Events in Slovakian History
- 1741-12-27 Prussian forces took Olmutz, Czechoslovakia
Demand for Independence
1915-11-14 Tomáš Masaryk demands independence for Czechoslovakia
- 1918-08-30 Czechoslovakia forms independent republic
- 1918-10-18 Czechoslovakia declares independence from Austro-Hungarian Empire
- 1918-10-28 Czechoslovakia gains independence as Austria-Hungary breaks up
- 1918-10-28 Republic of Czechoslovakia created with Tomáš Masaryk as its 1st president
- 1918-10-28 Tomáš Massaryk claims independence for Czechoslovakia
- 1918-10-30 Slovakia asks for creation of Czechoslovakian state
- 1920-02-29 Trying to maintain independence from Germany and the USSR, Czechoslovakia adopts a constitution
- 1920-03-28 Tomáš Masaryk elected President of Czechoslovakia
- 1920-08-10 Allies recognize Poland, Czechoslovakia & Romania
- 1920-08-14 Little Entente formed by Czechoslovakia & Yugoslavia
- 1927-05-27 Tomáš Masaryk (77) is re-elected President of Czechoslovakia, for the second time
- 1934-06-10 FIFA World Cup Final, Stadio Nazionale PNF, Rome, Italy: Angelo Schiavio scores the winner in extra time as Italy beats Czechoslovakia, 2-1
Beneš Succeeds Masaryk
1935-12-18 Edvard Beneš becomes President of Czechoslovakia after Tomáš Masaryk retires
- 1938-04-23 Sudeten Germans in Czechoslovakia demand self government
- 1938-06-11 French Championships Men's Tennis: American Don Budge beats Roderich Menzel of Czechoslovakia 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 for the 2nd leg of his Grand Slam
Annexation of Czechoslovakia Condemned
1938-09-21 British politician Winston Churchill condemns Germany's Adolf Hitler's annexation of Czechoslovakia
Treaty of Munich
1938-09-30 Treaty of Munich signed by Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Édouard Daladier and Neville Chamberlain, forces Czechoslovakia to give territory to Germany. Chamberlain infamously declares "Peace for our time" on his return to London.
- 1938-10-01 Germany annexes Sudetenland (1/3 of Czechoslovakia) following the Munich Agreement
- 1938-10-10 Germany completes its annexation of Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland
- 1938-11-21 Nazi forces occupy western Czechoslovakia and declare inhabitants to be German citizens
- 1939-03-14 Nazi Germany dissolves Republic of Czechoslovakia
- 1939-10-28 Anti-German demonstrations and strikes in Czechoslovakia
- 1939-11-15 Anti-German demonstrations in Czechoslovakia
- 1940-11-20 World War II: Hungary, Romania and Slovakia join the Axis Powers
- 1944-08-29 Anti-German rebellion in Slovakia
- 1944-10-06 Soviet forces march into Hungary & Czechoslovakia
- 1944-10-18 Soviet troops invade Czechoslovakia during WW II
- 1945-05-09 Czechoslovakia liberated from Nazi occupation (National Day)
- 1945-06-29 Ruthenia, formerly in Czechoslovakia, annexed by Soviet Union, becomes Ukrainian SSR
- 1946-05-26 Communist Party Leader Klement Gottwald becomes Prime Minister of Czechoslovakia
- 1947-12-10 USSR & Czechoslovakia sign trade agreement
- 1948-02-20 Czechoslovakia's non-communist minister resigns
- 1948-02-25 Communists seize control of Czechoslovakian government and Klement Gottwald becomes premier
- 1948-06-07 Communist complete takeover of Czechoslovakia; President Bernes resigns
- 1948-06-14 Klemens Gottwald becomes president of Czechoslovakia
- 1948-08-12 The canoeing program at the London Olympics concludes with Sweden (4) and Czechoslovakia (3) dominant, combining for 7 of the 9 gold medals
- 1950-06-26 President Gottwald of Czechoslovakia confirms Milada Horakova's death sentence
- 1951-02-26 Bread rationing in Czechoslovakia begins
Slánský Trials
1952-11-20 Slánský trials begin - a series of Stalinist and anti-Semitic show trials in Czechoslovakia.
