Updated: 2019-06-23.
Here is a brief timeline of important events that have shaped Latvia and its people; the focus here will be geared towards recent events (from 100 years ago or so), located towards the bottom, but we’ll begin with more ancient events first.
1918 – Latvian National Council proclaims Latvia an independent nation on 18 November.
1922 – New Constitution
1934 – Prime Minister Kārlis Ulmanis, in a coup d’état, seizes absolute power.
1940 – Latvia Forced to Join Soviet Union
1941 – Nazis Invade
1986 – First Anti-Soviet Demonstrations
1990 – Latvia Proclaims Independence from USSR on 4 May.
1991 – Soviet Union Recognizes Latvian Independence
2004 – Latvia Joins NATO on 2 April
2004 – Latvia Joins European Union on 1 May
2014 – Latvia Begins Using Euro on 1 January; The euro currency replaces Latvia’s lat.
