Historical Timeline

Year	Event Description
1215	Magna Carta signed in England.
1497	John Cabot’s voyage marked the beginning of European exploration, with the first map of Canada’s East Coast.
1534-1542	Jacques Cartier completed three voyages, claiming Canadian land for King Francis I of France.
1550s	The name “Canada” started to appear on maps.
1604	French explorers Pierre de Monts and Samuel de Champlain founded the first European settlement north of Florida.
1608	Samuel de Champlain constructed a fort, now Quebec City.
1610	English settlement began in Canada.
1670	King Charles II granted the Hudson’s Bay Company exclusive trading rights over the Hudson Bay watershed.
1700s	The maple leaf was adopted as a symbol of Canada.
1701	Peace was established between the French and the Iroquois.
1755-1763	During the war with France, the “Great Upheaval” saw the British expel over two-thirds of the Acadians.
1758	Halifax, Nova Scotia, held the first elected representative assembly.
1759	The British defeated the French at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, ending France’s American empire.
1763	Aboriginal territorial rights were guaranteed for the first time.
1774	The Quebec Act was passed by the British Parliament.
1776	– The 13 American colonies declared independence and formed the United States. – Mohawk leader Joseph Brant led loyalist Indians into Canada.
1791	The Constitutional Act created Upper Canada (later Ontario) and made “Canada” the official name.
1793	Upper Canada became the first British province to take steps toward abolition.
1800s	Ice hockey was developed in Canada.
1805	Britain defeated Napoleon’s fleet at Trafalgar.
1812	The United States attempted to invade Canada.
1814	The American invasion of Canada failed.
1815	Napoleon was defeated by the Duke of Wellington.
1832	The Montreal Stock Exchange was founded.
1833	Slavery was abolished throughout the British Empire.
1840	Upper and Lower Canada were united to form the Province of Canada.
1847-1848	Nova Scotia became the first British North American colony to gain responsible government.
1849	Sir Louis-Hippolyte La Fontaine became the first head of a responsible government.
1854	The Victoria Cross, Canada’s highest honor, was first awarded.
1857	Queen Victoria selected Ottawa as Canada’s capital.
1860s	The Parliament buildings were completed.
1864	Sir Leonard Tilley coined the term “Dominion of Canada.”
1867	– Canada became a nation on July 1, with the British North America Act creating the Dominion of Canada. – Sir John A. Macdonald became Canada’s first Prime Minister. – Canada became a constitutional monarchy and defined federal and provincial government responsibilities.
1869	Canada acquired the vast Northwest region from the Hudson’s Bay Company.
1873	The RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) was established.
1890s	The Yukon Gold Rush occurred.
1891	James Naismith, a Canadian, invented basketball.
1916	Manitoba became the first province to grant women the right to vote.
1917	The Canadian Corps captured Vimy Ridge, solidifying Canada’s military reputation.
1918	Women over 21 were granted the right to vote in federal elections.
1920	The Group of Seven was formed, developing a unique style of landscape painting.
1921	King George V declared white and red as Canada’s national colors.
1927	The Peace Tower was completed to honor World War I; Old Age Security was introduced.
1929	The stock market crash triggered the Great Depression, or “Dirty Thirties.”
1934	The Bank of Canada was established.
1940	Unemployment insurance (now “employment insurance”) was introduced.
1944	Canadians captured Juno Beach on D-Day during the Allied invasion of Normandy.
1947	Oil discovery in Alberta marked the start of Canada’s modern energy industry.
1948	Japanese-Canadians gained the right to vote.
1951	The majority of Canadians could afford adequate food, shelter, and clothing.
1952	Queen Elizabeth II became Queen of Canada.
1960s	Quebec underwent significant change during the Quiet Revolution.
1960	Aboriginal people were granted the right to vote.
1965	– The current Canadian flag was raised for the first time. – The Canada and Quebec Pension Plans were introduced.
1967	The Order of Canada was created, marking the start of a Canadian honors system.
1969	The Official Languages Act mandated bilingual federal services in both English and French.
1970s	The term “First Nations” became widely used.
1980	– Terry Fox embarked on the “Marathon of Hope” to raise money for cancer research. – “O Canada” was adopted as the national anthem.
1982	– Canada’s Constitution was amended to include the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. – Queen Elizabeth II proclaimed the amended Constitution.
1988	Canada signed a free trade agreement with the United States.
2006	The House of Commons recognized Quebecois as a nation within Canada.