- 1953-03-22 Antonín Zápotocký chosen as President of Czechoslovakia
- 1953-12-24 Two fast express trains crash head-on killing 103 in Czechoslovakia
- 1955-05-14 Warsaw Pact is signed by the Soviet Union, Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland and Romania
- 1957-11-19 Antonin Novotny appointed president of Czechoslovakia
Olympic Gold
1960-02-28 Home team United States wins its first Olympic ice hockey gold medal at Squaw Valley; with 9-4 win over Czechoslovakia
- 1960-07-11 Czechoslovakia adopts Constitution
- 1962-06-17 FIFA World Cup Final, Estadio Nacional, Santiago, Chile: Brazil go 1-down early but recover to beat Czechoslovakia, 3-1
- 1962-07-07 Wimbledon Women's Tennis: American Karen Susman beats Věra Suková of Czechoslovakia 6-4, 6-4 for her only Grand Slam singles title
- 1963-09-22 Czechoslovakian premier Viliam Široký deposed by Josef Lenart
- 1964-06-11 West Germany seeks talks with Czechoslovakia
- 1964-10-23 Hungary beats Czechoslovakia 2-1 to win the men's football gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics
- 1964-10-23 Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia finish 8-1 in inaugural Olympic men's volleyball competition in Tokyo; Soviets win 10 team round robin on count back of sets won-lost
- 1966-11-24 A Bulgarian plane with 82 people on board crashes near Bratislava, Slovakia.
Dubček succeeds Novotný
1968-01-05 Alexander Dubček succeeds Antonín Novotný as communist party leader of Czechoslovakia
- 1968-03-22 Antonín Novotný resigns presidency of Czechoslovakia
- 1968-03-30 General Ludvik Svoboda elected president of Czechoslovakia
- 1968-04-08 Czechoslovakia Oldřich Černík government forms
Warsaw Pact Invasion of Czechoslovakia
1968-08-20 During the night 250,000 Soviet and Warsaw Pact troops invade Czechoslovakia in response to the Prague Spring
- 1968-08-21 Warsaw Pact forces complete their invasion of Czechoslovakia by arresting the Czech leader Alexander Dubček and forcing him to sign the Moscow Protocols
- 1968-10-16 Czechoslovakia & Russian "accord" rules allies Soviet forces
- 1969-04-17 Alexander Dubček forced to resign as first secretary of Czechoslovakia's Communist Party
- 1969-05-21 Slovan Bratislava of Czechoslovakia win 9th European Cup Winner's Cup against FC Barcelona of Spain 3-2 in Basel
- 1969-08-23 Audrey McElmory (US) wins World Cycling Championships, Brno Czechoslovakia
- 1969-08-23 France's Une De Mai wins International Trot at Roosevelt Raceway Czechoslovakia (1st American to win cycling race title since 1912)
- 1970-01-28 Lubomír Strougal succeeds Cernik as premier of Czechoslovakia
French Open Men's Tennis
1971-06-06 French Open Men's Tennis: Defending champion Jan Kodeš of Czechoslovakia beats Ilie Năstase of Romania 8-6, 6-2, 2-6, 7-5
- 1972-09-10 Yugoslavia beats Czechoslovakia, 21-16 in the inaugural Olympic handball final in Munich
Trade with Czechoslovakia
1973-12-11 West German chancellor Willy Brandt normalizes trade with Czechoslovakia
Goolagong Retains Title
1974-12-31 Australian Open Women's Tennis: Australian Evonne Goolagong Cawley retains her title; beats Martina Navratilova of Czechoslovakia 6-3, 6-2
Borg Gives Sweden Win
1975-12-21 Davis Cup Men's Tennis, Stockholm, Sweden: Home town hero Björn Borg beats Czech Jan Kodeš 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 to give Sweden unassailable 3-1 lead; ends 3-2
- 1976-01-03 Australian Open Women's Tennis: Australian Evonne Goolagong Cawley beats Renata Tomanova of Czechoslovakia 6-2, 6-2 for her 3rd straight home singles title
