, and Barcelona.
• 910-1230: The Kingdom of León was established.
• 929-1031: Abderraman III proclaimed the creation of an independent Muslim Andalusian state in the Iberian Peninsula with the Caliphate of Córdoba.
• 950: Castile became an independent county.
• 1031: The Caliphate of Cordoba disappeared.
• 1035: Sancho el Mayor created the kingdoms of Castile and Aragon.
• 1137: Union of Aragon and Catalonia: the creation of the crown of Aragon.
• 1139: Independence of Portugal.
• 1147-1212: Reunification of Al-Andalus by the Almohads.
• 1162-1512: The Kingdom of Navarre became independent.
• 1229 y 1239: Jaume I conquered the Balearic Islands and Valencia.
• 1230: Definitive union of Castile and Leon.
• 1282: Aragon occupies Sicily in Italy.
• 1324: Occupation of Sardinia in Italy by Jaume II.
• 1390: The Almogavars surrender the duchies of Athens and Neopatria to Aragon.
• 1450-1460: Navarrese civil war.
• 1462-1472: Catalan civil war.
• 1469: Marriage of Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon, becoming the Catholic Kings.
• 1474-1479: Castilian civil war.
• 1479: Union of Castile and Aragon under the Catholic Monarchs.

To sum up, the Spanish Middle Ages are characterized (mainly) by three cultures coexisting in the Iberian Peninsula for more than seven centuries: Muslims, Jews, and Christians. They formed a unique society that lasted until the expulsion of the Moors under the rule of the Catholic Monarchs. Read more:

Who were the moors? Understanding their Culture, Origin and Legacy

The Spanish Empire and the Discovery of America

• 1474-1479: Castilian civil war. The kingdom of Castile was in a power struggle between the followers of the future Isabella the Catholic and those of her niece Juana, known as “la Beltraneja.” 
• 1479: The union of Castile and Aragon under the Catholic Monarchs.
• 1492: One of the most important years in the history of Spain. 

1. The first Spanish grammar appeared. 
2. Christopher Columbus discovered America and took the Spanish language to those lands. It became the language of a new continent. 
3. The Catholic Kings expulsed the Jews from the country. 

Read more:

Why is National Day of Spain October 12? Hispanic Day!

Hispanic Countries: A complete list guide to get it right!

• 1496: Incorporation of the Canary Islands into the crown of Castile.
• 1497-1511: the conquest of enclaves in North Africa.
• 1505: incorporation of the kingdom of Naples into Spain.
• 1512: annexation of Navarre to the Castilian Crown. 
• 1513: discovery of the Pacific Ocean.
• 1517 - 1556: reign of Charles I Habsburg 
• 1521: conquest of Mexico by Hernán Cortés.
• 1521-38: wars with France in Italy.
• 1522: the voyage to circumnavigate the earth (Magellan-Elcano).
• 1556-98: reign of Philip II.
• 1566: anti-Spanish rebellion in Flanders (until 1648).
• 1571: battle of Lepanto.
• 1580: union with Portugal (until 1640).
• 1588: disaster of the Invincible Armada.
• 1598-1621: reign of Philip III
• 1618-1648: Thirty Years’ War in Europe.
• 1621-1665: reign of Philip IV
• 1631-1659: war between France and Spain for European hegemony
• 1640: rebellions in Portugal and Catalonia.
• 1643: the defeat of the Spanish tercios at Rocroi.
• 1648 and 1659: treaties of Westphalia and Pyrenees: end of Spanish hegemony.
• 1665-1700: reign of Charles II. End of the Spain of Austria.

Related articles:

What was the Spanish Empire? A Complete Begginer’s Guide

The Reformism of the First Bourbons

• 1700-1746: reign of Philip V (Bourbon dynasty).
• 1702-1714: War of the Spanish Succession.
• 1707-1716: centralization and reform of the Spanish territorial administration. Creation of the secretaries of state.
• 1714: end of the War of Succession. Spain cedes the Netherlands and its territories in Italy to Austria, Sicily to Savoy, and Gibraltar and Menorca to Great Britain.
• 1733-1761: family pacts with France.
• 1733-1738: war of Polish Succession. Spain militarily recovers Naples and Sicily.
• 1746-1759: reign of Fernando VI.
• 1756-1763: Seven Years’ War. Spain obtains Louisiana.
• 1759-1788: reign of Charles III. Full Spanish Enlightenment.
• 1766: Expulsion of the Jesuits.
• 1776-1783: war of American Independence. Spain recovers Menorca and Florida.
• 1777-1792: Floridablanca’s government.
• 1788-1808: reign of Charles IV.

