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World War II ends in Europe. Millions of people around the world take to the streets to celebrate ‘Victory in Europe Day’
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After the devastation of World War II, the United Nations is created with a mission to maintain international peace and security.
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Political tensions between eastern and western Europe over ideology, economics and government lead to a ‘Cold War’- fought with proxy wars rather than direct military conflict - that lasts for more than 40 years.
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Around 800 representatives from European countries meet at the Congress of Europe in the Dutch city of The Hague to discuss new forms of cooperation.
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Western European nations create the Council of Europe as a first step towards cooperation between them.
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5 years after the end of World War II, the then French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman presents a plan for a new form of political cooperation in Europe, which would make war between Europe’s nations unthinkable.
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Schuman’s vision starts to take shape when six countries — Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands — sign a treaty to create a European institution that would pool and manage coal and steel production.
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The Court of Justice of the European Union — the EU’s highest legal authority — is created. Its job is to ensure that EU law is interpreted and applied in the same way in every EU country, and that countries and EU institutions abide by EU laws.
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The coal market opens within the European Coal and Steel Community. The common market for coal and iron ore is put into place. Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands remove custom duties and quantitative restrictions on these raw materials. The steel market opens in May. -
Launch of the first European Cup organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). Real Madrid wins the tournament. The competition was renamed the Champions League in 1992.
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The first edition of the annual Eurovision Song Contest takes place in Lugano, Switzerland, with the aim of bringing European countries closer together after World War II.
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Building on the success of the coal and steel treaty, Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands expand cooperation to other economic sectors.
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The European Social Fund is established with the aim of improving job opportunities for workers and raising their standard of living.
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Today’s European Parliament traces its origins back to the Common Assembly of ‘representatives of the people’ of the European Coal and Steel Community. After the creation of the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community, it expands to cover all three communities.
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Adoption of “Regulation no. 1”, regulation setting out the official and working languages to be used in the European Community’s correspondence, as well as for publishing legislation and other documents.
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The European Free Trade Association is set up by a number of European countries that are not part of the European Economic Community (Austria, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom) to reduce barriers and increase trade of goods and services with each other. -
The Berlaymont office building, the European Commission’s headquarters, was originally built in 1967, on the former site of a convent and boarding school run by the Sisters of Berlaymont (Dames de Berlaymont). -
Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom join the European Communities, marking the first enlargement. Together with Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, they bring the membership to nine. -
European Community leaders adopt the first Environment Action Programme based on the idea that prevention is better than cure and that there should be a price on pollution.
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