- 1976-06-13 French Open Women's Tennis: Sue Barker of England claims her lone major singles title; beats Renáta Tomanová of Czechoslovakia 6-2, 0-6, 6-2
- 1976-06-20 UEFA European Championship Final, Red Star Stadium, Belgrade, Yugoslavia: Czechoslovakia upsets West Germany, 5-3 on penalties following 2-2 draw a.e.t
- 1978-03-02 Soyuz 28 carries 2 cosmonauts (1 Czechoslovakian) to Salyut 6
- 1980-12-07 69th Davis Cup: Czechoslovakia beats Italy in Prague (4-1)
Olympic Gold
1984-02-16 3-time men's figure skating world champion Scott Hamilton of the US wins the gold medal at the Sarajevo Winter Olympics from Brian Orser of Canada and Jozef Sabovčík of Czechoslovakia
- 1984-02-19 Soviet Union wins its 6th Olympic ice hockey gold medal with a 2-0 win over silver medallists Czechoslovakia at the Sarajevo Winter Games
- 1986-07-27 24th Tennis Fed Cup: USA beats Czechoslovakia in Prague Czech (3-0)
- 1987-01-24 Australian Open Women's Tennis: Hana Mandlíková of Czechoslovakia wins her 4th and final Grand Slam singles crown; beats Martina Navratilova 7-5, 7-6
- 1987-11-11 Football striker Mark Hughes plays for Wales and Bayern Munich in 2 countries on same day; appears for Wales in 2-0 European Championship loss to Czechoslovakia in Prague, then jets to Munich for 3-2 Cup win over Borussia
Lendl's 3rd ATP
1987-12-04 Defending champion Ivan Lendl of Czechoslovakia wins 3rd straight season-ending ATP Masters Grand Prix tennis title by defeating Mats Wilander of Sweden 6–2, 6–2, 6–3 in the final at Madison Square Garden, NYC
- 1987-12-17 Czechoslovak party leader Gustav Husak resigns
Czechs Defeat Australia
1989-01-01 1st Hopman Cup Tennis, Perth: Helena Suková & Miloslav Mečíř win inaugural event for Czechoslovakia; beat Australian pair Hana Mandlíková & Pat Cash 6-2, 6-4 for 2-0 victory
- 1989-09-10 East Germans begin their flight to west (via Hungary and Czechoslovakia)
- 1989-11-24 Communist Party resigns in Czechoslovakia
- 1989-12-10 President Gustav Husak of Czechoslovakia, resigns
- 1989-12-28 Alexander Dubček elected Chairman of the Federal Assembly (Parliament) of Czechslovakia
Havel Czechoslovakian President
1989-12-29 Václav Havel is selected to be president of Czechoslovakia by the Federal Assembly shortly after the Velvet Revolution
- 1992-01-03 Hopman Cup Tennis, Perth: Jakob Hlasek beats Karel Nováček of Czechoslovakia 6-4, 6-4 for a 2-0 lead (ends 2-1) and Switzerland's first title
- 1992-06-07 French Open Men's Tennis: American Jim Courier retains title; beats Petr Korda of Czechoslovakia 7-5, 6-2, 6-1
- 1992-06-20 NHL Draft: ZPS Zlin (Czechoslovakia) defenceman Roman Hamrlik first pick by Tampa Bay Lightning
- 1992-07-17 Slovak parliament declares independence from Czechoslovakia, beginning the so-called Velvet Divorce
- 1992-07-20 Václav Havel resigns as President of Czechoslovakia after Slovakia declares independence
- 1993-01-01 Czechoslovakia separates into Czech Republic (Bohemia) & Slovakia
- 1993-02-02 Václav Havel becomes the first president of an independent Czech Republic, after the split with Slovakia
- 1993-11-10 Slovakian government of Vladimír Mečiar forms
- 1994-03-16 Moravcik forms Slovakia government
- 1994-09-30 Vladimir Meciars HZDDS wins Slovakia parliamentary election
- 1998-01-10 Hopman Cup Tennis, Perth: Karina Habšudová & Karol Kučera beat French pair Mary Pierce & Cédric Pioline 6-3, 6-4 for a 2-1 win, and Slovakia's first title
- 1998-02-01 Australian Open Men's Tennis: Petr Korda of Czechoslovakia wins his first and only Grand Slam event; beats Marcelo Rios of Chile 6-2, 6-2, 6-2
- 2001-08-01 Bulgaria, Cyprus, Latvia, Malta, Slovenia and Slovakia join the European Environment Agency.
