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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. -
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. -
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. -
They create the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), and the European Economic Community or ‘common market’, allowing people, goods and services to move freely across borders. -
The Merger Treaty, also known as the Treaty of Brussels, was a European treaty which unified the executive institutions of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) and the European Economic Community (EEC). -
Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom join the European Communities, marking the first enlargement. -
The European Council is created with the intention of establishing an informal forum for discussion between heads of state or government. -
For the first time, European citizens can vote for who they want to represent them in the European Parliament. Before the introduction of direct elections, MEPs were appointed by the national parliaments of each Member State. -
Greece join the community -
Spain and Portugal join the community. -
It was conceived as the political culmination of a set of regulations, 3 binding on all member states of the European Union, both for future members and for the signatory states at the time of the treaty. -
Schengen Area finally began on March 26, 1995, where seven (7) Schengen member countries (France, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain) decided to abolish their internal border controls. Finland, Sweden and Austria join the community. -
The resulting Amsterdam Treaty, amending the EU Treaty, the Treaties establishing the European Communities and certain related acts. -
Euro notes and coins become the legal currency in 12 EU countries. Printing, minting and distributing them is a major logistical operation. More than 80 billion coins are involved. -
Estonia, Malta, Cyprus, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Checkia, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia join the community. -
The treaty of Lisbon is rejected by Ireland.
Romania and Bulgaria join the community. -
Portugal, Spain, Greece, Cyprus and Ireland receive financial aid from the Eurozone.
Croatia join the community. -
Having been an EU Member State since 1973, the United Kingdom leaves the European Union, following the 2016 referendum result. The so-called “Brexit agreement”, jointly approved by the European and the British Parliaments. (ALL THE INFO EXTRACTED FROM EUROPE.EU)
(Except the treaties)