Related articles:

Spain Monarchy 101: A Complete Journey of the Spanish Royal Crown

What does the Spanish Monarchy Do? Role and Influence in Spain Society

Does Spain have a queen? If so, how much power does she have?

Regimen Crisis

• 1793-95: a war against revolutionary France and the Peace of Basel (1795).
• 1795-1808: the foreign policy of alliance with France; permanent war with Great Britain.
• 1805: battle of Trafalgar, destruction of the Spanish navy.
• 1807: Spain authorizes the entry of French troops into its territory.
• 1808: Fernando VII, king of Spain. The uprising against the French troops in Spain.
• 1808-1814: War of Independence. Napoleon in Spain. Reign of Joseph Bonaparte.
• 1812: Spain becomes a Nation
• 1814: the return of Ferdinand VII. Restoration of absolutism (1814-1820).
• 1808-1824: Spain loses dominion over Hispanic Countries, and they got their independence.

The Constitution of the Spanish Nation

• 1833-1840: regency of Maria Cristina of Parma. First Carlist War.
• 1837: the promulgation of the progressist constitution of 1837.
• 1839: Treaty of Bergara: end of the Carlist war in the north.
• 1840: the victory of Espartero over Cabrera, end of the Carlist war in Levante.
• 1843-1854: Coming of age of Isabel II. The regime of the moderates. 1845: moderate constitution.
• 1848: the first railroad.
• 1854-1856: Espartero and O’Donnell’s pronunciamiento, “bienio progresista”. Laws of Railroads and Mines. Civil disentailment.
• 1857: Moyano Law, of Public Education.
• 1858-1863: government of O’Donnell and the Liberal Union.
• 1862-1868: the crisis of the Elizabethan monarchy.
• 1869: new constitution: constitutional monarchy, universal male suffrage.
• 1870: assassination of Prim.
• 1871-1873: Amadeo of Savoy, king of Spain.
• 1873: abdication of Amadeo I. Proclamation of the First Republic. New Carlist war. Cantonal insurrection.
• 1874: military pronunciamiento of Martínez Campos: restoration of the monarchy in Alfonso XII.
• 1875: The Bourbon Restoration
• 1902-1931: reign of Alfonso XIII.
• 1906: Algeciras conference on Morocco.
• 1910-1912: Canalejas government.
• 1912: Spanish-French protectorate over Morocco. Assassination of Canalejas.
• 1914: commonwealth of Catalonia.
• 1917: military defense boards. Assembly of parliamentarians. General strike.
• 1920-1923: trade union and employers’ pistolerism in Barcelona.
• 1922: Picasso file: demand of responsibilities in Morocco.
• 1923 (Sept.): coup d’état by General Primo de Rivera.
• 1924: national economic council. Creation of the National Telephone Company.
• 1925: Spanish-French landing in Al Hoceima (Morocco). Civilian Directory.
• 1926: Spain leaves the League of Nations. Hydrographic confederations plan.
• 1927: end of the Moroccan war. Convocation of the national consultative assembly.
• 1928-1929: growing opposition to the dictatorship.
• 1930: resignation of Primo de Rivera. Berenguer government. Attempted republican insurrection in Jaca (Dec.): shooting of Galán and García Hernández.
• 1931: government of Admiral Aznar. Municipal elections: Republican victory in the cities. The monarchy’s fall and the Second Republic’s proclamation on April 14.

