A Timeline of Important Events in Canadian History

Canadian history is a lot of fun. There are heroes and villains, tragedies and triumphs, great battles and sudden betrayals, loyal refugees and long struggles for social justice. The interpretation of Canadian history may vary – radically, at times – but there are still core events from our past that every Canadian should know. Brush up on your Canadian history with the following timeline of important events.

30,000–10,000 BC	Prehistoric hunters cross over into Canada from Asia
circa 1000 AD	Leif Ericsson leads a Viking expedition to the New World
1451	The Iroquois Confederacy is formed
1497	John Cabot reaches Newfoundland (or perhaps Cape Breton)
1534	Jacques Cartier first explores the St. Lawrence region
1608	Samuel de Champlain establishes a French colony at Québec City
1670	Hudson’s Bay Company is formed
1755	Expulsion of the Acadians
1759	Battle of the Plains of Abraham: Québec City is captured
1763	New France is formally ceded to Britain; Pontiac Rebellion erupts
1783	Loyalist refugees begin arriving after the American Revolution
1812–14	War of 1812: U.S. invades Canada
1837–38	Rebellions against British rule in Upper and Lower Canada
1848	Responsible government is won, first in Nova Scotia, then in Canada
1867	Confederation (first four provinces: Québec, Ontario, N.S., and N.B.)
1870	Red River Resistance; province of Manitoba is created
1871, 1873	B.C. and P.E.I. join Canada
1885	North-West Rebellion; the Canadian Pacific Railway is completed
1905	The provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan are created
1914–18	World War I
1916	Women win the vote in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta
1919	The Winnipeg General Strike
1929–39	The Great Depression
1939–45	World War II
1949	Newfoundland joins Canada
1950–53	Korean War
1959	St. Lawrence Seaway (major transportation route) officially opens
1960	Québec’s Quiet Revolution begins; Native Canadians given the vote
1967	Canada’s 100th birthday; Expo 67 World’s Fair in Montréal
1970	October Crisis: political kidnappings, Ottawa suspends civil rights
1980	Québec referendum on “sovereignty-association” defeated 60% to 40%
1982	Constitution comes home — with a Charter of Rights and Freedoms
1987–90	Meech Lake Accord is put forward — and collapses
1992	Charlottetown Accord is rejected by a national referendum
1995	Québec referendum on sovereignty is narrowly defeated
1999	The new Arctic territory of Nunavut is created
2000	Clarity Bill outlines the terms of Québec separation
2003	Canada says “no” to joining the war in Iraq
2005	Former PM Jean Chrétien and sitting PM Paul Martin testify at the Gomery Inquiry
2010	Canada sets record for gold medals at the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games

dummies

Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/a-timeline-of-important-events-in-canadian-history.html