FACTS ABOUT SERBIA

-         Beginning of the 7th century - Serbian and other Slavonic tribes settle in the Balkans

-         8th -9th century - first Serbian dukes

-         Between 867 - 874 - Serbs become Christians

-          1096 - 1097 - Crusaders first pass across Serbia

-         1147 - 1149 - Crusaders pass across Serbia for the second time

-         Grand duke of Rashka (the area in the south of Serbia, founded as the episcopacy in 9th-10 th century), Stefan Nemanja, the founder of the Nemanjic dynasty and the Serbian state

-          Around 1170 - Nemanja defeats Byzantines at Pantin near Zvecan (on Kosovo); to glorify his victory, he founded a church dedicated to Saint George near Novi Pazar, within the complex called Djurdjevi stupovi (George's Columns); He was also a founder of the monastery of Studenica meant for a mausoleum.

-         Around 1175 - Rastko Nemanjic - Saint Sava was born (since he's one of the most important persons in Serbian history )

-         1183 - Thank to Nemanja, Serbia becomes an independent country;

-         Around 1191 - Rastko Nemanjic leaves for the Holy Mountain (Mountain Athos).

-         1196 - Stefan Nemanja renounces the throne and, as a monk Simeon lives in Studenica and from 1197 in the Holy Mountain (Mountain Athos)

-         1196 - 1228 - Stefan Nemanjic, Serbian grand duke and from 1217 a king; 1199 - Stefan Nemanja, the monk Simeon, dies in Hilandar

-         The end of the 12th century - the beginning of constituting Serbian aristocracy

         The first half of the 13th century - Serbian rulers mint copper and silver coins

-         1217 - Stefan Nemanjic crowned in the church as the first Serbian king later known as Nemanja The First Crowned; he created the picture on our national flag; the crown is his.

-          Sava Nemanjic leaves for the Holy Mountain

-         1219- Serbian orthodox church becomes autocephalous

-         1243 - 1276 - The King Uros I - economic and cultural empowering of Serbia

-         The end of 13th century - Pec (on Kosovo) becomes the residence of the Serbian archbishopric

-         Around 1300 - 1380 - The Old Man Isaia, a monk and a diplomat, obtained the recognition of Pec Patriarchy

-         1331 -1355 - Stefan Dushan Nemanjic - Serbian King and the first Tsar (from 1345); published Dushan's Code; 1355 - The Tsar Dushan dies under unknown circumstances

-         1371 - Turks come in the Balkans; the battle on the Marica river

-         1375  - The recognition of Serbian Patriarchy in Pec by the Tsarigrad's (now Istanbul) Patriarchy

-         1389 - Kosovo battle; the battle at Kosovo field where Serbian army under the duke Lazar fought with the Turkish army led by the sultan Murat I; first, Serbian army was successful and Lazar's feudal lord, Milosh, killed Murat and made a real mess among the Turks; but then Murat's son took command, the more powerful Turkish army won, Lazar was captured and executed. His widow, Milica, on behalf of his son Stefan, had to accept to pay annual taxes and some military help to Turks.

-         1838 - The Lycee founded in Kragujevac; in 1905 it became the Belgrade University.

-         1844 - "Serbian Civil Code" was passed; National Museum in Belgrade was founded.

-         1846 - The Supreme Court was founded.

-         1868 - The National Theatre in Belgrade was founded.

-         1882 - The Kingdom of Serbia was announced; the king was Milan Obrenovic.

-         1888 - The constitution of the Kingdom of Serbia was passed where parliamentary democracy was brought in.

-         1889 - 1903 - The King Aleksandar Obrenovic; in April 1901 he changed the Constitution with a new one, which he didn't respect; he was an autocratic ruler and he was also married with a court lady, Draga Masin which caused a rebellion of the officers and he was killed.

-         1901 - The April Constitution was changed: beside the parliament, the Senate was added, and the two were equal in legislation.

-         1903- 1921 - Petar I Karadjordjevic, the king of Serbia (1903-1918) and the Kingdom od Serbs, Croats and Slovenians (1918-1921)

-         1918 (1st December) - the kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenians was declared

-         1921 - on 28th June the first constitution of Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenians was passed.

        1921 - 1934 - Aleksandar I  Karadjordjevic - the king of Serbs, Croats and Slovenians (1921- 1929) that is of Yugoslavia (from 1929). Known as the King of Uniting.

-         1934 - King Aleksandar killed in Marseilles.

-         1934-1941 - Yugoslavia was ruled by regents led by Duke Pavle Karadjordjevic, because Petar II Karadjordjevic was underage.

The Karadjordjevic dynasty escaped to London when World War II began. In 2000, they came back to Serbia.

-         1941 - 1945 - World War II

1999 - Bombardment of Serbia.