The Second Republic

• 1931: constitutional elections in June. Republican constitution on December 9.
• 1931-1933: Military, agrarian, territorial, socialist, and religious reforms.
• 1932: Attempted coup by General Sanjurjo (August). Approval of the autonomy of Catalonia and agrarian reform.
• 1933: Anarchist insurrection: events of Casas Viejas. Law of Religious Congregations. Fall of Azaña. The victory of the center and the Catholic right in general elections. Creation of Falange Española.
• 1933-1935: radical-cedist biennium.
• 1934: Law of Contracts of Cultivation of Catalonia. Peasant strikes. Conflict of the Basque town councils. Socialist revolution of October. Suspension of Catalan autonomy.
• 1935: rectification of the agrarian reform. Corruption scandals of the Radical Party.
• 1936: the victory of the Popular Front in the general elections (February). Destitution of Alcalá-Zamora. Azaña, president of the Republic. Severe disturbances of public order. Assassination of Calvo Sotelo. Military uprising (Franco, Mola) against the Republic (July 18).
• 1936-1939: Civil War.
• 1936: the advance of the “nationalists” in Madrid. Largo Caballero government in September. Franco, head of the national government and state, on October 1.
• 1937: Battles of Jarama and Guadalajara. Franco’s offensive in the north: the capture of Biscay, Santander, and Asturias. Republican counteroffensives in Brunete and Belchite. Decree on the unification of the national movement. Negrín government.
• 1938: the capture of Teruel and the advance of the Nationalists to the Mediterranean. First Franco government. Battle of the Ebro (July). Offensive on Catalonia (Dec.).
• 1939: fall of Barcelona (January). The rebellion of the army of the center (Casado) against the Negrín government (March). The victory of Franco in the war (April 1). Franco’s Dictatorship (1939-1975)

So, in short, the “Second Spanish Republic” refers to the period in which there was a democratic regime in Spain that replaced the Monarchy of Alfonso XIII. It began on April 14, 1931, ending in 1939 and giving way to the Franco dictatorship.

Franco Dictatorship

• 1939: End of the war. Franco became Generalissimo of Spain.
• 1940: Spain, non-belligerent in World War II. Franco-Hitler interview in Hendaye.
• 1941: Sending of the Blue Division to Russia.
• 1943: Spain, neutral in World War II.
• 1945: International condemnation of Spain. Spanish citizens’ charter. National Referendum Law.
• 1951: timid liberalization of the economy.
• 1953: concordat with the Holy See. Agreements with the United States: U.S. military bases.
• 1955: Spain is admitted to the U.N.
• 1956: university incidents. Independence of Morocco.
• 1958: Law of Principles of the Movement. Law of Collective Bargaining Agreements.
• 1959: stabilization plan. Creation of ETA.
• 1960-1970: the decade of development. An important number of technocratic ministers of Opus Dei in the governments.
• 1962: appearance of Comisiones Obreras. Mining strike in Asturias.
• 1963: first development plan. Execution of Julián Grimau.
• 1964: the creation of Social Security. XXV Years of Peace.
• 1968: first deadly attack by ETA.
• 1969: Prince Juan Carlos, the designated successor to Franco. Matesa scandal.
• 1969-1973: Carrero Blanco, number two of the regime and strong man of the government.
• 1970: Trial in Burgos against members of ETA. Preferential agreement with the European Community. General Education Law.
• 1973: Trial against Comisiones Obreras. The assassination of Carrero Blanco by ETA (Dec.).
• 1974-1975: Arias Navarro government.
• 1974: Franco’s illness.
• 1975: failure of the regime’s “associationism.” Labor and university unrest. Executions of ETA and FRAP members (Sept.). International protests against the Spanish regime. Death of Franco on November 20. Proclamation of the monarchy of Juan Carlos I.

The Franco dictatorship went through different stages related to each of its decades, some related to Spain’s development and growth as a country. Find more about it here:

Was Franco Communist? What Experts Say + 10 Interesting Facts

So, as you can see, that is quite a long story here! After November 20, 1975, Spain transitioned to democracy with their current constitution of 1978, granting autonomy to different regions and provinces.

Also, Spain established their type of government after this year, which you can learn from in the following articles. King Juan Carlos I ascended to the throne and designated his successor, who has been the current King of Spain for many years. Read more: Spanish Political System.

Hope you learned a lot with this timeline! Don’t forget to take it with you by downloading the free template above! Let me know in the comments what do you think about it :)