Federation Cup
2002-11-03 Federation Cup Women's Tennis, Gran Canaria, Spain: Janette Husárová beats Spaniard Arantxa Sánchez Vicario 6-0, 6-2 to give Slovakia their first title, 3-1
- 2002-11-21 NATO invites Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia to become members.
- 2002-12-13 The European Union announces that Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia will become members from May 1, 2004
- 2004-01-10 Hopman Cup Tennis, Perth: Lindsay Davenport & James Blake beat Slovakian pair Daniela Hantuchová & Karol Kučera 6-2, 6-3 for a 2-1 win, and 3rd American title
- 2004-03-29 Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia join NATO as full members
- 2004-05-01 Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia join the European Union, celebrated at the residence of the Irish President in Dublin.
- 2005-01-08 Hopman Cup Tennis, Perth: Dominik Hrbatý beats Guillermo Coria of Argentina 6-4, 6-1 for an unassailable 2-0 lead, and 2nd Slovakian title
Summit of Interest
2005-02-23 Slovakia Summit 2005 begins; George W. Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin attend - 1st visit of a sitting US President to Slovakia
- 2005-12-04 94th Davis Cup: Croatia beats Slovak Republic in Bratislava (3-2)
- 2006-01-19 A Slovak Air Force Antonov An-24 crashes in Hungary.
- 2007-12-21 The Schengen Agreement area increases to include 9 European Union member states; Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia on land and sea borders.
- 2009-01-01 Slovakia officially adopts the Euro currency and becomes the sixteenth Eurozone country.
- 2009-01-09 Hopman Cup Tennis, Perth: Dominik Hrbatý beats Russia's Marat Safin 6-7, 7-5, 7-6 for an unassailable 2-0 lead, and Slovakia's 3rd title
- 2014-01-25 Australian Open Women's Tennis: Li Na of China becomes first Asian Australian champion; beats Dominika Cibulková of Slovakia 7-6, 6-0
- 2014-02-09 Slovak biathlete Anastasiya Kuzmina retains her Olympic 7.5k sprint title (Vancouver 2010) at the Sochi Winter Games
- 2014-03-29 Andrej Kiska is elected President of Slovakia
Sports History
2016-10-30 Slovak tennis star Dominika Cibulková beats Germany's Angelique Kerber 6-3, 6-4 to win the WTA Finals title decider in Kallang, Singapore
- 2018-03-15 Slovakia’s prime minister Robert Fico resigns amid crisis after the murder of a journalist Jan Kuciak investigating mafia connections
- 2019-03-30 Zuzana Caputova elected President of Slovakia, the country's first female head of state
Tour de France
2019-07-28 106th Tour de France: 22-year-old Egan Bernal becomes first ever Colombian and Latin American winner; Points champion: Peter Sagan of Slovakia
Famous Slovaks
Alexander Dubček
Andrej Babiš
Ivan Reitman
Jozef Tiso
Martina Hingis
Miloslav Mečíř